St. Cuthbert's Island

Jeremy Lin

2012-02-12T09:05:00.003-06:00

I don't know if you've heard of Jeremy Lin, the Asian-American basketball phenom. I really like his story.
Check out this interview with him while he was a basketball player at Harvard.

Cuthbert's Devotion

2010-08-31T22:54:00.004-05:00

I came across this account of Saint Cuthbert in a beautiful book that was lent to me:

While on Lindisfarne, Cuthbert used to pray day and night. Sometimes he prayed in solitude on Hobthrush Isle (also known as St. Cuthbert's Island -- my note). At other times he used to work with his hands so he could stay awake to pray. He also walked all around the island to see how everything was getting on. As he walked he sang psalms. He slept little, sometimes going all day without sleep. Even when he was sleeping if he was unexpectedly awakened he was never angry. He used to say, "No one who awakens me angers me. He who wakes me up makes me happy for driving away the heaviness of sleep and making me think of something useful." When Cuthbert celebrated Mass he could not do it without shedding tears. When he sang he sang from a full heart. The music often broken by the sound of his sighs. He was upright and holy in his personal life. He reproved wrongdoing in others but was most kind and gracious with the penitent. He was even known during confession to break into tears, thus by his example prompting greater penitence and more complete forgiveness.
As time went on Cuthbert had a greater desire to be alone with God. He withdrew more and more to spend time on Hobthrush Isle....

from p. 33 of Cuthbert and the Animals by John McManners

Psalm 126

2010-07-29T06:24:00.006-05:00

This is the 7th of 15 Psalms of Ascent.

First, my translation:

PSALM 126
A song of ascents.
When YHWH ended the sojourn of Zion, we became refreshed, like people who have just woken from a dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, our tongue with a cry of joy.
Then among the nations they said, “YHWH has done a great thing with these people!”
YHWH has done a great thing with us.
We have become filled with joy.
Restore the captives, O YHWH, like wadis in the Negeb.
Those sowing in tears will reap the harvest in a cry of joy.
Surely he who goes out (and weeps), carrying his pouch of seed, will come in with a cry of joy, carrying as much bundled harvest as he is able!

When the LORD ended the sojourn of Zion… Does this not describe our condition? Are we not sojourners? We are not captive, yet we have not yet reached the promised land. How will it be when we finally arrive at home? How will we react when we see our Father, our Savior, our Breath of Life face to face? Will we not be like those who dream? “This is too good to be true!” Will our mouths not be filled with laughter? Will our throats not send forth cries of joy?

Or maybe, as this translation suggests, we will not be like dreamers. Rather, we will be like those who have just awakened from a dream. We will experience a reality that is more real, not less, than what we experience here and now. I am not denying the reality of this world but proposing the super-reality of the world to come. We will be refreshed. We will awaken from the deep sleep of death and will breathe the sweet, clean air of eternity.

The restoration of the captives is a foreshadowing of our eternal restoration in Christ. We must know that we will reap a harvest in time. Our identity must be so tied up with Christ that we know we are not at home here. Our sights must be set on eternity. The decisions we make must be based on this reality, and because we live “out of step” with the world, we should expect to suffer. When we hold fast to our faith (like Daniel) and speak truth boldly (like Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael in Daniel 3:17-18), the world may be impressed or it may turn against us. But even in the fire, the Son of God will accompany us (Daniel 3:25).

Are we not rejoicing even now? We should be! We are going home, and the LORD is leading us. Shouldn’t our mouths be filled with laughter, our tongues with a cry of joy (the sound I can most liken this to is the interjections often heard in Mexican music)-- a big “woo-hoo!” The Negeb (v. 4), a dry and desolate place, can quickly turn into a land of flowing streams after the rains come. We must wait in hope for the Lord to transform our desolation. We who sow in tears will reap more than we can possibly carry. But, I notice two things here. First, we must go out. No matter what our circumstances, even through the tears, we must faithfully press on. This is an act of faith. Second, we must carry our pouch of seed. We do not rely on God to do everything. We are active participants. Whatever we are sowing to in the Lord, we should work at it with all of our hearts. In time, we will reap a joyful harvest, for we know that our work in the Lord will not be in vain.

What an encouraging song. (Have you ever sung the Matt Redman version in a jubilant assembly? I have, and it is truly wonderful!) What the Lord has done for Israel, he will do for us. We are part of a nation of overcomers. The nations know it. They will see it again. Let us live in the knowledge that we are blessed, that we have a great God, that we serve the Great Redeemer, the Giver of Life, the Fount of Eternal Joy. The Lord has indeed done great things for us and is doing a great thing with us…and we are filled with joy!

Caim Prayer

2010-06-05T22:52:00.000-05:00

In my last blog entry, I examined Psalm 125. In this psalm, God's encircling protection is compared to the mountains encircling Jerusalem. It's a beautiful visual reminder of God's presence and concern.

Well, that's all well and good for the people in Jerusalem, but I live in the flattest place in the entire world! What possible visual reminder of God's encircling love could there be for me?

Well, it just so happens that the Celtic saints had a prayer that they called an "encircling" prayer. Their word for it is caim. When saying a caim prayer, you draw a circle around yourself with your finger. "This symbolizes the encircling love of God....See yourself and others encircled and be aware that the living God surrounds and encloses with His love, care and protection." -- Celtic Daily Prayer: Prayers and Readings of the Northumbria Community, p. 297.

An example of a caim prayer is:

Circle me, Lord.
Keep protection near and danger afar.
Circle me, Lord.
Keep hope within and despair without.
Circle me, Lord.
Keep light near and darkness afar.
Circle me, Lord.
Keep peace within and anxiety without.
Circle me, Lord.
Keep comfort near and discouragement afar.
Circle me, Lord.
Keep holiness within and sin without.
The eternal Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
shield me on every side.
Amen.

Of course, the "me" above could be replaced with us, him, her, them, or someone's name or names as needed. (This example is again taken from the Celtic Daily Prayer book.)

Naturally, there is nothing magical about making a circle with your hand. But as physical beings, engaging our bodies in prayer and in worship can be very helpful. I have found the encircling motion to be a very powerful reminder of the reality of God's presence and power when I pray.

So if you're a flatlander like me, try the caim prayer. The Lord surrounds us all in His unfailing love.

Psalm 125

2010-05-22T11:12:00.006-05:00

First, a translation.

PSALM 125
A song of ascents (a going up song)
Those who trust in YHWH are like Mount Zion.
They will not be made to stumble, abiding for eternity.
Jerusalem, the mountains surrounding her,
and YHWH surrounding His people for all eternity.
For the rod of the wicked will not rest
on the lot of the righteous,
so that the righteous will not let their hands go to wickedness.
YHWH, treat graciously the good and upright in heart.
But those branching off on their twisted, winding paths
YHWH will send off with those who practice sin.
Peace be upon Israel.

Imagine a group making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. They see the mountains ahead of them. As they ascend to the dwelling place of God, they sing this hymn. They equate the protection, majesty, and surety of the mountains with the strength and certainty of God. Those who trust Him will be made like these mountains.
“My dear friends, stand firm and don't be shaken. Always keep busy working for the Lord. You know that everything you do for him is worthwhile.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)
Those who trust will not be moved. They won’t totter or be shaken.
(Cue “Those Who Trust” from Enter the Worship Circle.)
It isn’t that they won’t experience trouble or hardship, but the LORD is surrounding them. His protection is sure.

Yes, the Lord protects. But what about the wicked who seem to be in control? How can that coincide with the LORD’s protection? Why do they prosper and thrive?

Psalm 125 says that such a situation is temporary. The rod of the wicked may indeed lean upon the upright, but it will not remain there. If it did, good people might be tempted to get ahead by joining in with the evildoers. Too many people fall into this trap. They see a "shortcut" to happiness and abandon the Way.

Psalm 73 explores this temptation so well. Here the psalmist is frustrated by the prosperity of the wicked. Where’s the justice?! But then, he sees their end. Believers can’t be shortsighted. We must be among those who TRUST. So, though the days are evil, and though the tares and the wheat grow side by side in the field, their end is coming. The rod of the wicked will not rest upon the lot of the righteous.

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15-16)

In verse 4, the psalmist prays for the Lord to be gracious to those who are good and upright in heart.

He was…
and His graciousness cost Him His Son.

The psalmist’s prayer was answered in a more profound way than he could have imagined.

So, having assured us of God’s protecting & sustaining presence and answering our concerns about the place of the unrighteous, the psalm ends with a warning—those who abandon God and choose evil will be punished with the ungodly. To receive God’s reward, believers must stand firm to the end. Just glancing over the New Testament, I see that we “stand firm” through faith (1 Corinthians 16:14, 2 Cor. 1:24), prayer (Colossians 4:12), God’s empowerment (2 Corinthians 1:21), holding firm to the Word (2 Thessalonians 2:15), following the example of the saints and anticipating Christ’s return (Philippians 3:17-4:1), wearing the heavenly armor (Ephesians 6), resisting the devil (1 Peter 5:9), and through the Spirit (Philippians 1:27, 2 Thessalonians 2:13)

Eugene Peterson sees this psalm as an assurance of our salvation. God will remain faithful to us through all our ups and downs. We can remain confident, because our souls are secure in His hand. The Good Shepherd protects us. His rod and His staff (His protection and guidance) give us comfort.

Charles Spurgeon has a great quote regarding this psalm:

As Jerusalem is fortressed by the mountains, so are God’s people castled in the covenant, fortressed in the Omnipotence of God, and therefore they are impregnably secure.

No hardship or persecution can separate us from the love of God— not the rack, nor furnaces, nor crosses, nor stakes, nor martyrdom, nor being forced from our homes. Not calumny, scorn, nor slander. Not heresy nor divisions. We are secure.

Though I feel I could write much more, I’ll go ahead and conclude with a hymn that Charles Wesley wrote based on Psalm 125:

1 WHO in the Lord confide,
And feel his sprinkled blood,
In storms and hurricanes abide,
Firm as the mount of God:
Steadfast, and fixed, and sure,
His Zion cannot move;
His faithful people stand secure
In Jesu's guardian love.

2 As round Jerusalem
The hilly bulwarks rise,
So God protects and covers them
From all their enemies.
On every side he stands,
And for his Israel cares;
And safe in his almighty hands
Their souls for ever bears.

3 But let them still abide
In thee, all-gracious Lord,
Till every soul is sanctified,
And perfectly restored:
The men of heart sincere
Continue to defend;
And do them good, and save them here,
And love them to the end.

Amen. Rest secure in God’s encompassing protection!

Self-Control

2010-04-03T00:14:00.001-05:00

During this Lenten season, I did some fasting. (I realize that by sharing this I may be violating the spirit of Matthew 6:16-18, but I think this is important to share.)

Why did I fast?
Fasting is...
* a way to show God that I love Him more than _________.
* a reminder that "Man does not live on bread alone..."
* a way of identifying with the sufferings of Jesus.
* a chance to say "no" to bodily desires and thus build my Titus 2:11-14 muscles. (If I can learn to say "no" to food when I'm hungry, I can say no to sinful temptations as well. It's a way of practicing self-denial.)
* a reminder that our business here on earth is not just to "eat, drink, and be merry." We, too, have food to eat that too many men know nothing about--to do the will of God (John 4:31-34)
* a reminder to pray (often with a certain focus).
* a means of humbling oneself and relying on God.

I'm sure there are many other reasons to fast, but these come to mind now.

I've fasted before and have been blessed by it. This time, however, it was harder than normal. By the evening of a fast day, I sometimes felt weak or cold.
I was very irritable, overly sensitive, short-tempered, and, at times, downright mean.
Darina's comments about how my fast was adversely affecting the family and about how unspiritual this seemed were right on target. And they stung. This was not the kind of fast the Father desired.

I began to be aware of how physical discomforts affected my moods. Fasting then became an opportunity to work on exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit, even as my body didn't feel like it. While I am sure that my moods affect the way I act all of the time, fasting made me realize this acutely. Praise God that as I prayed for a gentler, more loving, and more self-controlled spirit, I believe He answered me. It seemed (to me at least--I hope my family would agree) that I was nicer on fast days toward the end of Lent.

Today is Good Friday.
And because of fasting, I am now aware of another aspect of the crucifixion that I had never before considered.
Think of how physically taxed Jesus must have been during his last hours. He did not sleep. He did not eat or drink. He was interrogated and falsely accused. He was abandoned. He was mocked and beaten. He bled. He was forced to do physical labor. He was crucified.
Now if I'm irritable and short-tempered after a day without food, imagine how Jesus' mood must have been affected by all of these trials.
I am amazed that he did not sin during this time!

I have always taken the passages concerning Jesus' silence as if He simply had nothing that needed to be said. Today, however, it strikes me that Jesus' silence may well have been His self-control on display. If the tongue is a fire, how easy it would have been to strike that match during the extreme and unjust trials He was undergoing.

But He kept silent. He did not lash out. He did not defend Himself. He did the will of the One who sent Him. He finished His work...without sinning.

This makes me love Jesus even more. This act of faithful, self-controlled silence. In His anger (if indeed He was angry--I think He may have been more sad than angry) He did not sin. What a Savior.

Thank You, Lord, for Your obedience unto death. Thank You for Your love, for Your sacrifice, for Your self-control. May I learn from You. May Your Spirit lead us into Your fulness.
Amen.

Maundy Thursday Quote

2010-04-01T09:02:00.000-05:00

"The Eucharist is far more than just a meal;
it has cost a death to provide it,
and the majesty of death is present in it."

--Pope Benedict XVI

Stuff Christians Like

2010-04-01T03:59:00.002-05:00

Here's a site worth checking out.

Happy April Fool's Day!

(The book's also the Free Audio Download of the month at christianaudio.com.)

A Lenten Quote

2010-03-23T22:24:00.000-05:00

"Fear can be a good counselor,
welding our frightened selves to God's sufficiency."
--Calvin Miller, The Christ of Easter

I am thinking of this quote in connection with repentance, godly sorrow, and fear of the Lord.

Psalm 124 (Reflections)

2010-02-15T09:41:00.001-06:00

I've been living with this psalm for a while now. As Eugene Peterson says in Eat This Book, I've had time to gnaw on it, like a dog lingering over a bone. I don't know that this equates to any great insight, but I've lived with the psalm for a while...had a chance to marinate in it.

I like this psalm. It's a psalm of remembrance, acknowledgment, thanksgiving, and praise.

I like how it begins, with a corporate admission of dependence.
I like how the psalmist breaks off in mid sentence to exhort the congregation.

"Hey. Come on, now. This applies to all of us. We have all been delivered from the same trouble. Let me hear you declare it!"

Let ALL Israel say...

Every Christian was in dire straits until the Lord, in His love, stepped in to deliver us. This applies to individual instances of God's intervention, too, but I'm thinking specifically of the salvation accomplished through Jesus Christ.

Psalm 124 spells out what would have happened if He were not on our side.

This is the good news--the Lord is FOR us!!!

If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

The first image is one of enemies attacking in their anger, devouring us whole.
This reminds me of the devil, prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

We've been delivered from the mouth of the lion.

Then the imagery shifts to water. Three different pictures of watery peril are repeated in rapid succession: Water rushing over someone and sweeping him away, like a flood of troubles. A river rising over one's mouth, drowning one in despair. "Raging" waters passing over the top of someone, overcoming any resistance. This is scary imagery. It's an inescapable fate, like the floodwaters that destroyed during the days of Noah or the Tolkienesque wall that washed over the Egyptians during the exodus escape.

This is what would have happened to us.
From this we were rescued.

We were not left as prey to the enemy's teeth, either. Though we were trapped in sin, trapped like a bird in a fowler's snare, the trap was broken. We are free as a bird! We are safe in the arms of Jesus! The devil has no hold on us.

Our help is in the Name of the Lord...who is for us.

For God so loved the world that He gave His Son that whosoever will believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32)

So, as we look on our present (& momentary) troubles, let us remember the fate from which we have been delivered. We were drowning in the quagmire of sin. There was no escape. We were caught in a trap. But then, because of His great love for us, the LORD stepped in. He is our help. He is for us. Let all Israel say...

No matter what is overwhelming you, no matter what enemy is assailing you, no matter how hopeless your situation seems, the Lord is for you. He has proven it. He whom you have never seen with your eyes, but whom you love, has delivered you from the whelming flood, freed you from the snare.

It lies broken.

He is still on your side. He loves you. He is still mighty to save.

Trust Him. Our help is in the Name of the LORD.

Psalm 124 (Translation)

2010-01-04T21:46:00.000-06:00

This is the fifth of fifteen "Songs of Ascent" that I hope to comment on.
And though I don't have comments ready, I want to go ahead and post my translation.
Enjoy this great psalm!

Psalm 124:1-8

Song of Ascents. Of David. If it were not YHWH who was for us--
Come on, Israel. Say it:
If it were not YHWH who was for us when men arose against us:
then they would have swallowed us alive when their anger broke out against us.
then the waters would have washed us away, the stream would have passed over our throats.
then, covering our throats, the raging waters would have passed over.
Blessed be YHWH, who has not given us over as prey to their teeth.
Our lives were like a bird saved from a birdtrap; the birdtrap, catching birds in its snare, was broken, and we have gotten ourselves to safety.
Our help is in the Name of YHWH (His being & power), Maker of heaven and earth.

Deep Rooted in Christ

2009-12-31T13:25:00.003-06:00

Last Christmas I received a book called Deep Rooted in Christ: The Way of Transformation by Joshua Choonmin Kang. I was excited to read it after Richard Foster recommended it so heartily. Upon opening the book, I noticed that it had 52 chapters, so I decided to read a chapter a week and just kind of "live" with the book for a year. I started out reading the same chapter each day for seven days so the words could really sink into my soul. And they did. I didn't maintain that dedication (especially during December), but I have soaked in the book somewhat and been blessed.

In this entry, I'm going to post quotes that capture the essence of each chapter. For me, it's just kind of a way to end the year by looking back at what I learned from this Korean pastor.

BEGINNING
1) For the sake of eternal blessings, we must give up earthly things.
2) True ministry begins not with giving but with receiving. We need to be filled up before we have anyting to give to others.
3) Emptying and filling, that was the rhythm of Jesus' life, and so it should be ours. In a very real sense the Christian life is like a pitcher; it's not something in which to store blessings up; it's a vessel out of which to pour blessings from.
BECOMING ROOTED IN JESUS
4) Life's problems are best solved at the root level; that's where we care for our souls; that's where the medicine is spiritual discipline.
5) Spiritual formation isn't like a quickly spreading fire; it's like a tree with deeply descending roots, establishing a foundation for future growth and fruitfulness.
6) Jesus is our foundation in the Christian life.
Seeking spiritual formation is like taking hold of the eternal foundation, seeing everything in the light of eternity.
Where we begin is vital. It's better to build correctly than to build quickly.
We must invest time and energy to build a solid foundation for living.
7) In short, spiritual formation is about cultivating the inner world...cultivating the heart.
Without it we cannot present pure hearts to God.
8) A deep well is untouched by changes of climate.
When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, our inner world is stable in spite of the shifting world outside.
GROWING IN GRACE
9)Deep people are those who practice spiritual disciplines in depth.
What brings us into depth and maturity?
1. the Word
2. the Holy Spirit
Unless we abide in the Word and under the power of the Holy Spirit, we can't know the depths that God intends for us.
10) Apart from the grace of God spiritual growth is simply impossible.
11) The understanding and insight to distinguish good from evil come through meditating on the Word.
When our eyes are fixed on the Lord Jesus and we trust in his Word, we will be steadfast and mature.
12) We can experience God only to the degree to which he makes himself known to us. He reveals himself through his Word and by his Holy Spirit. We'll experience and know God when we read the Word under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
13) Before we can obey God's Word, we have to understand it.
14) Competitive athletes must train their physical bodies; serious Christian thinkers must rigorously train their minds.
For disciplined training of our thoughts, constant study and reading are our greatest tools.
15) Before God, we need to be like lambs. In our relationship to other believers, we must act with sacrificial love. But against sin, the world and Satan, we have to be like valiant lions.
16) God not only implants the desire for transformation into our lives but also supplies the strength to make transformation a reality.
In reality, we can't separate grace and disciplines; they're deeply intertwined.
Followers of Jesus Christ are supposed to be disciplined people. They're supposed to discipline themselves under the grace of God.
WILDERNESS--A PREPARATION
17) A man or woman of God isn't made in palaces, in comfortable classes or quiet dormitories.
Men and women of God get their spiritual training in the wilderness.
18) One way we are trained in the desert is by waiting.
While a servant of God waits, he or she has a chance to anticipate and look forward to what God has planned.
19) Every spiritual leader needs discernment about God's time...one of the fruits of desert education.
An impatient person is unwilling to wait upon God.
20) We need to make time to be alone with God.
God seeks those who like to be alone with him.
21) Servants of God aren't controlled by what they hear from fellow human beings; they are controlled by the voice of God.
To be a servant of God we must sharpen our hearing.
22) ...prayer time is never wasted time.
Before trying to move the hearts of other people, we should try to move the heart of God.
23) God won't consider using someone who trusts only in himself.
Our own meager strength isn't enough to do the work God wants. The great tasks are possible only through his power.
24) The power of God becomes a reality in our lives when we deny our nature; this is a basic principle of ministry.
25) It was the good shepherd who knew the value of each member of his flock.
26) Those who uphold the kingdom of God have to become servants.
27) Those who are especially chosen by God have one common experience, a special anointing by the Holy Spirit.
SOUL CARING
28) The most important task for true servants of God is to take time off to look at one's inner life, to care for one's own soul.
Taking a step back, spending some time together with our Creator, is a small but critical move.
29) To keep in top spiritual condition, our souls need daily devotional time.
Early morning devotions help us tune our will to God.
30) The discipline of silence can still the noise of the world.
Silence is a friend of God.
31) In the garden of our hearts, we want splendid fruit-bearing trees.
Meditate and pray, plant the Word, and there will be good and beautiful fruit.
32) Spiritual disciplines will make us more like Jesus; they'll make our lips and heart become one. Being like Jesus, avoiding hypocrisy, is all about taking care of our souls.
WAYS TO FRUITFULNESS
33) God didn't tell us to become beautiful flowers. Instead, he commanded us to bear fruit.
34) Can we come down from our own high places to serve others? Only then will we really be following our Lord Jesus. And we'll bear splendid fruit when we do.
35) Let God do the publicizing.
Self-promotion isn't what pleases God.
36) When our walls of self are shattered, this life in us pours out.
How can we let the let the life of God flow free? One way is to deny ourselves.
37) God...wants a close friendship.
Without a close friendship with Jesus, our ministries won't count. Working hard is only the half of it. Friendship is the other half.
RIGHTEOUSNESS HAS A HEART
38) What kind of person does God work through? Not a person who boasts about his or her own competence. Instead, God looks for someone who maintains power inwardly.
39) God sets a great value on those who endure great trials. He purifies his servants through suffering and readies them for his ministries.
40) Holiness is having a heart for God.
What's the secret of having such a heart for God?
We must decide to please God only.
41) God is looking for just one person who hates sin, fears God and is willing to lay his or her life aside to fulfill God's mission.
Because of one righteous person, a blessing will come to our own place and time.
God wants to find those who aren't seeking popularity and fame but are looking for genuine holiness, and we are the ones.
42) Righteous influence can be corrupted by sin.
Those who long for righteousness imitate Jesus.
43) Is righteousness a gift, or must we cultivate it? Righteousness comes as part of the gift of faith--when we first believe in Jesus. But to complete that righteousness is a lifetime process. God did not give us a short cut.
44) Understand our true identities...our ugly side...our splendid, unlimited potential.
Those with deep spirituality have a strong conviction about their sinful natures.
Sometimes, as we grow in grace, we get the feeling that we're growing in sin.
45) Patience is the essence of love.
Let's have patience. Let's think about Jesus and endure.
46) Self-control is the height of spiritual discipline.
First, it comes through the Holy Spirit.
Second, self-control comes about through all the spiritual disciplines.
47) Jesus possessed the word power to move human souls.
His words spoke to the people. His words revealed his own spirituality.
Once we are filled with the Holy Spirit our language will change.
48) What distinguishes mature servants of God? They're content with what they have.
Believers don't have to look far for happiness; they find it in Jesus who makes his home right here with us. Let's gaze on him, the source of all satisfaction.
49) How do true servants of God behave?
For the sake of the gospel, they embrace everyone; they open their hearts to receive one and all.
50) The heart of Jesus is gentle and humble.
It embraces everyone.
51) The abundant life Jesus was talking about is the happy life.
It's the life filled with spiritual meaning and worthwhile tasks.
An uncomfortable life isn't necessarily a miserable life. On the other hand, a comfortable life doesn't guarantee a happy life.
The abundant life comes when we live a life of mission (Acts 20:24); a life that serves others has meaning and purpose.
52) What then is the prescription for maintaining exceptional spirituality?
1. We must learn to walk the straight path.
2. We must abide in Jesus always.
3. We must have a Sprit-filled life.
4. To follow Jesus we must deny ourselves daily.
5. To do battle against Satan, we must try to be always awake and on guard.
6. Our love of God in Jesus compels us to serve others.
7. Our ministry calls for a balance in spirituality and the Word.
Because human character is so limited, we must always trust and lean on the working of the Holy Spirit, the blood of Jesus and his righteousness. We must attend to the work of the ministry in the power and authority of Jesus' name.
The life of a Christlike person...sets a goal and imitates Jesus in a lifelong process by and in the grace of God.

If anyone has actually read all of this, you are obviously concerned about spiritual transformation and should buy the book!

Happy New Year everybody!

Stefanovden

2009-12-30T10:05:00.001-06:00

(This entry was obviously started on the day after Christmas...)

December 26th, Saint Stephen's Day.
Also, my Grandmother's birthday.
It has always been overshadowed by Christmas...an afterthought of sorts.

Saint Stephen's day gets overlooked, too.
Obviously, the first Christian martyr is not on par with the incarnation, but Stephen's death did set major events in motion. "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church," after all.

My friend Joseph reminds me that martyrdom is not a thing of the ancient past. Members of his Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt are still being persecuted and killed today. In muslim Egypt, Joseph explains, Christian parents are told that their child has "converted to Islam," and they never see the child again. In actuality, the child has more likely been abducted and sold into slavery (as was St. Patrick).

Such persecution has increased in recent years in Egypt, and Joseph tells me that believers there have recently been comforted and encouraged by appearances from the Virgin Mary, seen worshiping before the cross.

Another Josef was also born on Saint Stephen's Day, 2007. He was born prematurely, but the Lord has brought him through many ordeals. His family is preparing to go to Ethiopia to serve homeless and oppressed children. Ethiopia is another nation in conflict. So please pray for the Gross family, for Ethiopia, for Egypt, and for all who are persecuted for the sake of Christ Jesus.

And let us also live up to these words from 2 Corinthians 4 (a very appropriate Stefanovden meditation):

8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. 12 So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.

13 But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.” 14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. 15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.

16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

New Living Translation

Flesh and Bone

2009-12-29T23:21:00.007-06:00

In college, I sang in a quartet. One of the songs we sang was a Michael Card song called Flesh of His Flesh. The chorus goes like this:

We are flesh of His flesh
Bone of His bone
His Spirit has brought us
Together as one
Though we may be separate
We're one perfect whole
For we are His body
And He is our soul

The song combines elements of Romans 12:5 and Genesis 2:23.

I was reading some commentary a few days ago on Genesis 2:23 and I discovered something interesting. This phrase "bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh" may mean more than one thinks. Victor Hamilton suggests that "flesh" often symbolizes weakness in the Old Testament. "Bone," on the other hand, may be seen as a symbol of strength. The phrase "my/your bone and flesh" also connotes relationship. Walter Brueggemann argues that this phrase is used as a covenental formula--a pledge of mutual loyalty.

So, in this first instance of direct human discourse, Adam may be stating much more than the fact that he and the woman are made of the same stuff. It could very well be a statement of commitment.

Thus it would serve as the biblical counterpart to the modern marriage ceremony, "in weakness [i.e., flesh] and in strength [i.e., bone]."

Wow, can you believe this may have been Adam & Eve's way of marrying, becoming "one flesh" with her? Makes sense in context...

I read this on my anniversary. Darina is my bone and my flesh. We share in each others' strengths and weaknesses, and the Lord is there with us through it all.

What a nice anniversary present. Thank you, Lord.

--Brueggemann, Walter, "Of the Same Flesh and Bone (GN 2,23a)," CBQ 32 (1970) 532-42
--Hamilton, Victor P., The Book of Genesis: Chapters 1-17, The New International Commentary on the New Testament

The Brothers Karamazov

2009-12-24T09:17:00.003-06:00

This classic work is being offered as a free audiobook download until the end of 2009.

If you haven't read The Brothers Karamazov (or listened to it), you really should.

I think it's my all-time favorite novel!

Hallelujah Chorus -- Performed by Silent "Monks"

2009-12-11T04:16:00.002-06:00

I thought this video was really enjoyable.

Ramblings of Discontent (The Search Goes On...)

2009-11-29T16:07:00.008-06:00

Yesterday we were in Dallas renewing Darina's Bulgarian passport. On the way back to Lubbock, we had lots of time to talk about our future. For a couple of years, I've been searching for exactly what I should do professionally. While searching & asking, thinking & waiting, there have been times when I've gotten discouraged.

Recently, I finished reading The Idiot, by Dostoevsky. Surprisingly, I didn't like it very much. There was a particular passage that hit me though.

The narrator is discussing different types of people--those who think they are clever and those who truly are. He muses that clever people are sometimes truly honest and good, but unsuccessful.

One of these luckless men...is the guardian angel of his family, maintains by his labour outsiders as well as his own kindred, and yet can never be at rest all of his life! The thought that he has so well fulfilled his duties is no comfort or consolation to him; on the contrary, it irritates him. 'This is what I've wasted all my life on,' he says; 'this is what has fettered me, hand and foot; this is what has hindered me from doing something great! Had it not been for this, I should certainly have discovered -- gunpowder or America, I don't know precisely what, but I would certainly have discovered it!' What is most characteristic of these gentlemen is that they can never find out for certain what it is they are destined to discover and what they are within an ace of discovering. But their sufferings, their longings for what was to be discovered, would have sufficed for a Columbus or a Galileo.

(Part IV, Chapter 1, page 433 in my version, emphasis mine)

It's not that I think I'm terribly clever or gifted. But I do feel unfulfilled. I don't think it's just pride that causes me to feel that I should be doing more. I know that God can use me for something great. I just lack faith that He will use me. Yet Satan does use this discontent to make me discount my here and now.

I've heard much about being content lately. I trust that God will use me as He chooses. (Self-contradictory much? Yes, I know.) Another passage from The Idiot may also have something to say to my situation:

You know it's a matter of a whole lifetime, an infinite multitude of ramifications hidden from us. The most skillful chess-player, the cleverest of them, can only look a few moves ahead; a French player who could reckon out ten moves ahead was written about as a marvel. How many moves there are in this, and how much that is unknown to us! In scattering the seed, scattering your 'charity,' your kind deeds, you are giving away, in one form or another, part of your personality, and taking into yourself part of another; you are in mutual communion with one another, a little more attention and you will be rewarded with the knowledge of the most unexpected discoveries...All your thoughts, all the seeds scattered by you, perhaps forgotten by you, will grow up and take form. He who has received them from you will hand them on to another. And how can you tell what part you may have in the future determination of the destinies of humanity?

(Part III, Chapter 6, p. 378)

(Of course this speech was delivered by a scoundrel who was contemplating suicide, but still...)

I certainly don't want this blog to lapse into a self-reflective journal. That's not my intent. I'm sure there are others who feel unfulfilled and are seeking direction as well. Perhaps I would feel better about my situation (and become more productive) if I would just spend less time watching TV and playing computer games. Who knows?

Lord, have mercy...

The Net

2009-11-05T08:35:00.007-06:00

Jesus has many parables, sayings in which he throws a spiritual concept out alongside a more familiar circumstance. He often leaves us to draw the connections. Many times people didn't get the point he was trying to make. They heard with their ears but did not understand. I have often been in their shoes.

But that somewhat cryptic (or at least obscure) quality of the parables is part of what makes them special. We have to keep coming back to them and looking at them afresh. Our job is not just to say, "I got that one" and move on. We get to repeatedly explore the comparisons that Jesus made. I think that's one reason He spoke in this manner.

Recently I heard my favorite teacher, Roger Forster, interpret the parable of the net. Before I share his interpretation, here's the parable:

The Parable of the Net
Matthew 13
47"Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51"Have you understood all these things?" Jesus asked.
"Yes," they replied.

I had always just kind of taken this parable at face value. There will be a judgment, a harvest, an end. It happens when the net is full. There are all kinds of fish. Just because you're in the net doesn't mean you're a keeper! The bad fish will be thrown away (burned). No catch and release here.

But Forster focuses on the composition of the net. He supposes that the individual knots of the net are church congregations and the ropes that connect the knots are the Holy Spirit. That really struck me. This is how people come to the Lord--through the Lord's Body, the Church. And what does that say about church unity? We are bound to one another more than we realize. We're not just separate gatherings or denominations functioning independently of one another (or, worse, competing or even judging one another). There is a unity in the Spirit that is a vital part of our role in the harvest. Jesus prayed that we would be one so that the world may believe in Him (John 17:20-21).

If the Church's unity is threatened, the net's structural integrity is damaged. Thankfully, not only are we "fishers of men," but we have a great Fisher of Men, the Lord Jesus. What were several of the disciples doing when they were called? They were "mending their nets." Perhaps this is not just a throw-away detail. Could it possibly be a picture of what Jesus is doing even now--preserving the unity of His Church...mending His Net?

I don't know that Forster's take on this parable is the right one, but it sure is thought provoking. It makes tons of sense to me, too. I'll keep that image of the Fisherman caring for His Church by mending the net, along with the Gardener pruning the Vine and the Builder building His house. In my mind, it's a good one.

A King's Copy

2009-10-31T08:31:00.005-05:00

Once again, this blog is on life support. Can't skip a month...
Actually, I've had lots of thoughts to blog about--just no discipline to sit and write.

Earlier in October, I was reading a passage from Deuteronomy that struck me. The passage is Deuteronomy 17:14-20. It's a section of the law advising Israel about choosing a king. It also gives direction to future kings.

Verses 18-20 are the ones that impressed me:

When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.

I've read this before, but I guess I never really noticed it. At the very beginning of his reign, the king was required to re-copy the entire law! He didn't have a servant do it for him; he was to do it himself. Can you imagine how much time that might have taken? Plus, I'm sure it was somewhat expensive. Papyrus wasn't cheap. But the king's knowledge of the law was a priority. It was worth the time, effort, and expense.

After making himself a copy, he was required to keep it with him. He couldn't just forget about it. I wonder if he kept it with him when he met with foreign dignitaries. What about when he went to war?

He was to read it "all the days of his life." It remained a priority. Reminds me of the parable of the sower. So many people today make a good start in the Christian life, but then, when trouble comes, they "stop believing and turn away from God" (Luke 8:13) or "they let the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life stop them from growing. So they never make good fruit" (Luke 8:14). If we don't make meditation on the Word a priority, life will displace God's ways with its own substitutes.

Also, the king read with a purpose. His reading was to teach him:
1) to revere the Lord
2) to obey the Word faithfully
3) to remain humble
His reading was not just to gain knowledge (informative). It was to shape his heart and his will (formative). I think this requires pondering the word. It means that the king took the law with him spiritually as well as physically. He kept it in his mind, letting it penetrate into his spirit through rumination. Do we do this?

I urge you to make the Bible a priority. Take up the Word. Read it all the days of your life. If we are to reign with Christ, shouldn't we too practice keeping His law with us at all times?

What would recopying a book of the Bible by hand teach us?
I think I may try it.

Fun Times

2009-09-22T20:15:00.005-05:00

I loved watching this video. It's of a group of guys (good ol' Texas boys) just having a blast. It's quite impressive, too. What fun!

Also, the more views this video gets, the more money gets raised for Compassion International.

They call themselves "Dude Perfect"

Check it out!

The Wisdom of Owen Meany

2009-08-30T19:48:00.010-05:00

It's been a busy month for me. We've moved into a new house (with all that entails), kept 4 kids entertained (our 2 and 2 others), and I've started a new job (with all that entails). All of these things are a real blessing, and I'm super thankful for all of them. But I haven't had much time for the computer...and the poor little "Island" blog has suffered. (I also discovered Facebook this summer. Though it was a big timesuck at first, I haven't even checked in there for three weeks or so!)

One thing I did do for myself was to reread A Prayer for Owen Meany. I first read this book in Bulgaria, and I loved it. It's my favorite of the John Irving books I've read. It's also one of the tamest.

I enjoyed reading it again, but it was raunchier than I remember. Owen Meany is a great character, though. He's also an interesting example of faith. I have pulled out several of his quotes that I'd like to share. (Once again, the blog entry isn't original, but since "St. Cuthbert's" is on life support...)

I hope you enjoy the words of Owen Meany:

"IT'S BAD ENOUGH THAT THEY CRUCIFIED HIM," Owen said, "BUT THEY MADE FUN OF HIM, TOO!"

p. 250
(Owen's larynx is immobile, so his voice is a "permanent scream." Thus, he speaks in all-caps.)

"IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN EASTER," Owen Meany said, "DON'T KID YOURSELF--DON'T CALL YOURSELF A CHRISTIAN."

p. 251

EASTER MEANS WHAT IT SAYS.

p. 253

"JUST BECAUSE A BUNCH OF ATHEISTS ARE BETTER WRITERS THAN THE GUYS WHO WROTE THE BIBLE DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE THEM RIGHT!" he said crossly. "LOOK AT THOSE WEIRDO TV MIRACLE-WORKERS--THEY'RE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO BELIEVE IN MAGIC! BUT THE REAL MIRACLES AREN'T ANYTHING YOU CAN SEE--THEY'RE THINGS YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE WITHOUT SEEING. IF SOME PREACHER'S A [JERK], THAT'S NOT PROOF THAT GOD DOESN'T EXIST!"

p. 277 [profane--my substitution]

IT'S TRUE THAT THE DISCIPLES ARE STUPID--THEY NEVER UNDERSTAND WHAT JESUS MEANS, THEY'RE A BUNCH OF BUNGLERS, THEY DON'T BELIEVE IN GOD AS MUCH AS MUCH AS THEY WANT TO BELIEVE, AND THEY EVEN BETRAY JESUS. THE POINT IS, GOD DOESN'T LOVE US BECAUSE WE'RE SMART OR BECAUSE WE'RE GOOD. WE'RE STUPID AND WE'RE BAD AND GOD LOVES US ANYWAY...

p. 277

(While practicing "the shot" and trying to do it in record time...)

"IF WE CAN DO IT IN UNDER FOUR SECONDS, WE CAN DO IT IN UNDER THREE," he said. "IT JUST TAKES A LITTLE MORE FAITH."
"It takes more practice," I told him irritably.
"FAITH TAKES PRACTICE," said Owen Meany.

p. 304

NOW YOU HAVE A CHOICE: EITHER YOU USE GOD'S GIFT OR YOU WASTE IT. I THINK A LITTLE EFFORT FROM YOU IS REQUIRED.

p. 322

"FAITH AND PRAYER," he said. "FAITH AND PRAYER--THEY WORK, THEY REALLY DO."

p. 350, p. 357

THERE IS NO PURGATORY--THAT'S A CATHOLIC INVENTION. THERE'S LIFE ON EARTH, THERE'S HEAVEN--AND THERE'S HELL.

p. 370

When it was so dark at the St. Michael's playground that we couldn't see the basket, we couldn't see Mary Magdalene, either. What Owen liked best was to practice the shot until we lost Mary Magdalene in the darkness. Then he would stand under the basket with me and say, "CAN YOU SEE HER?"
"Not anymore," I'd say.
"YOU CAN'T SEE HER, BUT YOU KNOW SHE'S STILL THERE--RIGHT?" he would say.
"Of course she's still there!" I'd say.
"YOU'RE SURE?" he'd ask me.
"Of course I'm sure!" I'd say.
"BUT YOU CAN'T SEE HER," he'd say--very teasingly. "HOW DO YOU KNOW SHE'S STILL THERE IF YOU CAN'T ACTUALLY SEE HER?"
"Because I know she's still there--because I know she couldn't have gone anywhere--because I just know!" I would say.
And one cold, late-fall day--it was November or even early December[...]I was especially exasperated by this game he played about not seeing Mary Magdalene but still knowing she was there.
"YOU HAVE NO DOUBT SHE'S THERE?" he nagged at me.
"Of course I have no doubt!" I said.
"BUT YOU CAN'T SEE HER--YOU COULD BE WRONG," he said.
"No, I'm not wrong--she's there, I know she's there!" I yelled at him.
"YOU ABSOLUTELY KNOW SHE'S THERE--EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN'T SEE HER?" he asked me.
"Yes!" I screamed.
"WELL, NOW YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT GOD," said Owen Meany. "I CAN'T SEE HIM--BUT I ABSOLUTELY KNOW HE IS THERE!"

pp. 399-400

"Owen, this is so childish," I said. "You can't believe that everything that pops into your head means something! You can't have a dream and believe that you 'know' what you're supposed to do!"
"THAT ISN'T EXACTLY WHAT FAITH IS," he said, turning his attention to the tomato sauce. "I DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING THAT POPS INTO MY HEAD--FAITH IS A LITTLE MORE SELECTIVE THAN THAT."

p. 418

Pretty good stuff, if you ask me.

Soul Enrichment

2009-07-25T00:40:00.003-05:00

I've been reading through Joshua Choonmin Kim's Deep-Rooted in Christ: The Way of Transformation this year. Yesterday I read about the value of silence. Since it tied in so well with the previous post, I thought I'd share it. (After all, why blog your own thoughts when you can just report someone else's?!)

Chapter 30 -- Soul Enrichment

One of the obstacles to our spiritual growth is noise. Beware of noise from the outer world. Also guard against the noise that builds up within.

Where does this inner noise come from? Inner noise stems from worry about worldly things. Worldly things produce what is contrary to God (Romans 8:5-6).

The discipline of silence can still the noise of the world. It can turn us from worldly matters to spiritual ones. It is really a form of repentance.

How do our souls grow? Our souls thrive on silence. When does our spirituality build a deeper root system? When we make space for silence. Our souls are enriched by silence; in the quiet they revel and grow.

Take a look at the natural world and you'll see silence at work. Living things grow silently. Trees put down deeper roots without a sound. Trees bear fruit without the slightest noise. In the ocean deep, hardly a sound is heard.

Silence is mystical. Silence teaches us. A child in the mother's womb can't make sounds but grows in silence. Early in the morning when we wake to hear nature in silence, we grasp the deeper meaning of our lives.

Silence is a time to dump the garbage from our souls. Oh yes, it's there! And silence helps us admit our sins, encourages us to get rid of them.

Quietly, we confess our sins to God. As Proverbs says, "No one who conceals transgressions will prosper, / but one who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy" (Proverbs 28:13).

Silence nourishes meditation on the Word. Our souls grow by digesting the Word. As Matthew says in his Gospel, "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4).

Reading the Word is vital to spiritual growth. When we taste the Word, we feed our souls. But for the souls to grow we must digest God's Word. It is the life blood of our souls. It reaches our souls through the discipline of silence.

In silence the Word takes hold in our hearts. It soaks into our hearts through prayer. Then we understand. As spiritual writer Thomas Moore has said in his book Caring for the Soul, "Through the discipline of silence, we understand and come near the truth."

Understanding links all things together. It connects God and self. It links the past and the present, the present and the future, the present and the eternal until we come to see everything from an eternal vantage point.

Silence is a friend of God. Silence is God's gift to deepen our love and friendship. When we talk a lot, love seems to be absent. But when we come together face to face, we sense a mystical feeling of love.

Be still and know...

St. Cuthbert's Island

2009-07-24T00:04:00.005-05:00

Today's reading in Celtic Daily Prayer (the devotional book I've been using for the past 2 & 1/2 years) is entitled "St. Cuthbert's Island." I thought I'd share it, for somewhat obvious reasons!

Aidan Readings: July 23
ST CUTHBERT'S ISLAND
St Cuthbert's Island adjoining the shore of Lindisfarne is a wonderful parable of quiet, for it is always in sight of the main island, and yet for hours and hours at a time it is completely cut off. It seems designed especially to experience a day of solitude, long enough to limit your freedom, but not as inaccessible as the life of the true hermit.
Here Cuthbert, and almost certainly Aidan before him, escaped from the pressures of community and of missions and turned their face towards God.

Thank you, Lord, that you have set aside places,
special trysting places where we can meet with You.
Alistair Eberst

How wonderful it is to talk with God
when cares sweep o'er my spirit like a flood;
how wonderful it is to hear His voice,
for when He speaks the desert lands rejoice.
Theodore H. Kitching

We've all got little cells in our hearts, little hermitages that God wants to fill. For some there's a physical place of silence. It's hard to be silent. It's hard to stop. To know God in the quiet is worth a lot -- it's there we'll get our vision and our peace to come through whatever hits us.

I like that...
Thank You, Lord, for the trysting places.

God's Mercy Does Not Excuse Our Complacency

2009-07-02T01:16:00.005-05:00

There is no such thing as a casual Christian.
Christianity takes too much effort.
(Luke 13:24-28; Hebrews 4:11; Hebrews 12:14; 2 Peter 3:14)
It requires too much focus and devotion.
"Purity of heart is to will one thing."
"May my heart's one aim be to fear His Name."

I heard a great quote today from Mark Powell:
"The mission of the Church is to love Jesus. Every thing else is just strategy."

I've realized this week that I'm doing a poor job of this.
I've been negative, short-tempered, selfish, gossipy, and ungrateful.

I don't want the Lord's mecy to be an excuse for spiritual complacency.
Thank God for His mercy:
"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior, have mercy on me, a sinner."

And He does!
Listen to this verse from 2 John.

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, will be with us in truth and love.

Amen, and amen.

But not only am I not "making every effort," I'm hardly making any effort.
And I fear I'm not alone...

"My brother and sisters, this should not be so."

Download This Book!

2009-06-01T17:59:00.003-05:00

Christian Audio is offering a GREAT free download this month: Eugene Peterson's Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places.

I have another audiobook from his spiritual theology series, Eat This Book, and it was profound. Listening to it was like taking a seminary course. I have wanted to read the whole series, and here it is!

Until the end of June, the other books in Peterson's spiritual theology series--The Jesus Way, Eat This Book, and Tell It Slant--are on sale for $5 each until the end of the month. That's a heck of a lot of deep teaching for only $15!!

It's not an easy read (or listen), but it's worth the investment. If you're willing to put in the time to listen in your car on on your MP3 player, I guarantee you'll be blessed. Personally, I can't wait to listen!

The Smell of Victory

2009-05-31T22:32:00.005-05:00

I'm going to try writing this the way it happened--
sort of stream-of-consciousness style.
Bear with me. I think there's a beautiful truth at the end.

This morning, while singing a song called "Overcome," I was struck by something. Somehow the song reminded me of an old hymn that describes Jesus's resurrection as His bursting forth from the "spice-laden tomb."
Yeah, I thought, that's right. There were about 75 pounds of myrrh, aloes, and spices that He had been wrapped up in when they buried him (John 19:39-40).
That must have smelled really good.

But what about Lazarus? I remember when Jesus was asking for his grave to be opened. Martha protested, "Lord, by this time he stinketh." (Had to use the King James for this verse--it's classic...right up there with Gen. 22:3 and the like.)

Why did Lazarus stink? Because his body was decomposing. (There's a special word in Bulgarian for dead stuff that's rotting--mursha. In English I think it's "carrion," but my dictionaries are already packed for our move. Regardless, it's a horrid smell.)

Jesus's body, however, didn't decompose. Psalm 16:10, a clear prophesy about Jesus (see Acts 2:23-28), says: "You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let Your Holy One see decay."

Now I'm a smell person. I think it's my strongest sense. Smells transport me back to certain times and places. VW bugs, my daughter's hair, acacias in bloom, barbecue...they all move me in their own way.

Evidently God is a smell person, too. When Noah landed after the flood, he sacrificed animals as a burnt offering to the Lord. Genesis 8:21 says, "The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma..."

If He liked that smell, how must He have rejoiced at the scent of His Son coming forth from the tomb in victory? What fragrance must have met the angels who rolled back the stone of his grave? Not the smell of death or defeat, but the wonderful smell of life and victory. Surely this smell, the scent of the risen Christ, was the greatest smell ever.

I would have loved to have smelled that smell. Talk about an aroma that is pleasing to God...

But wait. Isn't there another verse that talks about the fragrance of Christ?

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.
For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.
--2 Corinthians 2:14-15

How cool is that? Imagine the all-time greatest smell in the history of the world--Jesus bursting forth victoriously from the spice-laden tomb.

That's how we smell to God.

Next time you're self-conscious about your breath or your wife tells you that you need a shower...just remember how you smell to Him!!

Loving With Our Ears

2009-05-30T23:01:00.003-05:00

"The first duty of love is to listen." -- Paul Tillich

I am a multi-tasker. While it's true that I am fairly capable of doing more than one thing at a time, for me this term more often than not has another meaning. It means that while I'm doing something I should be doing, I'm also doing something I want to be doing.

Lately, as we're getting ready to move to Texas, my down time has been on the computer or watching TV. Darina's way of relaxing is more relational. So, I've been "listening" while I play.

I haven't loved my wife well at all lately, and a couple of nights ago she let me know it. I also realized that I haven't loved the Lord well lately either. Isn't it funny how when we need to "relax" or be "recharged" we often just waste time with stuff that neither relaxes nor recharges?!

Oh well, thank God for grace & for committed, forgiving wives.

This quote hit the spot for me.
When I read it, I was convicted (in a very good way).

May we love with our ears today (...& eyes..& minds--I hear real listening involves all 3 of these...who'da thunk it?).

Listeners make better lovers!

Tony Campolo Talk

2009-05-14T22:08:00.004-05:00

I love Veritas Forum.

This ministry brings gifted speakers to various university campuses to inspire and challenge students with the Christian message. Their website states:

Veritas Forums are university events that engage students and faculty in discussions about life's hardest questions and the relevance of Jesus Christ to all of life.

The lectures & presentations are really good.

Just recently I listened to one that I have to recommend. It was a 1999 Tony Campolo speech. If you've never heard Tony Campolo, you're in for a treat. He is such a gifted speaker!

This talk is super inspiring. It's filled with passion and a deep wisdom that comes from years of following Jesus.

Please give it a listen. Download it and put it on your MP3 player.
You'll be challenged.
You'll be moved.
It's a beautiful talk.

If anyone else listens to it, I'd love to hear your comments.

A Dialogue on the Problem of Evil

2009-04-26T18:04:00.003-05:00

Well, I just realized this is my 100th post.

I felt compelled to post a blog for April, because it seemed that the blog might be "dead" if I didn't. (Shouldn't you blog at least monthly to keep your blog alive?) It was already on life support.

I was going to post another Psalm of Ascents blog, but I can't find my notes or my Hebrew translation! (I'm sure I will eventually.) So, for the second time in a row, I'm resorting to posting some old material.

This is a little imaginary scene I wrote back in 2005. It could use some editing, but I think there are some good thoughts there.

Setting—Two men are visiting gravesites in a local cemetery. One man, Arthur, notices the other, Bernard, praying as he kneels before a headstone. He is just intrigued (or perturbed) enough to approach Bernard.

Arthur: Whom are you here visiting?

Bernard: My daughter. She died three years ago today. What about you?

Arthur: I came to remember my son. He was killed just over a year ago…He was driving home from college when some lady fell asleep at the wheel, crossed over into his lane, and hit him head on. I’ll never get over it.

Bernard: I’m very sorry to hear that.

Arthur: Yeah, I’m sorry, too. What about your daughter?

Bernard: She died of leukemia after a long, hard battle with the disease.

Arthur: So, would you mind telling me how it is that you can pray? I don’t understand how anyone can believe in a God that would let something like that happen. I mean, God’s supposed to be so good, right? And He’s supposed to have unlimited power, right? So how could He just stand by with all that goodness and power and let our babies die? I can’t fathom a god like that, yet you’re here praying to Him.

Bernard: Well, I believe that in spite of the suffering and the tragedy that goes on in this world, God is still good and powerful, and He is worthy of our worship.

Arthur: Sounds like they’ve got you brainwashed. Why would your God let this happen if He could stop it? Why does He allow any evil at all?

Bernard: It’s pretty complicated, but I’d be happy to explain it as best I can. It sounds like you’re asking two separate questions. I’ll try to answer the second one first if that’s OK. God is completely good and so cannot create anything evil. However, because He created us for the purpose of having a loving relationship with us, He endowed us with free will. The fact that we have freedom to make bad choices or good ones has serious consequences. We may choose to obey God or to rebel against Him. When we rebel against Him and freely choose evil, people suffer. Both the person who committed the evil and the person or entity against whom the evil is committed will suffer. The man who commits the evil will suffer as his relationship to God deteriorates. The victim will suffer because of the other man’s transgression.

Arthur: Exactly. That’s just not fair! Why would a good God give us such power to hurt one another?

Bernard: We are given freedom to choose because true love can only be chosen freely. If I am coerced to love, I do not truly love. God wants us to freely choose Him and to freely choose to do good. In fact, He calls obeying Him (or doing what is good) the same thing as loving Him! Because we were created to love God and love each other, God had to give us genuine freedom to love. That means we had to be able not to love Him as well—not to obey, not to do good.

Arthur: So God allows all this suffering just because He wants to be loved? That sounds really selfish and egotistical.

Bernard: Yeah, I admit that it does. But you’ve got to remember that God is the one who created us all. He knows exactly how we work. He knows what’s best for us. He knows what life is all about. And from our perspective it may seem cruel or meaningless, but God has His reasons. Evidently, love is so important that He was willing to risk all of this evil to let us choose to love. It must be that love is intricately tied in to the meaning of life! Without love, there is no life.

Arthur: I loved my son. And now he’s gone. What was the point? My son wasn’t killed by someone who made an evil choice—just a senseless one. Where’s the meaning in that? And what about your daughter? Who’s to blame for her suffering?

Bernard: Earlier you asked why God would allow any evil at all if He had the power to stop it. When He gave us freedom, He also created a world with natural laws…physics, chemistry, etc. Our actions have consequences, and God doesn’t suspend those consequences every time we make a mistake. If He did, we would never develop any sense of moral responsibility. We could do just anything we pleased, knowing that God would bail us out. Like a spoiled child running through a china shop, we could take the attitude of “No big deal. Daddy will clean up and pay for this mess.” Because we were created to have fellowship with Him, we must become like Him. That means we have to forsake sin. And the natural law helps us to realize that our actions have consequences. Real change has to happen in our character.

Arthur: But I’m not talking about character, dang it! I’m talking about the death of our innocent children! Why did they have to die? How can you believe in a God who values character formation more than the life of an incredible young man like my son?

Bernard: I know your pain. I was devastated when Hannah died. I miss her terribly. She was the most beautiful girl in the world, and nothing can replace her. But I have hope, you see? The story is not over. I’m going to see her again. God didn’t cause her death. He allowed her to die, just as all of us will die. But I’ll spend eternity with her. There is no more pain where she is. No more chemotherapy. No more weakness or tears. And God has given me that hope. Where would I be without it?

Arthur: But why would He allow sickness in this world?

Bernard: I used to believe that the sins of men affected the very fabric of the world and caused everything to be “out of whack.” I thought that was why we have natural disasters, suffering, sickness, and so on. Beyond all of that, I knew that there were spiritual forces of evil—angels who had rebelled against God and seek to harm creation in any way they are able, driving a wedge between us and God. I still think these things to be true, but I have realized that regardless of the explanation behind all of this suffering, God allows it. Even if He doesn’t cause it directly, He lets it happen. He must have a reason for this. I don’t pretend to know the mind of God or to understand His purposes. I can’t even tell you how a microwave works, much less the universe! But I believe that God has a plan. Our suffering is very real in this life, but compared with the backdrop of eternity it is very temporary. And through the pain we learn to trust, to endure, to hope, to have empathy and compassion, to give, to be a faithful friend, and to forgive. All of these traits make us more like Jesus. And that’s the goal—to learn to love like God so that we can spend eternity with Him and in fellowship with others that have responded to His love. Heather will be resurrected. So will your son. Doesn’t that give you some hope for the future?

Arthur: It’s all “Pie in the Sky” B.S. How does that help me now? I have to live the rest of my life without Danny. Nothing can change that.

Bernard: You’re right. We will never again be able to hold our children in this lifetime. If this life is all there is, there is no consolation. But your outrage itself is a clue that something is amiss. Just as physical pain tells us that something is wrong and that we need to take action to prevent further harm, so spiritual anguish alerts us to seek a remedy. If our hand is burning, the pain tells us to move it away from the flame. If we have a fever, our immune system goes into action. Sometimes we need to take medicine. Other times we may need surgery. When we suffer in our souls, we need to seek a spiritual remedy. I’m talking about more than counseling to help us deal with emotional issues. I’m talking about finding a way to make sense of the pain. For me, the only way it makes sense is if God can redeem it. Only if God is all good and all-powerful can He make it right someday. If He doesn’t exist, then what hope do we have?

Arthur: So you’re telling me that the best thing I can do is to embrace the God that let this happen to my son? What kind of guarantee do I have that I’m not just playing the fool, letting myself be anesthetized by the “opium of the masses?”

Bernard: The best guarantee you have is Jesus. God loved us so much that He sent His own Son to lead us to life. In Him we may receive forgiveness, the gift of His Spirit, and the hope of eternal life. God is not a disinterested observer who sits idly by and watches us suffer. He knows what it is like to lose a Son. He knows what it is like to suffer pain and suffer loss. He too was innocent, yet He entered into our suffering. He tasted death. Have you seen the movie The Passion? Do you recall the scene that showed a view of the cross from the sky above? Looking down onto the dead body of Jesus, we see a single teardrop fall. God knows your pain. He cares. But that was not the end of the story. Jesus rose again! He is alive and will never die again. The best guarantee you have is the empty grave! Your story and your son’s story are not over either. God is still good. He is still powerful despite the way things look now. When Jesus died, no one had hope, either. Everyone close to Him was crushed. They despaired. But everything changed on the other side of resurrection. It will change for us as well if we allow God to have His way in us. And in coming to know God, there is a love and a peace His Spirit gives that cannot be explained. Please don’t write God off because of your hurt. Let Him bring healing and hope as you come to know Him. The story is not over. God loves you. He can still write a beautiful ending for you and your family if you will let Him.

Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity (a book review)

2009-03-07T22:23:00.004-06:00

Recently I taught a Sunday school lesson based on David deSilva's book Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity: Unlocking New Testament Culture. People seemed very interested in learning more about the culture of the New Testament world, and I remember finding this book fascinating. I gained insights from it that helped me appreciate the New Testament, as well as the beauty of God's love, at a deeper level. That can never be a bad thing.

While in seminary, I wrote a review of deSilva's book. If you're interested in learning more about New Testament culture, read the book. But for a quick synopsis (and review), here's this (written 2006):

Clay Brackeen. Review of David A. deSilva, Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity: Unlocking New Testament Culture (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2000).

Modern readers of the New Testament tend to collapse the cultural and historical distance between themselves and the text by approaching it as if it were written with their specific context in mind. In Honor, Patronage, Kinship and Purity, David A. deSilva attempts to alert the modern reader as to how much she is missing if this tact is taken. He explores four important aspects of first century Jewish and Greco-Roman culture and then demonstrates how understanding the cultural context sheds much needed light on the meaning of New Testament passages. DeSilva argues that without an understanding of the views that were held concerning honor, patronage, kinship, and purity, one cannot fully appreciate the New Testament’s Christian witness. He goes on to show how Christians can appropriate these concepts in today’s context.

The book’s title provides a blueprint of deSilva’s treatment of four key cultural elements. He first examines the way that first century Jewish and Greco-Roman culture viewed honor. Honor and shame, explains deSilva, provided a touchstone for all of society’s values. Honor was both ascribed at birth due to one’s lineage and conferred by society through acting in a way deemed noble. The approval of others was thus greatly desired and served to keep people in line. At times, however, various groups espoused competing values, and a minority culture would promote an alternate “court of reputation” (40) from which its members were to seek approval.

Christians, one such counter-cultural minority group, encouraged the seeking of honor from a source other than the culture-at-large. In the face of being shamed by the “upside-down mentality of the society” (53), New Testament authors urged the faithful to seek the lasting honor that God alone could bestow. They pointed to Jesus and to Old Testament examples who endured hostility from ignorant outsiders who were often committed to wickedness. Rather than losing heart in the face of such opposition, Christians should rejoice and use the opportunity to display their loyalty to God. God’s approval, reinforced by the community of faith and the testimony of Scripture, was to be enough. As God’s people, Christians were to honor and care for one another. The community of faith promoted right behavior by using honor and shame, refusing to tolerate sin but confronting and restoring the wayward with love and gentleness. The church of today, says deSilva, needs to define itself as a counter-cultural movement, seeking honor through God’s approval rather than via status symbols such as wealth, education, possessions, and achievements. Modern Christians also need to recover a healthy sense of shame, allowing one another to be held accountable by being a community of honesty and openness and by confronting one another in love.

DeSilva next examines the first century concept of patronage. Although western society values self-sufficiency, New Testament culture valued the “giving and receiving of favors” as a normal and useful practice. In society, one often used relationships to obtain money, appointments, or access to influential individuals. The person in need, called the client, would seek out a patron and enter into a binding reciprocal relationship of give and take. The patron would provide the needed goods or service and would be owed a debt of gratitude in return. Ideally, the patron would give generously with no thought of return. Thus, it was an act of grace. The client, on the other hand, would show his or her gratitude by promoting the reputation of the patron, remaining loyal to the patron through thick and thin, and returning favors to the patron whenever possible. In short, the client was to demonstrate a “desire and commitment to return grace for grace” (118).

New Testament authors made use of this fundamental relationship to show what God had done for humanity through Jesus Christ. As the patron par excellence, God chose enemies to be the beneficiaries of His grace. Not only does He give life to all, but in Jesus He purchases salvation for all who will become His clients. Jesus, then, is seen as a mediator to God’s favor. He died voluntarily for our benefit, nobly giving His all, and thus we seek God in Jesus’ name. The Christian response to such generosity includes thanksgiving, a willingness to promote God’s honor by testifying to what He has done, a life of good works, loyalty, trust, obedience, and generous service to others.

A third element of first century culture that deSilva explores is that of kinship. In a very real way, one’s family of origin defined a person. Blood relatives worked together and promoted the common good of all. They could trust one another. They shared ideals and possessions, hid each other’s shame, and readily forgave one another. Cultural roles within the household were well defined, and the family unit was committed to loving and helping one another.

In the New Testament, deSilva explains, kinship was defined as being part of the “household of God” and the ethos of kinship was the “standard for interpersonal relations” in the church (199). Christians are described as being adopted by God Himself, born of the Spirit into the family of God. Although the world does not recognize the honor that has been given to believers, the New Testament reassures that the world failed to recognize Jesus as God’s Son as well. Jesus is “the critical link in the construction of this family” (200). Christians must trust the witness of the Spirit that they are God’s children and trust that their true identity will be made manifest to all at Christ’s second coming. In the meantime, they are to treat one another as sons and daughters of the King and as kin. The mutual love required of any family should show itself in the way Christians share their resources, maintain their unity, and honor one another. In their commitment to a separate ethos, they maintain a clear division from the world. At the same time however, they reach out to outsiders in love and remain open to receiving new converts. One point of Christian kinship that deSilva urges modern believers to take to heart is this: “to honor Christ by saying his blood is more important than our own in determining who shall be our family” (238). The “fictive” kinship of God’s family takes precedence even over the “natural” kinship of physical relatedness.

Purity is the final cultural norm that deSilva introduces in his book. The first century saw certain places, people, and times as being holy—set apart from the everyday and filled with power. Purity had to do with how people ordered the world. It was thought that one did not approach God blithely, for the holy was filled with power that contained a “combination of potential danger and potential blessing” (247). Various rituals provided the means by which one could become pure and whole and thus approach the holy without fear of reprisal.

DeSilva states that the New Testament presents Jesus as redefining purity codes. Jesus Himself provided the ultimate sacrifice that cleansed His people from impurity once and for all. He clarified that what truly makes a person unclean was not external pollutants but rather internal impurity that springs from one’s heart and mind. He taught that true holiness entails love and mercy and that “acts of compassion are never out of season” (290). Jesus’ body replaces the temple as sacred space, and the Church as Christ’s body becomes sacred as well. Christians are to treat the assembly of believers and their own individual physical bodies with reverence because the Spirit of Christ now dwells there. The Church is now set apart from the ordinary, sanctified for God’s service, and must extend God’s love to the world while remaining distinct and holy.

In my estimation, deSilva succeeds in capturing and conveying four important elements of first century New Testament culture. He paints a clear picture of the role that honor, patronage, kinship and purity played in that society. He then makes logical connections to the ways that New Testament authors incorporated such cultural understandings. The insights that deSilva provides are much more than interesting tidbits. They are essential for gaining a true appreciation of what New Testament authors are trying to convey when they use terms like honor, grace, gratitude, family, sacrifice, and purity. The book’s format—that of presenting a chapter on a sociocultural category’s larger cultural context followed by a chapter on its treatment in the New Testament—is very effective. DeSilva’s modern day application’s for the Church are right on target as well.

In summary, Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity: Unlocking New Testament Culture is a good example of how an appreciation of cultural context unlocks a deeper understanding of the New Testament message. DeSilva summarizes several important aspects of Greco-Roman and Jewish culture with which the original writers assume their audience is familiar. This book guards against the modern reader’s natural tendency to superimpose his own worldview onto the text. DeSilva bridges the cultural gap and provides the understandings that are needed to more fully and correctly grasp the New Testament authors’ intent.

Catherine Doherty's Island

2009-02-28T17:30:00.003-06:00

Years ago I read a wonderful and challenging book called The Gospel Without Compromise. Its author, Catherine de Hueck Doherty, was a Russian lady who emigrated to Canada. Her writings brought the orthodox practice of poustinia to light for many western readers. "Poustinia" is the Russian (and Bulgarian!) word for desert, but it also recalls the place where the Desert Fathers went to be alone with God, seeking Him in solitude, silence, and prayer. We can practice spending time with God in our own poustinias.

I ran across a quote today in which Catherine Doherty refers to her poustinia (her hermitage) as "my island." It just seemed to fit in with the theme of my blog too well not to share. I pray that it rings true with my island (and yours too!).

My island teaches me new truths, or deepens the truths I already know. Like life, the island is never the same. Who of us has not known those 'naked days' when we feel the world is against us, that its prying eyes strip us naked and leave us crucified: days when we feel we could give anything for a little privacy; days of sorrow and pain when we want to hide and have no place to hide?

But if one reads the Scriptures and comes across its lovely poetic words about 'a garden enclosed', a 'fountain sealed', and wonders about it all then my island will reveal the secret of those holy words, and it will lead gently to contemplation, which is the key to that garden. Someday, unseen and unheard, the Bridegroom will come to such a garden. Then one will understand what it is to be all His.

From I Live on an Island by Catherine de Hueck Doherty (emphasis mine)
I found the quote on p. 342 of Celtic Daily Prayer.

If you have a chance to read some of Mrs. Doherty's writings at the above website (the link on her name), I'm sure you won't regret it.

Learning from Our Brothers in Christ

2009-02-18T22:56:00.003-06:00

I haven't posted in a while, but tonight I was checking to see what some of my favorite blogs had to say.
I was blessed by Joseph's words about ambition, moved by the beautiful poetry at Wild Grace, encouraged by words of wisdom at Ben Witherington's blog, and I remembered.
I remembered why these blogs are my favorites. I have something in common with all of these folks. I am inspired to see the faith of people expressed in this format. So many of them I have never even seen, and yet I have a kinship with them. The truth of what they believe resonates with my spirit.

I wanted to recommend a post to you from Michael Spencer's blog. Liturgical Gangstas 6: Unappreciated Strengths and Overlooked Weaknesses In this post, Spencer asks Christian pastors of various denominations to assess certain "underappreciated strengths" and "overlooked weaknesses" of their tradition. The answers were pretty cool. I especially liked the Orthodox priest's comments, Joseph. I, like him, find that a practical agnositicism has crept into Christian culture, especially in the sphere of education. I am often told that any talk of faith would be "inappropriate" at school. Even Christians espouse this thinking. Tonight I read from Acts 4:18-20.

18Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. 20For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."

I was convicted that I too have been more concerned with being politically correct than with speaking about "what I have seen and heard."

Anyway, I hope you read the post I've linked to. It's a good one.

Abbey of Gethsemani

2009-01-31T13:13:00.003-06:00

Last weekend I went on a spiritual retreat. I spent the weekend in silence with God at the Abbey of Gethsemani, a Trappist monastery outside of Bardstown, Kentucky. It was great. I'd been wanting to do this for a long time, but I finally made the arrangements and did it.

I had first read about this monastery when I discovered Thomas Merton and read about his story. Merton is a great Christian thinker, and I was blessed by his writings. When I first drove out to Asbury to visit, I remember passing near the Abbey of Gethsemani and recalling that this is where Merton was a monk. I thought it would be great to visit someday.

It was only 75 miles away. I made reservations months in advance, and I drove down Friday after school let out. My goals were just to spend time with the Lord, reconnecting. I felt as if my prayer life was really weak, and I just needed to rekindle my relationship with God. As I drove down to the monastery, I felt giddy.

The monks pray 7 times a day: Vigils (3:15 AM), Lauds (5:45 AM--Communion follows), Terce (7:30 AM), Sext (12:15 PM), None (2:15 PM), Vespers (5:30 PM), and Compline (7:30 PM). The only time we spoke was to pray. When we weren't praying (by we I mean the other retreatants and I), we were free to do whatever we wanted. I read a lot, rested a bit, walked the surrounding grounds, sat and thought, and prayed. The silence wasn't uncomfortable at all. It became like a friend, and the unspoken friendship between the retreatants grew perceptibly as the hours passed. Gestures, looks, and smiles spoke volumes. We knew that we were there for a common purpose: to seek the LORD.

I loved the times of prayer. The phrase that is repeated most often is "Praise the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit, both now and forever, the God who was, who is, and who is to come at the end of the ages." Repeat that 60 times in a weekend and it really sinks down into your heart. That's what these monks do. For over 160 years they have been praying and singing praises to God. Each night, while we sleep, they continue to pour forth adoration to God with steadfastness and faithfulness. I respected monks before. Now I know what a great service they perform for the world.

The time that meant the most to me was Saturday night after Vespers. I remained in the chapel, prostrate in the quiet darkness, and turned my heart toward the Lord. It was so sweet. The time flew. I felt as if I could have stayed forever. Such peace.

I hadn't connected like that with God in years. And it wasn't some big spiritual experience that happened. If you had asked me Saturday morning, I would say nothing had happened. But by Saturday afternoon, I realized that I had been with God the whole time. It was just the act of purposefully spending time together that did it. I loved Him, and He loved me.

I haven't blogged in a long time, and I hope to share more about what I learned on this trip. For now, though, it's just good to be writing again.

Praise the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit, both now and forever...

God's Word

2008-10-11T09:17:00.003-05:00

The Desert Fathers knew something about the importance of God's Word. This quote impressed me:

"Let Your tender word wear a hole in the hardness of our hearts; so as we hear Your word frequently our hearts will be opened to rightly fear God."

The Veritas Forum

2008-06-16T22:21:00.003-05:00

This is a plug for a website I'm happy to have found. Although I had listened to a couple of lectures from the Veritas Forum, I only recently thought to look for their website. What is it? "Veritas Forums are university events that engage students and faculty in discussions about life's hardest questions and the relevance of Jesus Christ to all of life."

The link below lists various topics that speakers have addressed over the past dozen years or so. They are scholarly, yet fascinating and accessible. The few presenters I have heard were outstanding. I am currently listening to "Is Jesus the Old Testament Messiah?" by Richard Pratt.

Here's the list of topics: http://www.veritas.org/media/topics

More Christians should avail themselves of good teaching like this. I hope that an increasing number of people will utilize this site.

Enjoy!

What Men Live By

2008-06-11T14:53:00.006-05:00

The title of this post is the title of a short story by Leo Tolstoy. Short stories are great because they can be read in a single setting and can be re-read frequently. This particular short story is one that I discovered last week. I plan on reading and sharing it many times--it's a good one.

So, if you have a bit of time, do yourself a favor and read this work of beauty. I feel sure that it will bless you. If you don't have time now, you can copy, paste, and print it. Then you may read it later at your leisure.

So, here's What Men Live By, by Leo Tolstoy.
(Click the title for the link.)

Enjoy!

Long Time No Blog

2008-05-02T14:21:00.002-05:00

Was it the kiss of death to entitle my last entry "Ideas Aplenty"? Who would have thought that such a post would be followed by a 3 month silence?

Well, when last I wrote I was reading Leviticus. Now I've reached the middle of Job. There are several things I've been impressed with, but the last 2 chapters of Luke have made me want to read the OT with an eye for Messiah. There is an artificial distinction between the Old and the New Testaments. I want to see the interplay between the two--one complete story.

So...back to Leviticus. I was struck by the way this book talks about the "holy." It almost seems to be a synonym for "whole." Why does God require that sacrificial animals be without defect? The requirements for physical wellness point to the idea that God wants us to be spiritually whole. HE is whole, entire, complete, perfect. He is wholly good, wholly right, wholly pure, wholly loving, wholly mighty.... Is that a coincidence that in English "wholly" and "holy" sound the same? I don't think so.

A professor of mine, Lawson Stone, scoffs at the notion that 'holy' means 'separate.' Why would the elders around the throne continually cry out, "Separate, separate, separate is the LORD God Almighty!"? Holiness must mean something more. If we are holy, we are set apart for His purposes in the sense that we are wholly His. But it also means that we are flawless, perfect, and complete. Sin is imperfection. God will make us perfect. "Be holy as He is holy" means that we are to be complete, perfect, and whole as He is. We are to be real humans...to be what He created us to be. As the King's X song says: "We are finding who we are."

The New Creation is holy, without blemish in Jesus Christ.

Be wholly His. Be whole. Be holy.

123 Meme

2008-02-05T08:11:00.002-06:00

A friend of mine, Michael Halcomb, just "tagged" me to participate in this interesting "meme" (a cultural item that is transmitted by repetition in a manner analogous to the biological transmission of genes. --dictionary.com).

What you're supposed to do is:

grab the nearest book that contains at least 123 pages (no cheating)

turn to page 123

read the first five sentences

then quote the next three sentences in a blog entry

and, finally, tag five more people to do the same.

So, when I got this message at school the nearest book was 4th Grade Spelling. Right now, I'm at home and the nearest book is my Bible.

Page 123 is in Exodus 18. The sixth through ninth sentences are as follows:

Moses went out to meet his father-in-law; he bowed down and kissed him; each asked after the other's welfare, and they went into the tent. Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharoah and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardship that had beset them on the way, and how the LORD had delivered them. Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the LORD had done to Israel, in delivering them from the Egyptians.

I tag Darina Brackeen, Jessica Maples, Allison Brown, Joseph Bishara, and Helen Hickman

Side note: This "draft" has been sitting idle for almost 2 years!

Ideas Aplenty

2008-02-03T22:14:00.000-06:00

I've really been blessed by the decision to read through my Bible this year. The problem is that in order to maintain the pace to finish this year, I need to read 4 chapters a day (if I read the Apocrypha as well, as I intend). Why is that a problem? Because there have been so many things that I'd like to look into more fully. Right now I'm in Leviticus. While many pass over this book, thinking it dull or irrelevant, I'm finding it to be a jewel. I hope to blog a bit about Leviticus this week.

Seeing as how time marches on (and I have a job and a family!), I don't think I'll get to blog about all the things I'd like to comment on. Therefore, I'm jotting them down here. Maybe someday...

Beer-sheba is such a signifcant locale in Genesis. All of the patriarchs seem to have major encounters there. After Genesis, it just kind of falls off the map, becoming a reference for the southern boundary of Israel's inheritance. I'd like to study the occurrences at Beer-sheba more closely.
Saved through water--how many times is this image going to crop up in the Bible? Noah's ark, Moses' basket, the Sea of Reeds (Red Sea exodus), baptism... It's amazing how God uses the vital, yet everyday elements of water, light, bread, etc. to speak and to act in the history of His people. The importance of water (it's cropping up again in Leviticus) and blood (Jesus' side) astounds me.
Bridegroom of Blood--This incident in Exodus 4:24 is a mystery to me. Why was God going to kill Moses, and how did Zipporah's actions avert God's wrath? I've read a bit on this, but I definitely want to know much more.
God shows up enshrouded in a dense cloud in Exodus 19:9, 19:18, and many other places. I'd like to look at these occurrences. Are they the same as the description used for God at Mt. Sinai, the Mount of Transfiguration, Psalm 18, etc.? What's the connection between a cloud (or smoke) and theophany? What does that tell us about God's nature?

I know there are other things that have intrigued me, but I can't find where I wrote them down at present. It's late--Giants just won the Superbowl!--and I should get to bed.

God is so good. Hope to blog a bit about Leviticus soon.

Exodus Quote

2008-01-27T23:18:00.000-06:00

I'm moving through Exodus now, and I ran across a good quote in Murray Andrew Pura's introduction to the book. He describes the Israelites' trek to the Promised Land as "a spirituality of journeying...an invitation to the children of Israel to put their roots not into land or houses, but into God himself."

I like that.

It fits into the idea of life as a pilgrimage (and as wandering--see also "The Way of the Desert" on Murray Pura's site, above).
This quote serves as a much needed reminder for today of where our true identity lies.

Hagar and Ishmael

2008-01-26T09:28:00.000-06:00

The Old Testament doesn't seem to whitewash Israel's history much--at least not in Genesis. The good, the bad, and the ugly are all on display. The shameful stands right alongside the heroic: Noah's drunkenness, Abraham's fear & scheming, Lot's treatment of his daughters (& their treatment of him), Jacob's lies, Judah's seeking out a prostitute, etc.

Having just read Genesis, however, one event stuck out to me as the most shameful--the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael. Let's review the story leading up to that story:

The LORD calls Abram and promises to make him a great nation (Gen. 12:2).
Abram passes his wife off as his sister in Egypt, and Pharaoh ends up marrying her! (12:19)
God promises to make Abram's offspring as numerous as the dust of the earth (13:16).
Abram despairs that his servant Eliezer will be his heir, but God assures him that it will be his own issue and that his offspring will be as numerous as the stars (15:2-5).\
Sarai herself gives Hagar, her Egyptian slave-girl, to Abram as a wife. She does this so that she can get children by her. Hagar conceives Ishmael. (16:1-4) Abram was 86 at the time (16:16).
Once she has conceived, Hagar looks on Sarai with contempt, and Sarai deals harshly with her, driving her into the wilderness. (16:4, 6-7)
The angel of the LORD tells Hagar to return to Sarai and submit to her. She does so, and gives birth to Ishmael. (16:9, 15)
The LORD promises a son to Abraham and Sarah (18:10).
Abraham passes Sarah off as his sister--again. A king takes her for himself--again. God rescues her from his hand--again. (20)
Sarah conceives and bears Abraham a son: Isaac (Laughter) (21:2).
During a feast for Isaac, Sarah sees Ishmael playing and tells Abraham to cast out Hagar and her son. Abraham is distressed by this matter, but God says, "Go ahead and do what she says." (21:8-12)
Abraham sends Hagar and Ishmael out into the wilderness. (21:14)

There are several elements in this story that are distressing. Why does Sarah want to be rid of this woman so badly? (Why is the "Mother of the Jewish Nation" so mean?) Why does God go along with her plan? Even if Abraham does agree to this seemingly atrocious act, why does this man of great means send his wife and child away with so little?

I really feel for Hagar and Ishmael in this story. The scene in 21:15-16 is heart-wrenchingly pathetic. Sarah seems so cruel. I really can't find any way to excuse her. Hagar and Ishmael, however, are not without blame. First of all, Hagar was treated very well by Sarai when Sarai gave her to Abram as a wife. In return, Hagar looked at Sarai as if she were one big nothing (my rendering of the Hebrew verb in 16:4). So, perhaps Sarai had some justification in getting rid of her the first time? After all, God did tell Hagar to go back and submit to Sarai. Interestingly, we are not told how well she followed through on the submission part.

In Galatians 4:29 we learn that Ishmael "persecuted" Isaac. Is this what Sarah has seen in 21:9 when the Septuagint says that she saw the Ishmael "play" with Isaac? (The only time this verb is used in the NT is 1 Cor. 10:7--a very negative context.) It may well be that Ishmael was making fun of Isaac on his special day, and Sarah caught him. Regardless, Sarah's reaction seems pretty harsh.

Abraham, who was conflicted over the whole affair (after all, he'd cried out to the Lord on Ishmael's behalf in Genesis 17:18), ended up sending them away. Why? I am convinced that this was a matter of faith, just as the binding of Isaac was. God had promised Abraham twice (chs. 17 & 21) that He would make a great nation out of Ishmael. Abraham simply believed it. Thus, he sent them out in faith.

In a way, this story reminds me of Joseph. Perhaps Ishmael could one day have returned to Sarah and say, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good." Who knows? I wish I knew more of Ishmael's story. I've heard that Muslims claim him as their ancestor, which disturbs me. I do know that he shows up again in chapter 25 to help Isaac bury Abraham. He lives to be 137 years old and is the father of 12 princes (just as God promised).

I am bothered by this story, but I do think it shows that God cares about all humanity. It shows that He works through flawed people. It shows that we should laugh with others (rejoice with those who rejoice) and not at them. And it shows that God can be trusted. He is El Roi, the God who Sees. No matter how things appear, He will take care of His own.

Free Book from christianaudio.com

2008-01-20T16:47:00.000-06:00

http://www.christianaudio.com/ is once again offering a free download. In addition to their free monthly offering (Paradise Lost in January), they are currently offering The Imitation of Christ.

If you want to download this classic, the code to enter at checkout is: FREEIMITATION

I hope you download and enjoy it! (If anyone has questions about this process, please ask.)

A modern day Imitation of Christ that Renovare is promoting as their "Book of the Year" is Deep-Rooted in Christ: The Way of Transformation, a book that has risen to the top of my Amazon wish list. Though I haven't read it, I'm absolutely sure this will be a wonderful book. If anyone has read it, I'd love to hear more.

Noah

2008-01-12T20:26:00.000-06:00

The Spiritual Formation Bible comments that Noah spent 120 years building the ark. Impressed, I looked for evidence of this assertion and could not find any. As far as I can tell, the text is silent. The only references to a time period point out that Noah was 500+ years old when he fathered his sons (Gen. 5:32) and 600 when the flood began (Gen. 7:11). I couldn't find a reference to when he began building. 6:18 seems to indicate that he began construction after his sons had been born.

Regardless, Noah's trusting obedience is remarkable. He spent many years and undertook considerable expense building a huge boat hundreds of miles from any large bodies of water. It seems probable that he risked his reputation as well. How could an undertaking of this sort not appear mad? Yet he did it because he knew the LORD. Evidently, his family also knew that he knew Him. I question God's leading if things don't work out rather quickly. Noah's obedience was a "long" and unwavering obedience.

After the waters recede, God puts His "bow" in the clouds as a sign of the covenant between Himself and all living creatures (Gen. 9:13). Having called it a "rainbow" my whole life, it never occurred to me to associate this word with the weapon. Yet the Hebrew word -- qeseth -- is exactly the same for both. The flood occurred because of man's great wickedness (6:5) and corruption (6:11, 12), but it is the sin of violence that is singled out in verses 11 and 13. "The earth was filled with violence" because of "all flesh." The earth was punished because of its violence, but now that the punishment is complete God hangs His weapon up . . . for good.

This is the second of the great signs of the covenant between God and man. The first was Sabbath. The second points to the peace that God desires. The world was not meant for violence, and we have a responsibility to care for one another. Let the rainbow remind us to drop our weapons: physical aggression, verbal attacks, cynicism, unforgiveness, anger, judgmental attitudes, hateful looks, lust, temper tantrums, revenge, greed, jealousy, or whatever else they may be.
God, who has every reason to be angry with us, has set His weapon aside. Let us do the same.

Finally, this incident that occurs with Noah in chapter 10 has always puzzled me. What exactly happened in 9:22, and why was it so bad? After reading several opinions, I agree with Victor Hamilton's assessment in the NICOT. Ham saw his father naked, and made it a public spectacle instead of respectfully covering up his father's shame. Actually, the author doesn't draw attention to Ham's lack of respect as much as he emphasizes the great respect shown by the other sons. They walk backward and turn their faces away so as not to see their father's nakedness. Evidently seeing one's father naked was a very big taboo--one that Ham treated treated lightly.

It's interesting that there is no condemnation here of what Noah had done. This was the first time anyone had ever gotten drunk (9:20). How was he to know what would happen? It was trial and error! The point is though that Noah got drunk and got naked. How it happened is somewhat beside the point. The only other time that nakedness has been mentioned so far is in the Garden, where it was associated with shame (or the lack thereof). Maybe this story also has something to teach us about God, about peace, and about how we are to treat one another. I believe there is a time to expose someone's sin, but remember how the Bible says we are to confront sin? Do it alone, just between the two of you. Don't embarrass your brother or your sister (or your father). Ham should have acted thus. Instead, he went and shared the juicy tidbit with the whole world! . . . or what was left of it. I think of the way that God covers over our sins, and it makes me want to remember the post that was taken from my eye before I remove splinters from the eyes of others.

The God Who is Always Near

2008-01-11T14:19:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I blogged about how God doesn't smother us with His presence but gives us space to choose Him. We are free to obey or disobey.

Very soon after posting, I read my daily devotional, which shows the other side of the coin--the God who is always near. Emmanuel. I was reminded of the lengths to which the Lord has gone to be intimately connected with us. The Spirit of God Himself indwells us. We are His children. After my comments of last night, I thought this was just too good not to post. So, plagiarism and all, here's the January 10th entry of Celtic Daily Prayer (p. 594):

PSALM 139:7-12 2 KINGS 6:16-17 ROMANS 8:38-39

I ever with Thee,

and Thou with me, Lord ...

'I am with you always,' He says. He is all around His people, as strong and reliable as the mountains. He wants us to be with Him, prepares a place for us to share, comes to our place, to our ordinariness, shares bread and wine at table. The commonplace is given great significance because of His presence.

Jesus often turned up in unexpected places and in unexpected ways. When we do not see Jesus around us, it is often because we do not look well enough.

Open my eyes to see.

I ever with Thee,

and Thou with me, Lord.

The God Who Gives Us Space

2008-01-10T20:49:00.000-06:00

I've chosen to use The Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible for my Bible reading trek this year. This is a Bible I received for Christmas 2006. As I come across new insights while reading, I'd like to share a few of them from time to time. The first new insight was in Genesis 2 & 3. Although Adam and Eve walked and talked with God in great intimacy, God was not always looking over their shoulders.

God was not constantly and immediately present, even before the Fall. He "made room for them to obey or disobey." This is amazing to me. We have a God who does not constantly hover over us, breathing down our necks. He gives us space. "This space allowed by God's 'absence' is necessary. In order to move beyond unknowing innocence, we must develop a character and an identity that freely seek harmony with God."

From the very beginning, God does not impose His will on humanity. He grants us the freedom to make choices by "absenting" Himself. His constant, immediate presence would preclude such choice. Of course we need God's presence, but He allows us to choose it...to choose Him. The consequences can be disastrous, and it is God who bears the brunt of the pain. We often blame God for allowing others to make wrong choices, not realizing that He suffers the rejection perhaps most of all.

"We are formed by our reactions and choices to what God puts before us." The good news?--He keeps on putting Himself before us...if only we have eyes to see and ears to hear. And the process of drawing closer to Him, though it be slow and painful at times, is precisely what we were made for.

(All quotes are from the opening essay of The Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible, "The People of God in Individual Communion," pp. 1-5.)

Reading the Bible

2008-01-10T20:02:00.000-06:00

Two nights ago I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. This may not be anything unusual for many folks, but for me it was a rare experience. Regardless of the circumstances, I have a real knack for being able to sleep. Tuesday night was different. My head was swimming with little details and big details--things I need to do at work and home and...unanswered questions. So, in the middle of the night, I started writing things down. I prayed. And the result of this sleepless bout surprised me.

During this time, I was convicted that I needed to...read my Bible!
What?!
I didn't get any insight about the future, nor did this really solve any of my problems. But I am now super ramped up about reading my Bible through in a year. The funny thing is that although I have two Bible related degrees, I have only read my Bible from cover to cover twice. Only once did I do this in a year's time.

When I think about this in conjunction with the other word from the Lord--"Look to Me"--it fits perfectly. I want God to be my vision. Reading the Bible will keep my focus on Him while allowing Him to speak to me. I feel sure that He will speak. I trust that He will lead.
I'm excited about God and eager to read His Word.

This can be nothing but good.

Thank You, sweet Father!

Tying Up Loose Ends in a New Year

2008-01-03T20:51:00.000-06:00

I fell off the map for a couple of weeks during the Christmas break. My parents came to visit us, and I soaked up all of the sweetness of family time. I missed posting on the fourth Sunday of Advent (focus--the Gift of God), Christmas (a day that is doubly special for me because I celebrated the 24th anniversary of my baptism), and the New Year.

As I look back on 2007, it seems to have been a season of wandering for our family. We are unclear of our future. My dreams of pursuing a PhD faded. I had a successful season of schooling, but now I am unsure why I even came out here. We're in debt, and, career wise, Darina and I have both had our confidence shaken.

We're not out of the wilderness yet, but feel that God is saying, "Look to me," and I have absolute confidence that God will guide us as we do. "Be Thou my Vision, o Lord of my heart"--this is the devotional thought that 2008 starts out with. Couple that with Psalm 123 (previous post), and it seems evident that God is saying, "Lift your eyes to me. I will guide you. I will have mercy."

This is going to be a good year. The Lifter of my head is beckoning me to look His way. "Hineni"--here I am, Lord. What a good God we have.

Listen to Psalm 103:105--

1 Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-- 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Other notes:

I got a Phil Wickham CD recently (thanks for the tip, Michael!) and I am loving it! Good music, and very worshipful (though not "dead-on Rufus Wainright" in my opinion).
Christianaudio.com is offering Paradise Lost as its free mp3 download during January. I've never read it, but I'm sure it would be a blessing.
Joshua (our six year old) got a "real Bible" for Christmas and has begun reading it on his own. I'm so proud!
Lydia (our three year old) is the prayer nazi--she reminds us to pray at the table and she determines who prays when and makes sure everyone prays. Thanks to her, we had one of the best Christmas prayers I've ever been a part of.
Darina and I had a nice time of prayer after the New Year rolled in. She even joined me in praying a prayer out of Celtic Daily Prayer, a "first-footing" prayer to welcome Jesus into the home as the year's first guest.
Despite what I've written above, we are not a super-spiritual family. We fight like crazy people--shameful. We often seem to limp along as parents. We struggle. But God's grace is with us.
I feel like I'm rambling, so...let's call it a night.

May God bless you who read this!!! May He guide you and be your Vision this year. May He be your hope, your comfort, your strength, and your joy. God bless you! God bless you!

It occurred to me that when I was a young believer I prayed more boldly for large-scale changes. I want to return to that boldness. We serve an ALMIGHTY God. May He bless you and wrap you in His love.

Happy 2008!

--Clay

Psalm 123

2007-12-31T11:37:00.004-06:00

Despite the sequential number of this psalm, this is no "Sesame Street" experience. This is a heavy psalm, full of anguish and honesty. Eugene Peterson's book A Long Obedience in the Same Direction has been very helpful with the other Songs of Ascents, but not this time. Peterson calls this an "instance of service." In my view this is a psalm of desperation.

Here's my translation:

A song of the festival caravans.
To You I lift my eyes--
the One dwelling in the heavens.
Now, just as the eyes of servants on the hand of their masters,
just as the eyes of a maidservant on the hand of her mistress,
in that exact same way are our eyes on the LORD our God
until He is gracious to us.
Be gracious to us, O LORD, be gracious to us,
for we have had more contempt than we can handle.
The derision of those who are at ease and the contempt of the proud
are too much for our soul.

To me this is a desperate cry. Those speaking have been bent to the point of breaking, and they cannot take any more. I really appreciate the honesty of this psalm. Robert Alter translates: 'Grant us grace, LORD, grant us grace, for we are sorely sated with scorn.' It is good to know that other faithful members of God's family have been pushed to the very edge, too. And yet, despite their dire situation, they respond by turning to the LORD. The psalmist lifts His eyes to God. And He who dwells in the heavens is there...as always. He sees all. He knows all.
And so the child of God turns to Him.

In a way, this psalm is an appeal to the character of God. You see the trouble we are in, Lord. You are good. You are able. You love us. Help us! We will not turn away until you do.

Two well known teachers, John Calvin and Charles Spurgeon, comment on this Godward look. Calvin sees this as a look of emancipation. To me, Spurgeon's description is more exact. He sees the psalmist as one who is looking reverently, obediently, attentively, continually, expectantly, singly, submissively, and imploringly.

How many times have you been desperate? Have you responded with such faithfulness? Spurgeon continues:

Blessed are those servants whom their Master shall find so doing. Waiting upon the Lord is a posture suitable for both earth and heaven: it is, indeed, in every place the right and fitting condition for a servant of the Lord. Nor may we leave the posture so long as we are by grace dwellers in the realm of mercy. It is a great mercy to be enabled to wait for mercy.

Nobody wants such mercy. Waiting in desperation is a miserable place to be, but it's somewhere that most of us will probably spend some hard time. The good news is that Jesus has been there...and abides there with us even now. I close with a quote from Amy Carmichael's book His Thoughts Said...His Father Said:

But still the son felt like a long shore on which all the waves of pain of all the world were beating. His Father drew near to him and said, 'There is only one shore long enough for that. Upon My love, that long, long shore, those waves are beating now; but you can be one with Me. And I promise you that there shall be an end, and all tears shall be wiped from off all faces.'

God is faithful. He lives to "grant us grace."

Look to Him.

Advent (3)

2007-12-16T22:14:00.000-06:00

"I light the candle on the third Sunday in Advent to remind us that the angels said, 'We have news of great joy!'"

As my six year old son, Joshua, read these words tonight, he burped somewhere after the word "news," bringing a sudden surge of joy to him and his 3 year old sister!

As we open our hearts to welcome the love of Jesus, we are filled with joy.

I'm glad we stop to remember that the coming of Jesus brings great joy. Too often Christians live austere lives and forget to celebrate the wonders we've been given. Christmas is the D-Day in the War against sadness, suffering, and sin! A great light has shone in the darkness--the Light of life, hope, truth, love, and joy everlasting!

"When they saw the star, they were overjoyed." --Matthew 2:10

May you also see something that leads you to Jesus this Christmas...
and may you too be overjoyed!

Psalm 122

2007-12-12T22:16:00.000-06:00

I started to do a series on the Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120-134) quite some time ago. I have been at a crossroads of sorts throughout the past year, and I believe the Lord has impressed on me the image of our whole life as a pilgrimage. We are on a journey--a "going up," an ascent. We don't make a decision and then suddenly arrive. We walk it out. We walk with the Lord.

This is post #3 of 15. Eugene Peterson calls Psalm 120 a "Psalm of Repentance," Psalm 121 a "Psalm of Trust," and Psalm 122 a "Psalm of Worship." The delay in writing this blog entry does not reflect depth of engagement or struggle. Rather, it reflects being busy (and scattered?). In fact, the only reason I'm writing now is that I've put it off too long. As I begin, I'm not even sure I have much to say.

Well, now that you're on the edge of your seat (HA!), here's my translation of the psalm:

A song of ascents. Of David. I rejoiced with those saying to me,
“To the House of YHWH we go!”
Our feet were standing at your gates, Jerusalem.
Jerusalem, built as a city that is joined together as one whole.
There the tribes ascend, the tribes of the LORD, a reminder to Israel to praise the Name of the LORD.
For there remain the legal seats, the thrones of the House of David.
Desire the well-being of Jerusalem. May those that love you take it easy.
Wholeness be within your wall of defense, quiet unconcern within your palace.
For the sake of my relatives and my friends, I will now say, “Peace be within you!”
For the sake of the House of the LORD our God, may I seek your good.

Isn't there a wonderful sense of excitement and expectancy in this Psalm? We're going to the House of God! REJOICE! I love it! What an honor and a privilege.

Worship, and the assembly of saints, plays an important part in our journey. We are not alone. We walk as a company. We have a destination: Jerusalem, the heavenly City of God. Worship is our destiny. When we pray "Thy Kingdom come...", we're praying for heaven to become manifest now.

How many of us get reconnected through worship and through fellowship with brothers and sisters who love the Lord? In worship we become God-centered, develop a healthy God-esteem, and see things aright. We get a proper perspective. Our wounds are healed, our hope is renewed, our love is rekindled.

Peterson, commenting in A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, admits that we often don't feel like worshipping. But feelings, he says, are "great liars" and "completely unreliable in matters of faith." "Worship," explains Peterson, "is an act which develops feelings for God, not a feeling for God which is expressed in an act of worship." (All quotes are from page 50.)

So, in other words, we need worship. We need the assembly, thus Hebrews 10:25. As we meet together in Jesus' Name, He fulfills His promise to be among us. As we live in unity, God is glorified. As we love and pray for one another, we grow up in Him.

Psalm 122 is a love song for God's House, for God's City, and for meeting with Him in the company of His people. It is a beautiful thing! We, who are being built into God's House, will one day see Him there face to face. And until we do, we pray for the well being of His Kingdom and seek its good.

Worship is an essential part of the journey--a time when we regain our bearings, heal our wounds, recommit, sharpen our swords and come together as one. Worship whets our appetite for our hearts' true home.

May God bless your times of corporate worship this month. As we honor His Coming to us, may we be faithful in our going to Him as His people.

I rejoiced with those saying to me, "To the House of YHWH we go!"

"Peace be within you, Jerusalem!"

Advent (2)

2007-12-09T17:36:00.000-06:00

This Sunday begins the second week of Advent. The candle we lit at our table this evening represents love.

Isn't that what the incarnation of God is all about? Isn't that what motivated Jesus to become one of us? Christmas is all about the amazing love of God.

We erred. We were lost. And He came...what love!

The most unlikely, amazing Rescuer ever. An embryo in the womb of a teenage girl was entrusted with saving the world.

"I light this candle on the second Sunday in Advent to remind us that Jesus came to earth to 'show and tell' us of God's love" (Celebrating the Christian Year, Zimmerman--see last week's post).

Thank You, Lord, for Your Gift of Love. May we love one another as we revel in it.

And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:5, NAS)

And may the Lord make your love to grow and overflow to each another and to everyone else, just as our love does toward you. (1 Thessalonians 3:12, TLB)

Have a great week. Make room for the Love of Christ to come anew in your hearts and homes. Continue to wait with hope and expectancy.

Spread the love!

He loves us! It's what Christmas is all about.

Advent (1)

2007-12-02T17:40:00.000-06:00

Today is the first Sunday of Advent. During the last couple of years, my family and I have been celebrating by lighting the candles of an advent wreath and focusing on key aspects of the holiday. As a boy, I had no idea about Advent. I didn't grow up in such a church tradition. In college, however, I began attending an Episcopalian church to participate in their holiday services. Ever since, I have tried to incorporate certain church traditions into my own devotional life.

So, if you too are unaware, Advent is a season of preparation for Christmas. Just as the Old Testament believers awaited the coming Messiah, we too await the Savior's return. Throughout Jesus' teachings, He implores us to be ready. And so, as Christmas draws near and we remember His advent (or coming) among us, we also look forward to His imminent future advent.

But that is not all. We are also able to prepare our hearts and our homes for His coming now. Thus, Advent is a season of examination, humility, repentance, and of "preparing a way for the Lord." Emmanuel--God is with us. "I light this candle on the first Sunday in Advent to remind us that we must prepare our hearts for the coming of the Christ Child" (Celebrating the Christian Year by Martha Zimmerman, p. 45--a great book).

The focus of this first week--the meaning of the first candle--is that of preparation. We become watchers and waiters, people marked by hope and trust. It is a time of expectation. Naturally, this should be our mindset always, but the Advent season gives us a special opportunity to refocus on this aspect of our faith.

I don't always live in expectancy. The return of Christ doesn't have the sense of immediacy that it should. And so, with a repentant heart, I turn tonight to face the Lord who humbled Himself to become a helpless baby, and say:

O come, o come Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
Who mourns in lowly exile here
Until the Son of God appears.
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

All Saints' (28) Catherine de Hueck Doherty

2007-12-01T09:16:00.000-06:00

This is the last of a series of quotes from saints who have gone before us. I wanted to take the whole month to celebrate All Saints' Day, mostly as a reaction to the over-the-top emphasis on Halloween that completely overshadows this holiday.

I have enjoyed gathering and posting these quotes. It has been good to see how the same Spirit dwells in so many different holy people throughout the ages, inspiring them to a common love and devotion. It is also inspiring to know that He lives and works in me! So, here's the last quote. Glad to be a part of such a beautiful family.

"Deserts, silence, solitude.

For a soul that realizes the tremendous need of all three, opportunities present themselves in the midst of the congested trappings of all the world's immense cities. But how, really, can one achieve such solitude?

By standing still!

Stand still, and allow the strange, deadly restlessness of our tragic age to fall away like the worn-out, dusty cloak that it is--a cloak that was once considered beautiful. The restlessness was considered the magic carpet of tomorrow, but now in reality we see it for what it is: a running away from oneself, a turning from that journey inward that all men must undertake to meet God dwelling within the depths of their souls.

Stand still, and look deep into the motivations of life.

Stand still, and lifting your hearts and hands to God pray that the mighty wind of His holy Spirit may clear all the cobwebs of fears, selfishness, greed, narrow-heartedness away from the soul: that His tongues of flame may descend to give courage to begin again."

All Saints' (27) Francis de Sales

2007-11-29T19:46:00.000-06:00

"Preparation: 1. Place yourself in the presence of God. 2. Beseech Him to inspire you. . . . After completing your prayer, go back over it for a moment and out of the considerations you have made, gather a little devotional bouquet to refresh you during the rest of the day."

--from Introduction to the Devout Life, pp. 52, 54

All Saints' (26) George Muller

2007-11-28T19:39:00.000-06:00

"It has pleased the Lord to teach me a truth...I saw more clearly than ever that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord."

I haven't read his biography, but what I've heard about this man's life is amazing. I'd love to learn more about him.

All Saints' (25) Basil

2007-11-27T19:50:00.000-06:00

This sermon of Saint Basil's contains some beautiful and inspiring words on prayer...
(I know this quote is a bit long, but it's worth the read.)

"Ought we to pray without ceasing? Is it possible to obey such a command? These are questions which I see you are ready to ask. I will endeavour, to the best of my ability, to defend the charge. Prayer is a petition for good addressed by the pious to God. But we do not rigidly confine our petition to words. Nor yet do we imagine that God requires to be reminded by speech. He knows our needs even though we ask Him not. What do I say then? I say that we must not think to make our prayer complete by syllables. The strength of prayer lies rather in the purpose of our soul and in deeds of virtue reaching every part and moment of our life. ‘Whether ye eat,’ it is said, ‘or drink, or whatever ye do, do all to the glory of God.' (1 Cor. 10:31)
As thou takest thy seat at table, pray. As thou liftest the loaf, offer thanks to the Giver. When thou sustainest thy bodily weakness with wine, remember Him Who supplies thee with this gift, to make thy heart glad and to comfort thy infirmity. Has thy need for taking food passed away? Let not the thought of thy Benefactor pass away too. As thou art putting on thy tunic, thank the Giver of it. As thou wrappest thy cloak about thee, feel yet greater love to God, Who alike in summer and in winter has given us coverings convenient for us, at once to preserve our life, and to cover what is unseemly. Is the day done? Give thanks to Him Who has given us the sun for our daily work, and has provided for us a fire to light up the night, and to serve the rest of the needs of life. Let night give the other occasions of prayer. When thou lookest up to heaven and gazest at the beauty of the stars, pray to the Lord of the visible world; pray to God the Arch-artificer of the universe, Who in wisdom hath made them all. When thou seest all nature sunk in sleep, then again worship Him Who gives us even against our wills release from the continuous strain of toil, and by a short refreshment restores us once again to the vigour of our strength. Let not night herself be all, as it were, the special and peculiar property of sleep. Let not half thy life be useless through the senselessness of slumber. Divide the time of night between sleep and prayer. Nay, let thy slumbers be themselves experiences in piety; for it is only natural that our sleeping dreams should be for the most part echoes of the anxieties of the day. As have been our conduct and pursuits, so will inevitably be our dreams. Thus wilt thought pray without ceasing; if thought prayest not only in words, but unitest thyself to God through all the course of life and so thy life be made one ceaseless and uninterrupted prayer.”

--taken from Christian Classics Ethereal Library

All Saints' (24) Karl Barth

2007-11-26T21:56:00.000-06:00

"In the beginning it was the choice of the Father Himself to establish this covenant with man by giving up His Son for him, that He Himself might become man in the fulfillment of His grace.
In the beginning it was the choice of the Son to be obedient to grace, and therefore to offer up Himself and to become man in order that this covenant might be made a reality.
In the beginning it was the resolve of the Holy Spirit that the unity of God, of Father and Son should not be disturbed or rent by this covenant with man, but that it should be made the more glorious, the deity of God, the divinity of His love and freedom, being confirmed and demonstrated by this offering of the Father and this self-offering of the Son.
This choice was in the beginning."

(from The Doctrine of God; Church Dogmatics, vol. II, Part 2, trans. G. W. Bromiley et al.
Emphasis added.)

All Saints' (23) Athanasius, Abba Isaac

2007-11-25T18:07:00.000-06:00

Commenting on the value, the power, and the personal nature of the Psalms:

"The one who hears (the Psalms) is deeply moved, as though he himself were speaking, and is affected by the words of the songs, as if they were his own songs. He who chants will be especially confident in speaking what is written as if it is his own and about him. For the Psalms comprehend the one who observes the commandment as well as the one who transgresses, and the action of each...these words become like a mirror to the person singing them, so that he might perceive himself and the emotions of his soul...he who hears the one reading receives the song that is recited as being about him and either, when he is convicted by his conscience, being pierced, he will repent, or hearing of the hope that resides in God, and of the succour available to believers--how this kind of grace exists for him--he exults and begins to give thanks to God."
--Athanasius (in his pastoral letter to Marcellinus)

"The truly pure and humble 'will take in to himself all the thoughts of the Psalms and will begin to sing them in such a way that he will utter them with the deepest emotion of the heart not as if they were the composition of the Psalmist, but rather as if they were his own utterances'; he will recognise that the words of the Psalms 'are fulfilled and carried out daily in his own case'."
--Abba Isaac

(quoted from a book I'm currently reading, Spes Scotorom, Hope of Scots, Saint Columba, Iona and Scotland, in an essay called "The wisdom of the scribe and the fear of the Lord in the Life of Columba" by Jennifer O'Reilly)

All Saints' (22) Saint Patrick

2007-11-24T21:11:00.000-06:00

Though it is uncertain whether Patrick actually used this prayer, many agree that it captures his spirit.

I find it to be beautiful, powerful, and inspiring.

The Breastplate of Saint Patrick

(translation used by Philip Freeman)

I rise today
With a mighty power, calling on the Trinity,
With a belief in the threeness,
With a faith in the oneness
Of the creator of creation.

I rise today
With the power of Christ's birth and baptism,
With the power of his crucifixion and burial,
With the power of his resurrection and ascension,
with the power of his return for final judgement.

I rise today
With the power of the love of the cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In service of archangels,
In hope of resurrection and reward,
In the prayer of the patriarchs,
In the foretelling of the prophets,
In the preaching of the apostles,
In the faith of the confessors,
In the innocence of the holy virgins,
In the deeds of righteous men.

I rise today
With the strength of the sky,
With the light of the sun,
With the splendour of the moon,
With the brilliance of fire,
With the blaze of lightening,
With the swiftness of wind,
With the depth of the ocean,
With the firmness of earth,
With the strength of rock.

I rise today
With the power of God to guide me,
With the strength of God to raise me,
With the wisdom of God to lead me,
With the vision of God to see for me,
With the ears of God to hear for me,
With the words of God to speak for me,
With the hand of God to protect me,
With the path of God before me,
With the shield of God to guard me,
With the friendship of God to keep me safe from

The contriving of demons,
The temptations of sin,
The inclinations of my nature,
and everyone who wishes me harm,
far and near,
alone and in the crowd.

I summon today all those powers to protect me
Against every cruel force which may attack my body and soul,
Against the incantations of false prophets,
Against the evil laws of unbelievers,
Against the false laws of our heretics,
Against the subtle temptations of idolatry,
Against the magic of women, blacksmiths, and druids,
Against every knowledge which corrupts body and soul.

Christ protect me today
From poison and burning,
From drowning and wounding,
So that I might gain an abundant reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ below me, Christ above me,
Christ to the right of me, Christ to the left of me,
Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I stand,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye which sees me,
Christ in every ear which hears me.

I rise today
With a mighty power, calling on the Trinity,
With a belief in the threeness,
With a faith in the oneness
Of the creator of creation.

All Saints' (21) Teresa of Avila

2007-11-23T11:40:00.000-06:00

"Let nothing disturb you;
Let nothing frighten you.
All things are passing.
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
Nothing is wanting to him who possesses God.
God alone suffices. "

This thought was found after St. Teresa's death on a prayer card in her breviary.
Thus, the prayer is known as Teresa's Bookmark.

(I know a different version:
"Let nothing disturb thee, nothing affright thee. All things are passing; God never changeth. Patieint endurance attaineth to all things. Whom God possesseth in nothing is wanting; alone God sufficeth.")

All Saints' (20) Saint Francis of Assisi

2007-11-21T18:36:00.000-06:00

"O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life."

All Saints' (19) John Chrysostom

2007-11-20T22:34:00.000-06:00

"When we do not love a person we do not wish to be with them, no matter how great or noble that person may be. But when we love someone, we want to be with them, and we view their love for us with great honor even if they are not a person of great rank. For this reason--and not because of our great rank--God values our love. So much, in fact, that he suffered greatly on our behalf.
Let us, then, incur dangers for him, running as if for the greatest of crowns. Let us have no fear of poverty, or disease, or hardship or even death itself. For what is there to fear? Losing all of your money? If you bear it nobly, it will be as great a reward to you as if you gave it all to the poor--as long as you freely lose it because you know that you have a greater reward in heaven.
What else is there to fear? Having people revile and persecute you? If so, those people have weaved a great crown for you if you bear it meekly. Rejoice and be glad, Jesus said, when people speak evil against you falsely, for great is your reward in heaven. And even if they speak the truth against us, it is to our advantage if we bear it humbly, just as the Pharisee spoke rightly about the publican, but only the publican went home justified because he bore it in humility.
Why do we seek profit? What did Judas profit for being with Christ? Or what profit was the law to the Jews? Or paradise to Adam? Or the promised land to the Israelites? We should keep our mind fixed on one point only: how we may do what is best with the resources we have been given."

All Saints' (18) E. Stanley Jones

2007-11-19T19:10:00.000-06:00

"Conversion is a gift and and achievement. It is the act of a moment and the work of a lifetime. You cannot attain salvation by disciplines--it is the gift of God. But you cannot retain it without disciplines. If you try to attain salvation by disciplines, you will be trying to discipline an unsurrendered self. You will be sitting on a lid. The result will be tenseness instead of trust. 'You will wrestle instead of nestle.' While salvation cannot be attained by discipline around an unsurrendered self, nevertheless when the self is surrendered to Christ and a new center formed, then you can discipline your life around that new center--Christ. Discipline is the fruit of conversion--not the root.
The passage gives the double-sidedness of conversion: 'As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so live in him, rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith' (Col. 2:6-7 RSV). Note, 'received'--receptivity; 'so live'--activity. It appears again, 'rooted'--receptivity, 'built up in him'--activity....The alternate beats of the Christian heart are receptivity and response--receptivity from God and response from us."

"The best Man that ever lived on our planet illustrated this receptivity and response rhythm. No one was so utterly dependent on God and no one was more personally disciplined in his habits.
He did three things by habit: (1) 'He stood up to read as was his custom'--he read the Word of God by habit. (2) 'He went out into the mountain to pray as was his custom'--he prayed by habit. (3) 'He taught them again as was his custom'--he passed on to others by habit what he had and what he had found.
These simple habits were the foundation habits of his life. They are as up-to-date as tomorrow morning. No converted person can live without those habits at work vitally in his life."

-- from Conversion

All Saints' (17) Blaise Pascal

2007-11-18T18:36:00.000-06:00

"Knowing God without knowing our own wretchedness makes for pride. Knowing our own wretchedness without knowing God makes for despair.
Knowing Jesus Christ strikes the balance because He shows us both God and our own wretchedness. Jesus is a God whom we can approach without pride and before whom we can humble ourselves without despair."

--Blaise Pascal

All Saints' (16) John Wesley

2007-11-17T22:33:00.000-06:00

"Beware of desiring anything other than God. Jesus said, 'If your eye remains single your whole body shall be full of light.' Do not allow the desire for tasteful food or any other pleasure of the senses, the desire of pleasing the eye or the imagination, the desire for money or praise or power, to rule you. While you have the ability to feel these desires, you are not compelled to feel them. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made you free!
"Be an example to all of denying yourself and taking up your cross daily. Let others see that you are not interested in any pleasure that does not bring you nearer to God, nor regard any pain which does. Let them see that you simply aim at pleasing God in everything. Let the language of your heart sing out with regard to pleasure or pain, riches or poverty, honor or dishonor, 'All's alike to me, so I in my Lord may live and die!'"

--from Christian Perfection

All Saints' (15) Dietrich Bonhoffer

2007-11-16T22:09:00.000-06:00

"Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble. It is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him.
Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.
Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it causes us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: 'ye were bought at a price,' and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us."

From The Cost of Discipleship

NT Wright on Acts

2007-11-14T23:10:00.000-06:00

One of the best things about living in Lexington, KY is being near Asbury Seminary, where I recently finished a degree. Occasionally they will have tremendous speakers who lecture in the evening when I am able to attend. Such was the case tonight when biblical scholar N. T. Wright gave a one hour overview of Acts, followed by a 30 minute question & answer session.
Well, I mustered up the courage to ask a question, and (halting though it was) it went something like this: Would you please comment on the seeming lack of power exhibited "in Jesus' Name" in the contemporary Western church? (Or, as John Wimber asked upon visiting a church, "Where's the stuff?")

I thought Wright's answer was really good. Basically, he said that Acts covers a lot of ground and focuses primarily on the highlights. Miracles abound. It is a very honest book, though, and there seem to be long periods of time where no visible miracles occur.

Though there are apathetic and lukewarm churches today, there are many churches in the West that are vibrantly alive with love for Jesus. Just because we don't see supernatural things happening all the time is no reason to question whether God is at work. It's like the seed principle. Much of what happens to a seed when you plant it in the ground goes unseen. We must be patient.

Two examples he gave were particularly powerful to me. He compared the conversion experiences of the Philippian jailer and Lydia. The Philippian jailer's conversion was accompanied by an earthquake, near suicide, great drama, etc. Conversely, Lydia's conversion happened quietly. The Lord worked in her heart as she listened to Paul. Obviously, God's power was behind both conversion experiences.

Wright also compared Paul's years of waiting in a Roman jail with Peter's deliverance. Did some question Paul (or God) when such deliverance tarried for Paul? Why was Paul not set free as Peter had been?

Surely God's power is real, and we should expect and pray for Him to act. But, reminds Bishop Wright, His seeming "lack" of activity does not at all mean He is inactive, indifferent, or incapable.

All Saints' (14) Thomas a Kempis

2007-11-14T22:42:00.000-06:00

"My son, patience and humility in adversities are more pleasing to Me, than much comfort and devotion when things go well."

"Be of more even mind, and gird yourself to greater endurance. All is not lost, although you feel yourself very often afflicted or grievously tempted."

"What matter is it, what or how much I suffer if I may at length attain to the haven of safety? Grant me a good end, grant me a happy passage out of this world. Remember me, O my God, and direct me in the right way to Thy kingdom."

--quotes taken from chapter 57 of Of the Imitation of Christ, entitled "When Man Falls"

All Saints' (13) Jean-Pierre de Caussade

2007-11-13T20:13:00.000-06:00

"All we need to know is how to recognize his will in the present moment. Grace is the will of God and his order acting in the center of our hearts when we read or are occupied in other ways; theories and studies, without regard for the refreshing virtue of God's order, are merely dead letters, emptying the heart by filling the mind. This divine will flowing through the soul of a simple uneducated girl, through her suffering or some exceptionally noble act in adversity, carries out in her heart God's mysterious purpose without thought entering her head. Whereas the sophisticated man, who studies spiritual books out of mere curiosity, whose reading is not inspired by God, takes into his mind only dead letters and grows even more arid and obtuse."

--from The Sacrament of the Present Moment

All Saints' (12) Brother Lawrence

2007-11-12T20:25:00.000-06:00

"In the way of God, thoughts count for little, love does everything. And it is not necessary to have great things to do. I turn my little omelette in the pan for the love of God; when it is finished, if I have nothing to do, I prostrate myself on the ground and adore my God, Who gave me the grace to make it, after which I arise, more content than a king. When I cannot do anything else, it is enough for me to have lifted a straw from the earth for the love of God.
"People seek for methods of learning to love God. They hope to arrive at it by I know not how many different practices; they take much trouble to remain in the presence of God in a quantity of ways. Is it not much shorter and more direct to do everything for the love of God, to make use of all the labors of one's state in life to show Him that love, and to maintain His presence within us by this communion of our hearts with His? There is no finesse about it; one has only to do it generously and simply."

--from The Practice of the Presence of God (a wonderful little book that, in my experience at least, surprisingly few have read)

All Saints' (11) Leo Tolstoy

2007-11-11T13:25:00.000-06:00

The following is an excerpt from Resurrection, Tolstoy's final novel.
The main character, Njakyudov, is reflecting on "The Parable of the Vineyard" (aka "The Parable of the Tenants"--Matthew 21:33-44).

"The husbandmen imagined that the vineyard in which they were sent to work for their master was their own, and all that was in was made for them, and that their business was to enjoy life in this vineyard--forgetting the master and killing all those who reminded them of his existence.
'Are we not doing the same' Njakyudov thought, 'when we imagine ourselves to be masters of our lives and that life is given us for enjoyment? This, evidently, is an incongruity. We were sent here by someone's will and for some reason, and we have concluded that we live only for our own joy. And of course we feel unhappy, as laborers do when not fulfilling their master's orders. The master's will is expressed in these commandments [referring to the Sermon on the Mount]. If men will only fulfill these laws, the Kingdom of Heaven will be established on Earth, and men will receive the greatest good that they can attain to.'
'Seek ye first the Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.'"

All Saints' (10) Jonathan Edwards

2007-11-10T20:59:00.000-06:00

The kind of religion that God requires, and will accept, does not consist in weak, dull, and lifeless "wouldings"--those weak inclinations that lack convictions--that raise us but a little above indifference. God, in his word, greatly insists that we be in good earnest, fervent in spirit, and that our hearts be engaged vigorously in our religion: "Be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord" (Rom. 12:11, modified KJV).
"And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? To fear the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul" (Deut. 10:12). This fervent, vigorous engagement of the heart is the fruit of a real circumcision of the heart that alone has the promise of life: "And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your children, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul that you may live" (Deut. 30:6).

--From Religious Affections

Currently available as a free downloadable audiobook at ChristianAudio.com. (It normally costs $29!) They refer to this book as "quite possibly one of the most important books ever written by America's greatest theologian."
CCEL says of Religious Affections:

In this classic work by America's greatest theologian
and philosopher, Edwards considers the nature
of revival and the genuine work of the Holy Spirit.
Don't read this book
if you want to keep worshipping your idols.

All Saints' (9) Thomas Merton

2007-11-09T19:07:00.000-06:00

(continuing an "All Saints" tribute by posting great quotes from various saints who have run the race and kept the faith)

"We become saints not by violently overcoming our own weakness, but by letting the Lord give us the strength and purity of his Spirit in exchange for our weakness and misery. Let us not then complicate our lives and frustrate ourselves by fixing too much attention on ourselves, thereby forgetting the power of God and grieving the Holy Ghost.
Our spiritual attitude, our way of seeking peace and perfection, depends entirely on our concept of God. If we are able to believe he is truly our loving Father, if we can really accept the truth of his infinite and compassionate concern for us, if we believe that he loves us not because we are worthy but because we need his love, then we can advance with confidence. We will not be discouraged by our inevitable weaknesses and failures. We can do anything he asks of us. But if we believe he is a stern, cold lawgiver who has no real interest in us, who is merely a ruler, a lord, a judge and not a father, we will have great difficulty in living the Christian life. We must therefore begin by believing God is our Father: otherwise we cannot face the difficulties of the Christian way of perfection. Without faith, the 'narrow way' is utterly impossible."

--from Life and Holiness

All Saints' (8) Gregory Nazianzen

2007-11-08T10:27:00.000-06:00

"The Word recognizes three Births for us; namely, the natural birth, that of Baptism, and that of the Resurrection. Of these the first is by night, and is servile, and involves passion; but the second is by day, and is destructive of passion, cutting off all the veil that is derived from birth, and leading on to the higher life; and the third is more terrible and shorter, bringing together in a moment all mankind to stand before its Creator and to give an account of its service and conversation here; whether it has followed the flesh, or whether it has mounted up with the spirit and worshipped the grace of its new creation. My Lord Jesus Christ has showed that He honoured all these births in His own Person; the first, by that first and quickening Inbreathing; the second by His Incarnation and the Baptism wherewith He Himself was baptized; and the third by the Resurrection of which He was the Firstfruits; condescending, as He became the Firstborn among many brethren, so also to become the Firstborn from the dead.
Concerning two of these births, the first and the last, we have not to speak on the present occasion. Let us discourse upon the second, which is now necessary for us, and which gives its name to the Feast of the Lights. Illumination is the splendour of souls, the conversion of the life, the question put to the Godward conscience. It is the aid to our weakness, the renunciation of the flesh, the following of the Spirit, the fellowship of the Word, the improvement of the creature, the overwhelming of sin, the participation of light, the dissolution of darkness. It is the carriage to God, the dying with Christ, the perfecting of the mind, the bulwark of Faith, the key of the Kingdom of heaven, the change of life, the removal of slavery, the loosing of chains, the remodelling of the whole man. Why should I go into further detail? Illumination is the greatest and most magnificent of the Gifts of God. For just as we speak of the Holy of Holies, and the Song of Songs, as more comprehensive and more excellent than others, so is this called Illumination, as being more holy than any other illumination which we possess."

--from "The Oration on Holy Baptism," preached in Constantinople on January 6, 381.

All Saints' (7) Anselm

2007-11-07T17:22:00.000-06:00

"I acknowledge, O Lord, with thanksgiving, that You have created this Your image in me, so that, remembering You, I may think of You, may love You. But this image is so effaced and worn away by my faults, it is so obscured by the smoke of my sins, that it cannot do what it was made to do, unless You renew and reform it. I am not trying, O Lord, to penetrate Your loftiness, for I cannot begin to match my understanding with it, but I desire in some measure to understand Your truth, which my heart believes and loves. For I do not seek to understand in order to believe, but I believe in order to understand."

All Saints' (6) Henri Nouwen

2007-11-06T17:59:00.000-06:00

"Prayer is in many ways the criterion of Christian life. Prayer requires that we stand in God's presence with open hands, naked and vulnerable, proclaiming to ourselves and to others that without God we can do nothing. This is difficult in a climate where the predominant counsel is 'Do your best and God will do the rest.' When life is divided into 'our best' and 'God's rest,' we have turned prayer into a last resort to be used only when all our own resources are depleted. Then even the Lord has become the victim of our impatience. Discipleship does not mean to use God when we can no longer function ourselves. On the contrary, it means to recognize that we can do nothing at all, but that God can do everything through us. As disciples, we find not some but all of our strength, hope, courage, and confidence in God. Therefore, prayer must be our first concern."

--Henri Nouwen, Compassion

All Saints' (5) Julian of Norwich

2007-11-05T19:50:00.000-06:00

"Just as our flesh is covered by clothing, and our blood is covered by our flesh, so are we, soul and body, covered and enclosed by the goodness of God. Yet, the clothing and the flesh will pass away, but the goodness of God will always remain and will remain closer to us than our own flesh.
God only desires that our soul cling to him with all of its strength, in particular, that it clings to his goodness. For of all of the things our minds can think about God, it is thinking upon his goodness that pleases him most and brings the most profit to our soul.
For we are so preciously loved by God that we cannot even comprehend it. No created being can ever know how much and how sweetly and tenderly God loves them. It is only with the help of his grace that we are able to persevere in spiritual contemplation with endless wonder at his high, surpassing, immeasurable love which our Lord in his goodness has for us.
Therefore we may ask from our Lover to have all of him that we desire. For it is our nature to long for him, and it is his nature to long for us. In this life we can never stop loving him."

All Saints' (4) John Howard Yoder

2007-11-03T23:24:00.000-05:00

"The challenge to the faith community should not be to dilute or filter or translate its witness, so that the 'public' community can handle it without believing, but so to purify and clarify and exemplify it so that the world can perceive it to be good news."

From "Firstfruits: The Paradigmatic Role of God's People"

(Although I've read a book about his theology, I've never actually read a book by John Howard Yoder! I found a "simplified summary" of his most recognized book, The Politics of Jesus, online. In addition, I found an article in which Stanley Hauerwas reflects on this saintly brother soon after Yoder's death.)

All Saints' (3) William Law

2007-11-03T07:52:00.000-05:00

"A Christ not in us is the same thing as a Christ not ours. If we are only so far with Christ as to own and receive the history of his birth, person and character, if this is all that we have of him, we are as much without him as those evil spirits which cried out 'we know thee, who thou art, thou holy one of God.' It is the language of Scripture that Christ in us is our hope of glory, that Christ formed in us, growing and raising his own life and spirit in us, is our holy salvation."

Many of William Law's works may be found at the Christian Classics Ethereal Library.

All Saints' (2) C.S. Lewis

2007-11-02T17:05:00.000-05:00

The Christian way is different: harder, and easier.
Christ says, "Give me All.
I don't want so much of your time
and so much of your money
and so much of your work:
I want You.
I have not come to torment your natural self,
but to kill it.
No half-measures are any good.
I don't want to cut off a branch here and a branch there,
I want to have the whole tree down.
Hand over the whole natural self,
all the desires which you think innocent
as well as the ones you think wicked--the whole outfit.
I will give you a new self instead.
In fact, I will give you Myself:
my own will shall become yours."
Both harder and easier that what we are all trying to do.
You have noticed, I expect, that Christ Himself
sometimes describes the Christian way as very hard,
sometimes as very easy.
He says, "Take up your Cross"--in other words,
it is like going to be beaten to death
in a concentration camp.
Next minute he says,
"My yoke is easy and my burden light."
He means both.
And one can just see why both are true.

From Mere Christianity

All Saints' (1) Leonard Ravenhill

2007-11-01T22:15:00.000-05:00

"Time was when people went to church to meet God. Now they go to hear a sermon about Him."

From Revival God's Way: A Message for the Church

(A selection of Leonard Ravenhill's audio sermons are available here.)

All Hallow's Eve

2007-10-31T22:15:00.000-05:00

So...this is my one and only post for October. I guess it's not surprising, seeing as how I'm a creature of starts and spurts. It's not what I had intended when I began this blog, but it was bound to happen.

I plan to continue exploring the Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120-134), but who knows how long that will take.

This evening, as I write, there is a candle burning in front of my house. It burns as a witness and a commemoration. In my own small way, I wish to say that I have put on Christ. He has claimed me as His own. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

At the same time, I'd like to reclaim All Saints' Day. So, the candle burns to remember the faithful who have gone before and to announce my solidarity with them in Christ.

During the month of November, I intend to post a small quote daily from some of my favorite men and women who have loved the Lord (and others) heroically and given themselves fully to the task of loving.

Kate Tristram says:

The life of a saint is not the life of a great man or woman,
but of God's life in an ordinary man or woman.
Saints' days are not all about that saint:
but about a celebration of Christ. ...
Remembering the saints
gives us a bigger idea of the things of God.
When Elisha's servant saw the enemy chariots
(2 Kings 6:15-16), he had to have his eyes opened
so that he could see God's chariots of fire.
It was such a big view of God that Elisha had,
and now his servant could share in that.
This is exactly how the saints can help us:
if ever we feel outnumbered,
remember that we never get to see the whole church.

Thank you, God, for showing Yourself in the lives of these--Your children. May Your life flood into me, and may I too be conformed to the image of Love through the power of your Spirit.

Psalm 121

2007-09-30T21:35:00.000-05:00

Translating this psalm helped me understand and appreciate it more. So did Eugene Peterson's insights. So, here are a few observations on this Song of Ascents (#2 of 15).

First, here's a translation--

Song of Ascents. I raise my eyes to the mountains. From where will my help come? My help is from YHWH, Maker of heavens and earth. May He not give your feet to a shaking, not fall asleep watching over you.
Now please understand. He will not doze off and will not sleep! He is the Guardian of Israel!
YHWH is protecting you. YHWH is your shade at your right hand. By day the sun will not beat on me, nor the moon by night.
YHWH will protect you from all evil. He will guard your life. YHWH will watch over your going forth and your coming, from now until eternity.

The italicized words are all from a single Hebrew root--shamar. The fact that it is used six times in eight verses seems to make it the key word in this Psalm.

I had never understood the image of the Lord being a "shade" at my right hand. The dictionary I used (Holladay) describes this shade as that of a tree, a roof, or a cloud. It is an image of shelter or protection. For someone like me with very fair skin, such shelter (especially pre-sunscreen) can hardly be overvalued. The psalmist then connects this image with an interesting location..."at my right hand." This is the place that an honored person would take. God, the Almighty, the Honored One, is my shade. He not only protects me from trials. He also provides comfort. He "shamar"s me. He watches over me.

Peterson sees three dangers in this psalm: twisting one's ankle, sunstroke, and moonstroke (lunacy). Do Christians not suffer such trials? Sure they do. But we know where to look for help--to the Lord who accompanies us every step of the way. We need not look to the hills (where the pagan shrines were set up). No, this world's remedies are vacuous. God is with us. His love is constant. He will watch over our going and coming, from now until eternity.
May our trust not be in the remedies of pop culture magazines, nor in the numbing escape of prime-time TV. May we rely on Him who guards our soul, both night and day.

I end by quoting Eugene Peterson:
"All the water in the oceans cannot sink a ship unless it gets inside. Nor can all the trouble in the world harm us unless it gets within us. That is the promise of the psalm: 'The LORD will keep you from all evil.'...None of the things that happen to you, none of the troubles you encounter, have any power to get between you and God, dilute his grace in you, divert his will from you."
(A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, pp. 38-39)
"Faith is not a precarious affair of chance escape from satanic assaults. It is the solid, massive, secure experience of God who keeps all evil from getting inside us, who keeps our life, who keeps our going out and our coming in from this time forth and forevermore." (p. 41)

Inspired by this Blog Entry

2007-09-25T23:02:00.000-05:00

Here's something that inspired me tonight.
I need to pray like this.

Check it out...

Hesychius

Psalm 120

2007-09-13T21:16:00.000-05:00

Psalm 120, the first of the 15 Songs of Ascents, is a song of pilgrimage. The psalmist complains because of the wickedness of his surroundings. He bemoans the lying lips, the deceitful tongues, and the bent for war that seem to assail him from every side. His lament, "Woe to me that I dwell" (among such) is a lament of pilgrimage. The author has realized that he is out of sync with the status quo. He is a stranger on this earth. Just as Jesus came to His own and was rejected by them, so too the psalmist is maligned and persecuted for his righteous stance.

This realization is the first step on the road to heaven. The psalmist perceives the sin and turns his back on the empty way of life from which he was redeemed. He is now swimming against the stream, traveling on the narrow way. It is not an easy path to travel, but the Spirit strengthens, the Father blesses and guides, and the Son walks with us along the way.

It is impossible not to be influenced by our surroundings unless we deliberately renew our minds and abide in the will of the Father. May this psalm remind us to resist conformity with the world and to turn our face toward our eternal Home. May we cry out to the Lord, for He will answer.

St. Aidan's Day

2007-08-31T20:28:00.000-05:00

Today is St. Aidan's Day. Aidan, who died on this day in 651, was a missionary to the kingdom of Northumbria (now the northeastern part of England). He struck me because of his humility, his patience, and his perseverance. When the king sent for a monk to evangelize the region, Aidan prayed, "O Lord, give me the springs and I will water this land. I will go, Lord. I will hold this people in my heart."

He gave up the comforts of friends and familiar surroundings. He heeded the call of God. He took the people's burden upon himself. He opened his eyes to their pain, their waywardness, and their brokenness. He took up the cause of Christ. He let the wind of the Spirit blow through him, and the fire of the Lord covered the people.

He journeyed out in faith.
The Lord was with him.

God, please bless, protect, strengthen and use all who have journeyed out in faith for Your cause. May Your fire spread through them as well.

(thoughts based on Celtic Daily Prayer pp. 158-161)

Are Christians Justified in Claiming to Know that Christianity is True?

2007-08-20T21:48:00.000-05:00

I've been too busy to blog lately, so with apologies I'm taking the lazy way out and posting something I wrote during my first semester here at seminary. I paid enough for this experience...might as well try and share some of it with anyone who'll take the time to read!

(written for Jerry Walls' Philosophy of Christian Religion class, Fall 2005)

Modernity would claim that in order for someone to say that he “knows” something he must be able to prove it. Theists cannot, in my opinion, offer empirical proof that God exists, but this limitation does not defeat their contentions. The very claim of the evidentialist that “to know something is to be able to prove it” is self-referentially incoherent. This statement cannot be proven to be true and thus, by its own standards, cannot be “known.” Beyond this difficulty, however, is the absurdity of human attempts to weigh, test, and judge God as if He were the object of a science experiment. If God does exist, is it not brazen of the created to set up their own terms for accepting the Creator?! Anyone who attempts to measure God by human, scientific methods will complain that He is not verifiable in the way other objects are. This is only to be expected (Peterson et al., Reason & Religious Belief: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion 3rd ed., 119). We should not be surprised when we sense and experience God in different ways than we sense other objects. A purely spiritual subject does not submit to physical measures.

While we cannot offer empirical proof for God’s existence, by no means should this suggest a dearth of evidence. There is ample evidence for God’s existence: the ontological, teleological, moral, cosmological, kalam and other arguments, religious experience, God’s past and present self-revelation, and more. All of these combine to form a powerful cumulative case for God. The question, however, is whether such evidence is even necessary for faith. If God exists, the fact that we believe in Him may simply be appropriate and natural. If He created us for relationship with Him, as Christianity claims, the fact that we have a sense of the divine is perfectly understandable. This “sensus divinatus” is to be expected, according to Alvin Plantinga, and our belief in God may be seen as properly “basic” as it is the rightly functioning awareness of God (Peterson et al. 122). That many do not experience such an awareness of God points to the improper conditions (motives, attitude, setting, providence of God) that accompany one’s orientation toward God. Regardless of whether a belief in God is basic (and needs no supporting facts) or is built upon accumulated evidences, faith can be seen as reasonable.

While faith in God can be shown to be entirely reasonable, one who relies on reason and proof alone to lead him to God may never get there. Peter Kreeft and Ronald K. Tacelli recount Justin Martyr’s process of discovering God in the second century. First he “seeks the truth by the unaided effort of reason, and is disappointed.” Next, “it is offered to him by faith and he accepts. And, having accepted, he finds that it satisfies his reason” (Handbook of Christian Apologetics 40). A later saint, Anselm of Canterbury, said something similar in his work “Proslogion: Fides Quaerens Intellectum.” He stated, “I am not trying, O Lord, to penetrate thy loftiness, for I cannot begin to match my understanding with it, but I desire in some measure to understand thy truth, which my heart believes and loves. For I do not seek to understand in order to believe, but I believe in order to understand” (Hugh Kerr, ed. Readings in Christian Thought 83). Rational inquiry helps us better understand what we believe by faith.

Now that the reasonable step of faith has been taken, the question becomes “Is my faith rational?” The belief in God based on available evidence is every bit as rational as the atheist’s refusal to believe. After pondering the supports for faith, Ravi Zacharias states incredulously, “ In short, both David Hume’s own test and Bertrand Russell’s plea for evidence force one to wonder who has to have more faith. Is it the Christian who uses his mind to trust in God, or is it the one who, without any attempt to explain how his mind came to be, nevertheless uses that mind to demand a sign and disbelieves in God?” (Jesus Among Other Gods 65-66) God confirms the step of faith through experience. Through various means of grace, He reveals Himself in a more personal way. These experiences (whether they be a sense of communion with Christ, of the living Word, of the Holy Spirit’s power, or of the conviction, love or forgiveness of the Father) supply a certainty to one’s faith. Knowledge becomes more than factual certainty but relational reality. We know God intimately rather than merely knowing about God. Kreeft and Tacelli (elaborating on Aquinas’ thoughts) put it thus: “It is not our faith but its object, God, that justifies our certainty” (38).

At this point, many will say, “But what about the experiential claims of other religions? Your appeal to knowing God can be made by many other groups that claim to know Him exclusively.” The single greatest piece of evidence in the Christian’s arsenal is the person of Jesus Christ Himself. His life is without parallel. The claims He made, His teachings, His prophecies, His fulfillment of prophecy, the miracles He performed, His sinless life, His love and authority, the lives that were transformed after encountering Him, the Resurrection, His appearances to many over a forty day period, the witness and martyrdom of the apostles, the spread of the early Church in the face of persecution—these all provide powerful testimony to the truth of Christianity. Just as Christianity has to answer the challenges of other religions, so they have to answer the challenges of Christianity.

Christianity is rooted in history. It explains the nature of God, the meaning of existence, and the future of human destiny in very satisfying ways. Christians revel in God’s love and mercy and rejoice in the doctrines of Trinity, Incarnation, Atonement, and Resurrection. We have an incredible hope. “And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us” (Romans 5:5, NIV).

Even if one refuses to accept Christianity due to a perceived lack of evidence, the question of faith presents a “genuine option” in which belief is justified (Peterson et al. Philosophy of Religion: Selected Readings 2nd ed. 86). William James asserts that if a decision is forced, living and momentous it constitutes a “genuine option.” The conclusion one comes to about who Jesus is constitutes such a decision. In the end, it comes down to a choice. Will one make the effort to investigate the claims of Christianity or will he prefer to conveniently disbelieve? If he will trust in the Light, he will find that Christianity is reasonable, rational, experiential, historical, transformational, basic (sensus divinatus), spiritual, fulfilling, communal…in a word—true. While it cannot be proven in the modern sense, too much is at stake to leave it untried. Pascal’s Wager does not make a case for Christianity as much as it points out what is at stake. If eternity is on the line, no one can afford to ignore the claims of Christ.

In summary, I believe a Christian is justified in saying that he knows Christianity to be true. In sensing the reality of God, he is led to faith. His faith is fostered and supported by the cumulative case for Christianity. Personal experience and knowledge of the Trinitarian God confirms his decision to trust God. He continues to use reason to understand his faith and engage disbelievers. The Christian worldview makes sense of the world, even with all of its problems and shortcomings. A Christian is transformed as he lives in communion with God’s Spirit and God’s people. He is renewed and forgiven. His faith, hope and love grow. He is not lost in dead-end wishful thinking. “No, the Christian’s faith is not a leap into the dark; it is a well-placed trust in the light—the Light of the World, who is Jesus” (Zacharias 63-64).

Works Cited
Anselm. “Proslogion: Fides Quaerens Intellectum.” Readings in Christian Thought. 2nd ed. Ed. Hugh T. Kerr. Nashville: Abingdon, 1990.
Kreeft, Peter and Ronald K. Tacelli. Handbook of Christian Apologetics: Hundreds of Answers to Crucial Questions. Downers Grove. InterVarsity, 1994.
Peterson, Michael, et al. Philosophy of Religion: Selected Readings 2nd ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2001.
Peterson, Michael, et al. Reason & Religious Belief: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2003.
Zacharias, Ravi. Jesus Among Other Gods. W. Publishing: Nashville, 2000.

Experience the Unrivalled Russian Novel

2007-08-08T23:42:00.000-05:00

I am writing tonight to promote another free download from Christian Audio. Fascinatingly, this month's selection is The Resurrection, by Leo Tolstoy.

If you have never read a major Russian novel, you have truly missed out. They are long. They can be somewhat tedious (especially to us Westerners who are unfamiliar with Russian culture). But my oh my are they rich. There is a depth to the writings of Dostoevsky and Tolstoy that may be unmatched.

I haven't read The Resurrection, but I know it was Tolstoy's last major novel. I have read The Brothers Karamazov, Crime and Punishment, Anna Karenina, and War and Peace and other Russian works. It takes commitment to get through them, but the payoff is huge. I read one of these works in Bulgarian, so don't tell me you can't do it in English!

I just want to say that I look forward to listening to this work. It's 14 separate downloads--that's 14 CDs worth of listening (and burning, if you'd like to listen on CD...which I intend to do). The book is 398 pages--almost 17 hours of listening. It will be worth listening to attentively. I am sure it will enrich my life in some way.

I just checked out a bit of Tolstoy's story. He became a Christian later on in his life after a raucous young adulthood. I've excerpted the following from his work A Confession. This writing is only about 16 pages long, and though I haven't finished it yet I loved the 9 pages or so that I did read.

This bit (the excerpt) is part of Tolstoy's description of the despair he experienced as he searched for meaning in life:

There is an Eastern fable, told long ago, of a traveller overtaken on a plain by an enraged beast. Escaping from the beast he gets into a dry well, but sees at the bottom of the well a dragon that has opened its jaws to swallow him. And the unfortunate man, not daring to climb out lest he should be destroyed by the enraged beast, and not daring to leap to the bottom of the well lest he should be eaten by the dragon, seizes s twig growing in a crack in the well and clings to it. His hands are growing weaker and he feels he will soon have to resign himself to the destruction that awaits him above or below, but still he clings on. Then he sees that two mice, a black one and a white one, go regularly round and round the stem of the twig to which he is clinging and gnaw at it. And soon the twig itself will snap and he will fall into the dragon’s jaws. The traveller sees this and knows that he will inevitably perish; but while still hanging he looks around, sees some drops of honey on the leaves of the twig, reaches them with his tongue and licks them. So I too clung to the twig of life, knowing that the dragon of death was inevitably awaiting me, ready to tear me to pieces; and I could not understand why I had fallen into such torment. I tried to lick the honey which formerly consoled me, but the honey no longer gave me pleasure, and the white and black mice of day and night gnawed at the branch by which I hung. I saw the dragon clearly and the honey no longer tasted sweet. I only saw the unescapable dragon and the mice, and I could not tear my gaze from them. and this is not a fable but the real unanswerable truth intelligible to all.
The deception of the joys of life which formerly allayed my terror of the dragon now no longer deceived me. No matter how often I may be told, “You cannot understand the meaning of life so do not think about it, but live,” I can no longer do it: I have already done it too long. I cannot now help seeing day and night going round and bringing me to death. That is all I see, for that alone is true. All else is false.
The two drops of honey which diverted my eyes from the cruel truth longer than the rest: my love of family, and of writing — art as I called it — were no longer sweet to me. “Family”. . .said I to myself. But my family — wife and children — are also human. They are placed just as I am: they must either live in a lie or see the terrible truth. Why should they live? Why should I love them, guard them, bring them up, or watch them? That they may come to the despair that I feel, or else be stupid? Loving them, I cannot hide the truth from them: each step in knowledge leads them to the truth. And the truth is death.

If this has whet your appetite, be sure to read the whole thing (as I intend to tomorrow). And do yourself a favor. Take the time and trouble to download The Resurrection. I think you'll be glad you did.

Pilgrimage Quote

2007-08-01T06:39:00.000-05:00

July's focus in my devotional readings was "pilgrimage." Tuesday night I picked up a book I had begun to read earlier this year, and I realized it was devoted to this theme, too. So, I don't think I'm through with this yet. There's more to come!

For starters, here's a quote from the book I'm reading:

Pilgrim (parepidemos) tells us we are people who spend our lives going someplace, going to God, and whose path for getting there is the way, Jesus Christ. We realize that "this world is not my home" and set out for the "Father's house." Abraham, who "went out," is our archetype. Jesus, answering Thomas' question, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" gives us directions: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me" (Jn. 14:5-6). The letter to the Hebrews defines our program: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith" (Heb. 12:1-2).

The book is A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson. (Don't you just love that title? Can you believe it is taken from a Friedrich Nietzsche quote?). I heard great things about this book and found it on Amazon.com for about a quarter. I'm sure I'll be referring to it more if I write more on pilgrimage (as I intend).

Accio Theologia Profundica!

2007-08-01T06:14:00.001-05:00

Well, I finished the new Harry Potter book yesterday. This means I also finished the series, and I'd love to talk with someone about the story as a whole.

What Christian elements or themes did you find? What unChristian elements disturbed you? Aside from being an entertaining read, how did the story move you? What did it make you think about? What do you think the author's point was? What did you like or dislike?

I'm asking because I think this book will have a lasting impact. Our kids will read it. Grandkids, too. I think there's opportunity here to discuss important themes, to glean insights, and to probe spiritual realities. Why not begin that discussion now?

I'll be sharing some of my thoughts at a later time in the comments section of this post. I'd love to hear from anyone who's read Harry Potter at all.

Any thoughts?

All for Christ

2007-07-25T13:41:00.000-05:00

How can you offer your life--all your life--to Christ...
in your current circumstances?

How can you give all to Him today? in the next 5 minutes?

This question is not a philosophical flight of fancy.
It is central and immensely practical.

It's the "one thing" we're called to do.

It's the meaning of life.

Give yourself anew to Him today.

The Way of a Pilgrim

2007-07-21T20:17:00.000-05:00

My thoughts this month have been on the theme of pilgrimage. Our life is one big journey, a journey to, with, and in the Lord.

Along the way, we sometimes visit places of special significance--places that have shaped others before us, places where we have made promises or vows, places of struggle, places of joy.
But today's devotional reading focused on repentance. Repentance is an integral part of any journey. As we veer off course, we need to concede our mistakes, and make a fresh start in the right direction.

Sometimes repentance is the goal of a pilgrimage. The journey is a time to reflect on our mistakes, to take stock of our lives, to gain our bearings, to apprehend the Spirit, and to yield afresh to the Lord's ways.

Oddly enough, some thoughts have begun to come full circle for me in this area. Years ago I read The Way of a Pilgrim, the tale of a 19th century Russian peasant who wants to learn how to "pray without ceasing." He is taught the "Jesus Prayer":

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour, have mercy on me, a sinner.

And he learns to repeat the prayer again and again, again and again, until it becomes as breathing to him.

Well, I tried it...and it just felt like I was being insincere. I felt like I was trying some magic incantation or something. And yet, I think I missed the spirit of the prayer.

It's not a prayer that demeans. It's a prayer that calls us to realize our ongoing need for course correction.

The way of a pilgrim is a repentant way. We are loved. We are empowered by grace. And we are called to keep in step with the Spirit. To do so, we are constrained to come to terms with our missteps. God illumines our darkness; He wounds us with His love so that He may bring greater healing, deeper life, and fullness of love.

Psalm 19:12--Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
Psalm 139:24--See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

This is the way of a pilgrim.

The Profundity of Zechariah 12:10

2007-07-19T14:19:00.000-05:00

Zechariah 12:10 (NIV) "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son."

Maybe this verse has caught your eye. Maybe it hasn’t. I heard someone talk about this verse years ago at a conference in England (Roger Forster is his name—brilliant teacher). He referred to the Hebrew in explaining the verse, and now that I’ve had a bit of training I am finally able to see if what he said checks out.

The startling turn in this verse is the abrupt change from the 1st person (me) to the 3rd person (him) in the middle of the verse. Obviously this is God talking here, but how can we explain:

How God can be pierced?
Why would they mourn for “him” if they pierced “me”?
What’s this business about an “only child” and a “firstborn son”?

I checked out the Hebrew, and though not all translators have rendered it this way (NRSV?), sure enough the change is there. (Here's my translation.)

“They will gaze toward ME, upon the one WHOM they pierced, and they will sound a lament for HIM.”

The cool thing that the teacher pointed out in his lecture that day was that there is a clue as to how the change from ME to HIM occurs. (This is not a grammatical point—only a neat observation.) Between the word that means “towards ME” and the word that means “WHOM” (or “the one WHOM”) stands one little word. It is not translatable. Its function is only to signify that what follows is the direct object.

It is only two letters...but not just any two letters. They are the letters Aleph and Taw, the Hebrew equivalent of Alpha and Omega! The First and the Last!

Could it be that God placed this little, untranslatable word here just for us, so that we could make sense of the verse as we meditated on it? The link between “ME” and “HIM” is God! The Alpha and Omega are present in both.

This insight provides an answer for all the questions above. I’m not claiming this as some scholarly exegetical point, but it sure does light my fire.

Between God and the One Whom they pierced, the Alpha and Omega is found.

Another Recommendation

2007-07-17T23:52:00.000-05:00

Over the last few months, I've been enjoying a plugin (for Windows Media Player) that displays the lyrics of the song that you're listening to. If you listen to music on your computer, it's a great tool. Imagine--understanding what you're listening to...what a concept! It sure beats those cheesy dancing lights that are the default WMP background.

If you're interested, you can download it from http://www.lyricsplugin.com/.

A Good Word from Dr. Stone

2007-07-17T23:18:00.000-05:00

Check out the wise advice from Lawson Stone in this posting.
It's worth the read.

Irenaeus--Defender of the Faith

2007-07-17T00:59:00.000-05:00

I recently wrote a short reflection on Irenaeus's treatment of Genesis 2:7 in Book V of his massive work Against Heresies. Imagine...he uses this verse in his refutation of those who claimed that there would be no bodily resurrection!

Genesis 2:7 -- then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.

Here's my paper:
(If you want to read the pertinent sections, check out the link to "My Google Notebook.")

In order to prove that flesh can inherit eternal life, Irenaeus returns to the Creation narrative in Genesis 2. Specifically, he emphasizes the fact that God not only formed man out of the dust, but He animated him by breathing life into him. It was not until the breath of life, proceeding from God, was united to the fashioned dust that man was animated and endowed with reason. God had the power to breathe life into mere dust.

In a similar way, says Irenaeus (V.I.3), the Word and the Spirit are being united with the “ancient substance of Adam’s formation” in the last days, thus rendering man living and perfect. Irenaeus here ties Genesis 2 to 1 Corinthians 15 (“for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ”). The giving of the Spirit (“breath”) is paralleled with the animating breath of God given to Adam. Now, concerning the resurrection, Irenaeus says that if God can create life out of dust, He is surely capable of reanimating that which had once been alive and has now decomposed into earth. “If He does not vivify what is mortal, and does not bring back the corruptible to incorruption, He is not a God of power.” (V.III.2) Precisely because He did breathe life into dust, we now know He is able to reconstitute that which has decayed. Our very existence shows that God is able to confer life on flesh, so why would anyone say that “the flesh is not qualified to be a partaker of life”?

Irenaeus goes on to show that a human being was not complete before receiving the breath, and that the breath was not a living body until it entered the dust. It was incorporeal. (V.VII.1) Just as God brought physical life through the breath, He now brings spiritual life through the Spirit. The breath, says Irenaeus, is poured out on all humanity. Meanwhile, the Spirit is given only to those whom God has adopted as His children. “The breath, then, is temporal, but the Spirit eternal.” (V.XII.2) The breath enters for a certain time, then departs. The Spirit pervades and never leaves. Irenaeus says that the first Adam forfeited life when he “turned aside to what was evil,” but because of the second Adam humans may now turn back to what is good, receive the Spirit, and find life. Just as Adam received life through the breath of God, so we may receive eternal life through the Spirit. Irenaeus refers again to 1 Corinthians 15 in his argument:
45 Thus it is written, "The first man, Adam, became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
46 But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual.
47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. (1 Cor 15:45-47)

In Adam, and in our turning aside from God, our bodies will die. In Christ, and in our turning back to Him, they will live again through the life-giving power of the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 16

2007-07-15T17:04:00.000-05:00

The final chapter. The last of the Ben Witherington quotes. It was a rich class.

It is seldom the case that there is great progress for the gospel without great opposition.
If the Church is “Me” oriented, Satan’s happy. But when the Church gets serious about mission, there will be opposition!
Just because you experience some opposition doesn’t mean you need to take the path of least resistance.
Did Paul love his converts? Very much. He agonized over them. He loved his curmudgeonly Corinthians. He is deeply distressed at their misbehavior.
Lesson: If you love them, then you will correct them.

Thanks to anyone who took the time to read these. I hope you were provoked to thought. I hope you were blessed.

1 Corinthians 15

2007-07-15T16:55:00.000-05:00

More quotes from class...

Orthodoxy matters. Jesus didn’t go to all the trouble of dying so we could believe whatever we want.
Paul sees Christ’s resurrection as a form of vindication. God’s vindication of Jesus and His claims.
If Christ is not raised, you’re still in your sins. Jesus’ atoning death for sin on the cross benefits nobody without His resurrection and His sending of the Spirit. It benefits noone without the appropriation of His death. Without the resurrection, there is no Christian faith.
Christian perfection means full conformity to the image of Christ—inside & out.
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” We’re supposed to be acting like a new race of people.
The first Adam was a living being—life breath animating flesh. The new race will also need an animating principle—the Holy Spirit.
Christianity does not deny the reality of death, sin, and suffering. It affirms that however deep the Pit of evil, God’s love is greater. We are the undergoers of disease, decay, and death. But we are also the overcomers!
The resurrection has ethical implications. If there’s no resurrection, do what you want. But if it’s real, God’s “Yes” to life is louder than Death’s “No.”
Jesus is not just interested in eliminating the cause of the sin problem, he’s also interested in eliminating its effects—death.
They say archaeologists are people whose lives are always in ruins.
I would love to be an archaeologist and to find Lazarus’ tomb—“Died 29AD. Died 44 AD.”

1 Corinthians 14

2007-07-15T16:48:00.000-05:00

From Ben Witherington's 1 Corinthians class:

Pursue love. If you’re not intentional about it, it’s not gonna happen.
Here Paul is talking about actions—not good intentions or warm feelings. Love is commanded.
Teach on love.
Love is appreciating someone, not regarding their deficiencies as higher than their assets.
Jesus never called you to be a Lone Ranger for Him.
We need to understand love. If a church only has a few gifts, but it has a lot of love, it stands a lot better chance. What counts is whether we love each other, whether we can relate to one another in Christ.
1 Cor. 14:2--For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Tongues, by definition here, is prayer language.
Worship is corporate. It’s when we all get caught up in the love, wonder, and praise of God together. If all the preaching is needs based, there’s a problem. Most of worship is God-directed.
Worship should be a place where insiders can be convicted, and outsiders can be converted.
(concerning 14:26) Imagine coming to a church where everybody has something to say…You’re not getting out of there in an hour!
You don’t impress people into the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 13

2007-07-14T11:45:00.001-05:00

Ben Witherington quotes prompted by a discussion of 1 Corinthians 13:

1 Corinthians 13 is not a text about marital love.
It’s about agape, something all Christians should share. It’s a way to exercise EVERY gift.
Verses 4-7 are thought to be a description of Jesus Himself. [4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.]
The spiritual gifts are given for us now. We’re not gonna need ‘em in the kingdom.
There is a big difference between lovingly confronting somebody and guilt-tripping them. Confront it lovingly, then trust. Otherwise, you’re a clanging gong or a noisy cymbal.
The Internet exacerbates our impatience. “I want it now!” Over the last 25 years, the tide of impatience has risen rapidly. Those who have loved me most in life have been the ones who have stuck by me, waiting for me to come around.
Patience is an essential quality for most kinds of ministry.
Only love will continue unabated into eternity.