Giving Directions

2Timothy 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Walk the Line

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

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

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

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

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

Colossians 2-3
Freedom From Human Rules

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

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

Living as Those Made Alive in Christ

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

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

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

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

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

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

Knowing When to Leave

Moses Given Powers

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

Aaron to Be Moses' Mouthpiece

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keep Things Simple

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

Hebrews 12

Keeping focus on what matters

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to live with others

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keep your eyes on the road.....

Who is in Control Here?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dinner Amongst the Dysfunctional

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Simplify, Simplify!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Making the Wrong Turn Right

One of the big questions for us in Midian is whether or not we are "good people." In the banal drudgery of the everyday, we often make choices for a variety of reasons. Sometimes we fork left because it is the "right thing to do;" other times we fork right because "it's just not worth it." Indeed, if character is defined by the choices we make, then the population of Midian is an incredibly mixed bunch with a pretty unpredictable morality.

In Midian, there are a lot of "virtues" to choose from...and many of them are in opposition to one another. Sometimes passive humility is a virtuous response; other times speaking up with strong devotion is the best way to go. Sometimes caring support is needed, other times, people require "tough love." Stuart Hampshire, in his Two Theories of Morality (Oxford University Press, 1977), states that:

The ways of life which men aspire to and admire and wish to enjoy are normally a balance between, and combination of, disparate elements; and this is so, partly, because human beings are not so constructed that they have just one overriding concern or end, or even a few overriding desires or interests. They find themselves trying to reconcile, and to assign priorities to widely different and diverging and changing concerns and interests, both within the single life of an individual, and within a single society.

What this means, of course, is that we're all guilty, to some degree, of moral relativism. Even those who stoically focus on the "virtuous life" are bound to be caught up in hypocrisy eventually. Jesus notes this tendency when he speaks to his followers about the Pharisees:

Matt 23:1-6

1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. 4 "They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. 5 "But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. 6 "They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men.

The Pharisees suffered from a particularly vicious error in judgment; they were so committed to the letter of the Law that they refused to take a step back and see other peoples' needs, as well as their own weaknesses. Jesus convicts them of being incredibly well-educated on virtues, but, simultaneously being of extraordinarily weak character. Knowledge of, and concentration on, virtues does no good if one does not possess character. Stanley Hauerwas, one of the great modern Christian ethicists, notes this requirement in his The Christian Life, namely that:

"..we often find ourselves involved in ways of life that require that certain virtues go undeveloped or be essentially transformed. We cannot depend on "the virtues" to provide us with a [self-sufficience necessary] to give us the ability to claim our actions as our own. Rather, virtues finally depend on our character for direction, not vice-versa."

As we clumsily strive to live up to a set of virtues, we have to realize that this struggle to conquer our personal demons and hypocrisy builds character. Even when we fail to live in a way that makes us proud, those failures can become building blocks in the foundation of our character. When we ignore those conflicts and just "go along" with whatever society or particular people tell us is correct, though, we corrode that foundation and make it even more difficult to live a virtuous life.

God gave us the gift of self-awareness so that we could take a step back and examine our lives and the choices we are making. Ultimately, developing a code of "do's" and "do-not's" is not nearly as important as growing from the ethical conflicts in our lives. Of course, He has also given us the Holy Spirit so that we might not have to go through these conflicts alone.

As Christ continues to mold us in Midian, we can't disengage from the necessary ethical choices we must make; but, we also can't lose hope when we fail to live a perfect life.

Different Strokes

Genesis 10:1-9
1 Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words. 2 It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly." And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. 4 They said, "Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth." 5 The LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 The LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. 7 "Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another's speech." 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.

Thre church I belong to really is a church of missionaries. The pastors and the core families in the church are all missionaries, and the church maintains a solid relationship with several missionary organizations. This is a special pleasure for me, largely because I have never felt particularly called to involvement in a foreign mission; but, have always admired those who have been called.

This week, the church begins its time of focusing on missions and trying to challenge the congregation to be more supportive (both financially, and in active participation). Part of the introductory sermon on such was an explanation of the Tower of Babel.

Most have heard the Tower of Babel story before (it is presented at the top of this blog); but, it is often misunderstood. For much of my life, I thought the point was always that this city had had such a feeling of self-righteousness that they had built a huge tower to celebrate themselves. I thought that God, sensing their lack of humility, had scattered them as a rebuke against their arrogance.

In fact, the core of the problem is stated in the fourth verse:

"let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth."

This particular verse shows man's attempt to abandon an earlier commandment that God had given to both Adam and to Noah; which, essentially said the same thing:

GEN 1:28
God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it

GEN 9:7:
Be fertile, and increase in number. Spread over the earth, and increase

God's commandment to both was to scatter their families and fill the Earth with different families, clans, and nations. The people at Babel, though, decided that they wanted to gather together...they wanted to have one culture, one community, and one understanding...they wanted to have a name that would identify all of them.
God disagreed, of course, and scattered them; this time, with the barrier of language to keep them apart.

This thread of scattering into different nations continues throughout the Bible. It finally terminates in the Book of Revelations, within the passage describing the New Jerusalem:

REV: 21:23-27
23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; 26 and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; 27 and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Thus, at the end of times, the nations will finally come back together and live in one city, the successful alternative to the failed attempt at the City of Babel. God will bring together what man could not.

The message has great meaning for world missions; but, the focus I want to take is how much meaning it should have for the Christian church. The Great Commission has charged us to go out "to the ends of the Earth," and make disciples of all people. It certainly seems within God's plan...in which he scattered us and gave us different languages... that the churches needed to fully accomplish that commission would have to be a bit different.

Different people, in different cultures and from different perspectives, reach Christ from different angles. This is incredibly frustrating for the Church (especially my beloved evangelical brand of churches). If we are different, many maintain, then one of us must be doing something wrong. How can we succeed if we are divided?

It is amazing how the similarities to Babel start to poke through this discussion. The fact that God has made many people Christian, yet, so different in many ways, is so incredibly frustrating...it isn't, frankly, what WE would have done. We would have made everyone the same, so that we could be sure that we were correct in what we say and do. . God, of course, has different plans....

When we struggle as a Church to deal with other Christian denominations and ministries, it might behoove us to think back to Babel before we try to fit everyone into the same neat package.

The Cornelius Factor

Acts 10:1-23:

1 Now there was a man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, "Cornelius!" 4 And fixing his gaze on him and being much alarmed, he said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5 "Now dispatch some men to Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter; 6 he is staying with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the sea." 7 When the angel who was speaking to him had left, he summoned two of his servants and a devout soldier of those who were his personal attendants, 8 and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
9 On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. 10 But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; 11 and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, 12 and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. 13 A voice came to him, "Get up, Peter, kill and eat!" 14 But Peter said, "By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean." 15 Again a voice came to him a second time, "What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy." 16 This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky.
17 Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon's house, appeared at the gate; 18 and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there. 19 While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 "But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself." 21 Peter went down to the men and said, "Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?" 22 They said, "Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was divinely directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear a message from you." 23 So he invited them in and gave them lodging.

I've been watching a lot of tv lately....I finally succombed to DVR syndrom (digital video recorder), in which I can press a button and instantly save lots of programming my life could probably stand to miss. There is still a bit of great programming on television..I try and catch it as much as I can (I am now, officially, a Sundance Channel slave); but, I don't just watch great tv..I also watch a lot of schlock.

A lot of people are making some interesting choices out there. With the onset of the writer's strike, television is even more bombarded with reality tv. Of course, the reality in reality tv is something so foreign as to be unrecognizeable. Its easy to look and cast judgement...I do it every day.....about 100 times a day when I catch Entertainment Tonight (thankfully, not often).

As I parse my world into two simple sets (the sane and the insane), it's helpful to remember the Cornelius story from Acts. Cornelius was one of them...a soldier in the occupying army; but, one who had earned a great deal of respect by paying homage to the Hebrew God and being fair in his dealings. He was still one of them, though...a Gentile.

The passage posted above shows Peter receiving a surprising dream which explodes some of his sensibilities. Peter, a committed Jew, is shown that principles which formed a easy barrier between believers and non-believers had evaporated according to God's will.

I want to be clear on something: it is beyond a stretch to say that Peter's dream made every possible pagan action ok for Christians...it is actually pretty specific to kosher eating principles.

That said, the important part of this passage, to me, was that Peter was surprised that God had Gentiles in His plan. If we trust the passage, then we must acknowledge that, until this moment, Peter did not believe that the Gentiles were part of God's plan, or, at the very least, that the Gentiles would have to abandon all non-Jewish aspects of their existence before they came to Christ. This argument would continue, later, at the Council of Jerusalem..and would be a factor in the splitting of Paul and Barnabas. But, before this revelation, Peter would have acknowledged Christ as really only coming to save Jews...not Gentiles.

Peter is butt-headed; but, he is not an idiot. He was one of the closest disciples to Jesus, and yet he missed the fact that Christ was coming to save the entire world, and not just the Jews.

I think we need to pay close attention to God's teachings, and do the very best we can to follow in His ways. That said, we should also be very very careful about assuming we know God's specific plan for acceptance and salvation....we don't.

God is still moving in the world.....

The Path Around the Simple

Jonah 3-4

Nineveh Repents

1 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you." 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days' walk. 4 Then Jonah began to go through the city one day's walk; and he cried out and said, "Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown."
5 Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. 6 When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes. 7 He issued a proclamation and it said, "In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water. 8 "But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands. 9 "Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish."
10 When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.

Jonah's Displeasure Rebuked

1 But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the LORD and said, "Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. 3 "Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life." 4 The LORD said, "Do you have good reason to be angry?"

It took Jonah a while to get to Nineveh...he didn't really want to go. He had heard the Word of God...Jonah knew it to be true...and he still ran away. Jonah fled in the opposite direction, in fact...and it would take being swallowed by a great fish to give him pause about fleeing anymore.

Jonah arrived in Nineveh...ready for a fight. He had been dispatched to one of the greatest cities in the world to yell at them for being evil, and to tell them that God was going to punish them...he was not expecting a warm welcome.

"God, why can't you just do it?"

Though those exact words aren't in the Bible, that certainly was the response that Jonah had to God's calling.

Eventually Jonah makes it to Nineveh...eventually Jonah carries God's message to the people. Jonah is prepared to endure the laughs, the spitting, the hatred. Jonah knows that this won't be pretty.

Imagine his surprise when, the population instantly repents, and is spared from the wrath of God.

Jonah is....pissed.

Having gone through what he went through (hello...eaten by a big fish???), the battle in Nineveh proved to be a cakewalk. While others would be thankful for the success of the mission, Jonah is just really annoyed.

"Why did I have to go through all this when they were already ready to repent?" "Why did you have to bother me when you could have done everything that I did in an instant?"
"What's the deal?"

Then, if that gigantic dose of whining isn't enough, Jonah places an exclamation point on it, "I'm just going to go off and die now."

One of the most frustrating things in life is realizing that things would have been so much easier, if you had just faced them head on. When you struggle against great odds, tough opposition, and even your own ignorance, it is hard to be told that the answer was really just in taking the right first step.

Finding out that the girl you had no chance with really thought you were cute in high school, seeing the people with that tough major in school doing much better than you in their careers, or finding your wallet in your pants pocket after you tore the house apart....all of them moments when we realize that time was wasted.

For many, answering God's call is similar. Some know they should be going to church, many know they should be feeding the homeless and clothing the poor; but, even for those in the know, there are a lot of great reasons to just push things off. There are other things to do....I'll get around to it.

The frustration for many who return to church communities(or a life of faith), is that they realize that they have ended up taking long, difficult paths through life...many times just because they couldn't be bothered to take the easy/right path that seemed a bit annoying at the time.

Often the path to Nineveh, even though it seems unwelcoming and uncomfortable, ends up being the easy road. The path around our calling and our conscience, more times than not, ends up being an easy first step followed by many more taken in lonliness and pain.

Like Jonah, many of us realize that the path we have taken was the wrong one...and that doing what was right would have been so much easier. The challenge is whether or not we allow that bitterness to keep us off the right path or, now having a better compass, get on the road we should have been on all along.

Trimming the Hedges

Mark 7:1-23

1 The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem, 2 and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders; 4 and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.) 5 The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?" 6 And He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:
BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.
7 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME,
TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'
8 "Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men."
9 He was also saying to them, "You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. 10 "For Moses said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER'; and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER, IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH'; 11 but you say, 'If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given to God),' 12 you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother; 13 thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that."

The Heart of Man

14 After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, "Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: 15 there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. 16 ["If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."]
17 When he had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable. 18 And He said to them, "Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, 19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?" (Thus He declared all foods clean.) 20 And He was saying, "That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. 21 "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. 23 "All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man."

Having lived in a bunch of places across the US, I know there are certain things you just don't do.

The challenge is, of course, that those things change depending on which particular place you find yourself....

I wouldn't think of wearing casual clothes to church in one place, wouldn't think of wearing formal clothes in the other. I wouldn't think of saying ma'am in one environment, would be careful to say it all the time in another.

Each individual subculture provides caveats and morays which aim to make a person more in line with the norm. Hedges are grown around the person so that he or she does not do something which injures the peace.

Of course, that palpable societal disgust can affect behavior in both positive and negative ways. The same culture that promotes honoring elders can also promote hating gays.

In Philadelphia, we are in the midst of a violent crime wave. While all of us are, in some way, affected; the crime wave really is isolated to only a few sections of the city. One exacerbation of the situation is the new cultural norm of not "snitchin'." This philosophy (and it is, unfortunately, a cultural norm now), teaches young and old alike that it is morally-better to let a murderer go free than to cooperate with police as a witness. It is a tragedy that, in this way, many are participating in their culture's own destruction.

Not surprisingly, these cultural norms also affect our religious lives. Back in school, a professor (also an Episcopalian priest) told a story about his time in Holland. While he was there, he would gather with several other members of the clergy at morning get-togethers. During some of these get-togethers, refreshments would be served....which, on one occasion, were shots of vodka and cigars.

When he refused these "refreshments," his colleagues looked at him with confusion, "why don't you enjoy? God's gifts are good?"

Later on, he discovered that, while vodka shots in the morning were kosher, the group would never allow anyone to play cards or encourage dancing.

The challenge that Christ puts before us is not that everything under the sun is moral if we want it to be. Instead, He teaches the disciples that moral behavior has to be the product of internal conviction, and not exterior obedience. Following the morays of a particular group or tradition are only so good as they edify and enhance your own internal connection to Christ and love for others.

Those who focus attention on avoiding wrong behavior, to the exclusion of being energized about loving behavior, have missed the point. The Good News is that we are no longer convicted by our inability to walk a perfectly straight line, as long as we look upon Him and believe. The evidence of that belief, and the response, is not measured reluctance; but, rather, an enthusiastic embrace of loving behavior, generosity of spirit, and dedication to connection.

Self-discipline is an important part of the walk; but, only in-so-much as it helps us focus on what is really important...away from the things of man and towards the will of God.

Hope in the Fire

Daniel 3:19-30..:

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with wrath, and his facial expression was altered toward Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. He answered by giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 He commanded certain valiant warriors who were in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego in order to cast them into the furnace of blazing fire. 21 Then these men were tied up in their trousers, their coats, their caps and their other clothes, and were cast into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. 22 For this reason, because the king's command was urgent and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. 23 But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up.
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up in haste; he said to his high officials, "Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?" They replied to the king, "Certainly, O king." 25 He said, "Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!" 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he responded and said, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the Most High God, and come here!" Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego came out of the midst of the fire. 27 The satraps, the prefects, the governors and the king's high officials gathered around and saw in regard to these men that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them.
28 Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king's command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 "Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way." 30 Then the king caused Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego to prosper in the province of Babylon.

Towering above the landscape of western LA is the majestic Getty museum...a treasure of culture, one of the greatest art museums in North America, if not the world. You really need an appointment to even get in to the Getty...and there are plenty of takers. It really is marvelous....

Near the Getty, though, is a smaller museum that is much less well-known. The Skirball Museum is a museum that celebrates Jewish life. It is filled with colorful displays of different aspects of culture...birth, marriage, occupation, celebration. It is, as much as any other museum, a total display about being ALIVE.

In the middle of the Skirball, is an exhibit that is out of place. While the museum is bright, this exhibit is dark. While the museum celebrates life, this holds the fear of death. While the Skirball is wide and open, this exhibit winds to a narrow halt in a space barely big enough for a few people.

The exhibit is eerie, it is impactful, it is painful, it is transcendent. It is also simple...it is a winding dark spiral that culminates with the picture of a young woman, obviously fearful, facing the horrors of the Holocaust.

In a short space, one unravels into the horror to end all horrors. Devoid of sensory images that have, until this exhibit, amused and beguiled, this lack of color, this lack of stimulation, is even starker. Yet, as you reach the end of the spiral, and face the portrait there with you, you can feel the fear of the person portrayed.

But…you are not alone…..

The spiritual crisis of the Holocaust is indescribable….Where was God amidst the horror? If God is truly all powerful, then where is He?

The testimony that comes out of the Holocaust, not unlike survivors from other horrors, is that God truly was there. Like the fourth person stepping into the fire with Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego…God is with us as we enter the fire.

Our greatest hope is not that God might keep us from trials and hurt…because, we know they will come. Our hope is that we do not have to face the fire alone, that He might be with us and help us endure. The hope in the fire is that horror, pain, and suffering, though they may be a very real part of this world, do not have the final say….and that the God of Heaven and Earth is not so distant as to be deaf to our prayers.

We worship Emmanuel, "God with us," because we know we are not alone…

Who do YOU say that I am?

Mark 8:27-33

27 Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, "Who do people say that I am?" 28 They told Him, saying, "John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; but others, one of the prophets." 29 And He continued by questioning them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered and said to Him, "You are the Christ." 30 And He warned them to tell no one about Him.
31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33 But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's."

This passage in Mark has some of the most interesting dialogue that Christ is recorded having with any disciple. The Disciple in question, of course, is Peter, and Jesus is taking the opportunity to find out what type of faith Peter really has. Almost like a Presidential candidate with his political staff, Jesus turns to the disciples and asks what the "polls" say. What do the common disciples really think about Him. Peter relates that facts that people are of different minds on the subject; but, Jesus then turns the conversation from a broad census into a personal test of faith.

"But, who do YOU say that I am?"

Peter's answer is immediate, "You are the Christ." Jesus, of course, tells him to keep this proclomation quiet.

After Peter's testament, it seems that his faith is no longer in question. Unbeknownst to him or the rest of the assembled disciples, though, the real faith test was to come immediately after.

Christ begins to tell the disciples about how Hes must suffer and die. Peter's response to this was personal anger. The Scripture does not record Peter questioning Jesus about this explanation, it does not record Peter sympathizing with Jesus' plight, it clearly states that Peter rebukes Jesus for what He has just stated. Peter corrects Jesus, because, He must have it all wrong! There is no way that He can be the Christ and have to suffer and die like He has just insisted He must.....Try again, Jesus, that story just won't work.

Jesus sees the disciples starting to mill about...they had obviously noticed the argument and were anxious to hear Jesus' response. Most of them probably felt as Peter did...there was simply no way He was going to die...NO way.

Christ takes the opportunity to teach the disciples in a very strong way...a forcible response that they would never forget.

"Get behind me, Satan!"

Said to Peter, the most loyal of the disciples who had just stated hi belief in Jesus' Divinity...this rebuke was as strong as any He could have made. Peter was speaking on behalf of the Enemy; he was alowing selfishness to cloud the will of God.

As the disciples (most of all, Peter) were recovering from this shock, Jesus imparts the greatest lesson of His ministry:

34 And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 35 "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. 36 "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37 "For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

Peter's whole notion of what a Christian is rocked to its foundation. In the next chapter of Mark, the narrative turns to Peter beholding the Transfiguration of Christ, alongside Moses and Elijah. It's clear that Peter still doesn't really get it (he asks if they should build tents/homes for all three of them on that spot, even though Jesus has explained where His road must take Him).

A lot of us have trouble getting it as well. Christianity is not about saying the right thing or making the story sound appealing. Christianity is about picking up our weaknesses, our hurt, our imperfections, and following Christ as best as we can. We love people we don't like, we minister to people who don't like us.

The true test of faith is not that we acknowledge Jesus with our mouths; but, instead, with our feet. Walking the path to Golgotha, leaning on our hope in God and accepting God's will above our own.

Not Qualified

Amos 1:1-4

1 The words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders from Tekoa, which he envisioned in visions concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
2 He said,
"The LORD roars from Zion
And from Jerusalem He utters His voice;
And the shepherds' pasture grounds mourn,
And the summit of Carmel dries up."
3 Thus says the LORD,
"For three transgressions of Damascus and for four
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they threshed Gilead with implements of sharp iron.
4 "So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael
And it will consume the citadels of Ben-hadad.

"Now, let me get this straight, there's a sheep herder outside... a sheep herder from JUDAH, no less?"

"Yes sir; but, he says he is a prophet of God."

"Oh, REALLY? So he was lying about with his sheep and suddenly felt the urge to prophesy the destruction of our country and the sinfulness of our king...here in Bethel, one of the holiest places in the universe?"

"He also tends to sycamore trees, sir."

"Great.....sheep and trees, then.."

"Yes sir...that's what it seems."

"Tell him it might be healthier for him if he were to go back to Judah....very quickly...make that, RIGHT NOW."

There are few more compelling figures in the First Testament than the sheep herder turned prophet, Amos. Amos comes from the land of Judea to preach the destruction of the northern kingdom to Israel. While this, in and of itself, is enough to remember him by, Amos is also memorable for several other reasons.

Amos, to absolutley no one's surprise, is not a professional prophet. There would have been many "prophets" who grew rich flattering the ruling class; but, Amos was one who came from nothing, and nowhere in-particular, to shake the very foundation of Israel.

Amos is also the first prophet to record his own words. Pressured, almost immediately, to leave the northern kingdom by the authorities in Bethel, Amos is able to continue his prophetic impact through the writings he has created.

Amos is another in the long list of unqualified hodge-podge that God uses to bring his message to the powerful. When Amos showed up, as maddening as it must have been to the authorities, it also must have seemed a bit ridiculous.

"But, he doesn't even look like a prophet!"

Sure enough, though, the prophesies of Amos came to pass, and Amos is remembered as a powerful prophet instead of as a simple shepherd. His words, from a literary perspective, are sophisticated, powerful, and well constructed...all of the things you wouldn't expect from him. Perhaps that is one of the reasons that the message proved so powerful; because it came from someone so unqualified.

Sometimes, as we lurch abut the daily grind in Midian, we receive the opportunity/challenge to hear a message from one who is not qualified to express it. Almost always, this is very annoying...just..so...tedious. Some other times, we are pulled to provide a message, even though we know that we are not qualified. If we speak up at those times, we will probably be ridiculed.

The strong temptation is to either silence the one speaking out of turn, or to "mind our place," when others speak. In such situations, it might be helpful to remember Amos... and that the Lord's understanding of qualifications differs a bit from our own.

Sometimes the unqualified are the ones we should be listening to....as God has a tendency to use them for everything He wishes to say.