Adam, where are you? In a series on the Bible's great questions, I must add this question to the list... because I've experienced both the pain of hiding and the joy of running home free. I know what it's like to be burdened by sin and secrets... and I know what it's like to celebrate God's forgiveness. Perhaps, you're hiding too, and if you are, you need to know that God is calling, Ollie, Ollie, all in free!"
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good... and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it...and gave some to her husband... and he ate it. Then, their eyes were opened and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves and made coverings for themselves. Then they heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees in the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid. And God said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" The man said, "The woman you put here with me- she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." (Genesis 3:6ff)
Recently, I took time to look through a pictorial from one of the church's I served. I do this every now and then because it allows me to reconnect with people I love. I look at a middle-aged couple who were happy at the time, but ever since the doctor's botched his surgery, the man can no longer speak or walk... and they both wonder why. There's also a picture of a younger couple with kids. They're both impressive, but soon after the picture was taken, they were in the midst of bankruptcy- and they left our church to find a place where they would be be fed spiritually. Finally, I looked at the picture of our church's youngest couple. They were part of our praise group, but Alex fell in love with a woman he met over the internet. So, he left for NYC, leaving his wife with a big hill to climb... and a lot of questions on her heart. There's a story behind every photo... because life is difficult, and because our journeys are burdened with sins. secrets, and a hundred little deaths.
Someone said that we are "as sick as our secrets," and I believe it. We are also as sick as our sins because unconfessed sin is a cancer of the soul. Indeed, sin always keeps us longer than we wanted to stay and costs us more than we wanted to pay. Thus, crippled by fears, secrets, sin, and the burdens of life... we hide! We hide from our God. We hide from our family and friends, and we hide from our own best selves. Accepting the lies that our culture tells, we come to believe that people won't love us if they knew us... so we wear a thousand different masks and tell them what they want to hear. Of course, the burdens of living dishonestly are too much for us, and we lose ourselves entirely. To be like God, we play God... only to discover that we are naked... and so we hide!
A lesser god would let us sleep in the bed that we've made... but our God calls to us, "Kenn, Jim, Bob, where are you?" Our God walks among us with compassion in his heart. "Come," He says, "You who have no money- come buy, eat- free of charge... from the bread of life and the cup of salvation." A lesser god would've given us over to our sins, but through his Son's death and resurrection, God calls, "Ollie, Ollie, all in free." "Ollie, Ollie, all in free. Kenn, Judy, Ann, come out from your hiding... and run home to me!"
"Kenn," he said to me when I was killing myself with sin and drinks, "Where are you?" "I'm hiding over here," I replied, "I'm tired from running, exhausted from wearing so many masks, and I am very afraid of being found... because I am naked." I figured that I was a goner, that hiding would be a way of life for me... but then I hear his voice, softly at first and then more loudly, "OLLIE, OLLIE, ALL IN FREE. COME ON IN. COME AND EAT THE BREAD OF LIFE. COME AND DRINK THE WATER OF LIFE. COME AS YOU ARE, GOD CRIED... AND WITH TEARS IN MY EYES... I CAME!
PK IN SWEDEN
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Monday, December 21, 2015
WHOM SHALL I SEND?
Isaiah 6:1ff... In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord (and I cried) woe is me... for I am a man of unclean lips. The Lord touched my lips and took my guilt away, and then I heard him say, "Whom shall I send! And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"
In the Presbyterian Church, we nominate, elect, ordain, and install ruling elders (presbyters) every year, and we do that at a special worship service which frequently features the text of Isaiah 6... and the song, "Is It I, Lord?" These ordination services are designed to focus on each elder's personal responsibility to answer God's call in his or her own life... but we are all called to serve God- each one of us- with our own God-given talents and gifts! There are no exceptions! God calls to each one of us- whom shall I send to proclaim my word. teach my truths, love my disciples, invite their neighbors, feed the hungry, visit the sick and the lonely, listen to voices long silenced, liberate those who are shut-in, shut-out, shut-down, and shut-away, stand up for justice, sing my songs? There are no exceptions. Each one of you is invited to minister for your God, and He awaits your answer! Will it be "yes" or "no?"
Most of us will say "no" because the cost of serving God will seem too high. We would rather watch than get involved. We would rather visit that join. We would rather stay home than attend or teach a Bible Study class... or sing in the choir... or clean the sanctuary on Monday morning. Most of us will say "no" to God's call because saying "yes" would be inconvenient for us. We may be willing to write a check or two. but we really don't want to actually feed the poor or visit the sick. Giving, too, is a substantial service to God, but if we are asked to give sacrificially, most of us will find a way of saying "no." Most of us would rather attend church than follow Christ as a cross-carrying disciple. This is the way it is, the way it's always been, and most likely, the way it will be in the future.
But every now and then... God will invite someone to preach to a people who won't listen, teach to a people who refuse to learn, invite a people who won't show up, and love a people who won't love us in return. Every now and then, God will invite someone to do a thankless job and to do it for a lifetime... and that man or woman will say "yes!" There are people- I've known a few- who raise their hands and say, "SEND ME!" These are those who believe that they will save their lives by losing them for God's... and they are those who will one day... be with their God forever and ever.
There are many great questions in the Bible, but few of them are more important than this one because it separates the "sheep from the goats." It is my prayer that you will raise your hand and say, "Send me." It is my prayer that you will experience the freedom and the joy that surrender brings. Vow this day to give the Lord a hand- not by applauding as he walks by- but by journeying with Him as he walks along the narrow way. Choose this day to serve. Listen to your own life story, listen to your passions and your tears, consider what God has laid on your heart and what talents He has give to you... AND RAISE YOUR HAND! Raise your hand and shout it out, "HERE I AM, LORD. SEND ME!"
In the Presbyterian Church, we nominate, elect, ordain, and install ruling elders (presbyters) every year, and we do that at a special worship service which frequently features the text of Isaiah 6... and the song, "Is It I, Lord?" These ordination services are designed to focus on each elder's personal responsibility to answer God's call in his or her own life... but we are all called to serve God- each one of us- with our own God-given talents and gifts! There are no exceptions! God calls to each one of us- whom shall I send to proclaim my word. teach my truths, love my disciples, invite their neighbors, feed the hungry, visit the sick and the lonely, listen to voices long silenced, liberate those who are shut-in, shut-out, shut-down, and shut-away, stand up for justice, sing my songs? There are no exceptions. Each one of you is invited to minister for your God, and He awaits your answer! Will it be "yes" or "no?"
Most of us will say "no" because the cost of serving God will seem too high. We would rather watch than get involved. We would rather visit that join. We would rather stay home than attend or teach a Bible Study class... or sing in the choir... or clean the sanctuary on Monday morning. Most of us will say "no" to God's call because saying "yes" would be inconvenient for us. We may be willing to write a check or two. but we really don't want to actually feed the poor or visit the sick. Giving, too, is a substantial service to God, but if we are asked to give sacrificially, most of us will find a way of saying "no." Most of us would rather attend church than follow Christ as a cross-carrying disciple. This is the way it is, the way it's always been, and most likely, the way it will be in the future.
But every now and then... God will invite someone to preach to a people who won't listen, teach to a people who refuse to learn, invite a people who won't show up, and love a people who won't love us in return. Every now and then, God will invite someone to do a thankless job and to do it for a lifetime... and that man or woman will say "yes!" There are people- I've known a few- who raise their hands and say, "SEND ME!" These are those who believe that they will save their lives by losing them for God's... and they are those who will one day... be with their God forever and ever.
There are many great questions in the Bible, but few of them are more important than this one because it separates the "sheep from the goats." It is my prayer that you will raise your hand and say, "Send me." It is my prayer that you will experience the freedom and the joy that surrender brings. Vow this day to give the Lord a hand- not by applauding as he walks by- but by journeying with Him as he walks along the narrow way. Choose this day to serve. Listen to your own life story, listen to your passions and your tears, consider what God has laid on your heart and what talents He has give to you... AND RAISE YOUR HAND! Raise your hand and shout it out, "HERE I AM, LORD. SEND ME!"
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?
"Eli, Eli, lema sahachthani?" "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Ps. 22:1; Matt. 27:46)
In our ongoing discussion of the Bible's great questions, we now encounter one of its loneliest questions. It was first asked by David in the 22nd Psalm, when he was surrounded by enemies and treated like a worm. David, who had trusted in God since his birth, felt betrayed by a God who had promised him steadfast love... and he lifted his voice in a protest borne of desperation. The question- my God, why have you forsaken me- is not irreverent, and it doesn't betray a lack of faith because David knows that God will triumph in the end (read the rest of Psalm 22). But, in the midst of faith, the question does reveal the deep emptiness and the sense of unworthiness that accompany betrayal.
I loved you... and you left me for another. I trusted in you... and you betrayed my trust. I gave you keys to my home... and you took everything I had. I confided in you... and you broke our covenant. Who among us hasn't lifted his voice and cried, "Why have you forsaken me?" You, who I have loved so dearly- you, to whom I have stood so vulnerably- have betrayed me. You of all people! Yes, we know the pain of betrayal and we've come face-to-face with the overwhelming emptiness that fills us... when we are forsaken. Even if we continue to hope, perhaps even continue to believe, that our lover/trusted friend will save us in time, the pain of feeling abandoned cannot be contained.
Jesus lived out the 22nd Psalm in remarkable detail. He had trusted God his entire life. In fact, he was always within his Father's will. He was perfectly faithful and fully obedient, and he knew that his trust would lead him to Golgotha's Hill. He knew that, if he surrendered to his Father's plan, he would be scorned and abused. He knew that he would be "poured out like water," (Ps. 22:14) and his mouth would be "dried up like a potsherd," (vs. 15) precisely because he trusted in God. He knew this. He had prophesied it, and we should not take his question as a lack of faith. But IT IS a confession of deep pain- a pain that cannot be contained and should not be denied. Some people seem to think that people of faith should never cry out. They believe that crying out is a sign of weakness or disbelief... but it is not. It is an honest confession that there are times when God seems to be far away, and that we desperately need to see His face! It seems to me, then, that the question David and Jesus asked IS a statement of faith.
But it is also a very real and authentic expression of pain within the context of faith. Maybe those of us who expect everything to go our way ...have never trusted as deeply as David did. Perhaps, we've never surrendered enough to end up on Calvary's Hill.
In our ongoing discussion of the Bible's great questions, we now encounter one of its loneliest questions. It was first asked by David in the 22nd Psalm, when he was surrounded by enemies and treated like a worm. David, who had trusted in God since his birth, felt betrayed by a God who had promised him steadfast love... and he lifted his voice in a protest borne of desperation. The question- my God, why have you forsaken me- is not irreverent, and it doesn't betray a lack of faith because David knows that God will triumph in the end (read the rest of Psalm 22). But, in the midst of faith, the question does reveal the deep emptiness and the sense of unworthiness that accompany betrayal.
I loved you... and you left me for another. I trusted in you... and you betrayed my trust. I gave you keys to my home... and you took everything I had. I confided in you... and you broke our covenant. Who among us hasn't lifted his voice and cried, "Why have you forsaken me?" You, who I have loved so dearly- you, to whom I have stood so vulnerably- have betrayed me. You of all people! Yes, we know the pain of betrayal and we've come face-to-face with the overwhelming emptiness that fills us... when we are forsaken. Even if we continue to hope, perhaps even continue to believe, that our lover/trusted friend will save us in time, the pain of feeling abandoned cannot be contained.
Jesus lived out the 22nd Psalm in remarkable detail. He had trusted God his entire life. In fact, he was always within his Father's will. He was perfectly faithful and fully obedient, and he knew that his trust would lead him to Golgotha's Hill. He knew that, if he surrendered to his Father's plan, he would be scorned and abused. He knew that he would be "poured out like water," (Ps. 22:14) and his mouth would be "dried up like a potsherd," (vs. 15) precisely because he trusted in God. He knew this. He had prophesied it, and we should not take his question as a lack of faith. But IT IS a confession of deep pain- a pain that cannot be contained and should not be denied. Some people seem to think that people of faith should never cry out. They believe that crying out is a sign of weakness or disbelief... but it is not. It is an honest confession that there are times when God seems to be far away, and that we desperately need to see His face! It seems to me, then, that the question David and Jesus asked IS a statement of faith.
But it is also a very real and authentic expression of pain within the context of faith. Maybe those of us who expect everything to go our way ...have never trusted as deeply as David did. Perhaps, we've never surrendered enough to end up on Calvary's Hill.
Sunday, December 13, 2015
THANKS TO SPPC MEMBERS- WE WILL NEVER FORGET YOU
Well, Sherry, Buffy, and I are now settled in the Chicago area. As you may know, we were blessed to sell our home in RI at full list price, in a last-minute transaction that even our realtor called "divine intervention." We have also been blessed with a wonderful place to live and we had a great Thanksgiving with our family in New York.
God has been very good to us, and it looks like I may have found a church... where the songs are singable and the sermons are short. Things are good... but we miss you and thank you from the bottom of our hearts. I miss seeing your smiling faces and I miss both of our Bible Studies and both of our Men's Groups. I miss the kids on Sunday mornings and I will miss not being with the Thompsons this Christmas eve. I miss many things, except for the meetings, but the point of this brief letter is not to lament about what I miss... but to thank you all.
I want to thank each one of you who gave us cards and/or gifts at either one/both of my retirement parties. All of them were thoughtful and many of them were most generous. I want to thank those who opened their homes to Sherry and me- some of you on many occasions- and I want to thank those who have contacted us after I retired and even after we've moved to Plainfield, I want to thank each member of our Session for their support, leadership, and commitment to the church. I also want to thank every member of the church staff and most particularly, Donna Reedy, for doing her work with excellence and faith!
We have been overwhelmed with leaving, moving, and resettling, and I confess that I am not the best at writing thank-you notes. However, even though I served bigger churches along the way, I am convinced that my time at SPPC was the best time of my ministry! You gave me the opportunity to love and lead, to teach and minister, to baptize and bury, and to know and be known, as we worked, planned, and played together. You gave me the opportunity to serve Christ in your midst and what is more- you supported me as I did. No man could ask for more!
I have every confidence that you will continue to serve our Risen Lord with energy and grace, and I know that He will bless you when you do. I served SPPC for seven years, and as anyone in "my" Bible Studies would know, seven is a very good number! May our Lord bless you richly- collectively and individually- and may He be ever so present to you this Christmas! Sherry and I will never forget you and we thank you in ways that words really can't express.
Remember to speak the truth in love,
pk and Sherry
God has been very good to us, and it looks like I may have found a church... where the songs are singable and the sermons are short. Things are good... but we miss you and thank you from the bottom of our hearts. I miss seeing your smiling faces and I miss both of our Bible Studies and both of our Men's Groups. I miss the kids on Sunday mornings and I will miss not being with the Thompsons this Christmas eve. I miss many things, except for the meetings, but the point of this brief letter is not to lament about what I miss... but to thank you all.
I want to thank each one of you who gave us cards and/or gifts at either one/both of my retirement parties. All of them were thoughtful and many of them were most generous. I want to thank those who opened their homes to Sherry and me- some of you on many occasions- and I want to thank those who have contacted us after I retired and even after we've moved to Plainfield, I want to thank each member of our Session for their support, leadership, and commitment to the church. I also want to thank every member of the church staff and most particularly, Donna Reedy, for doing her work with excellence and faith!
We have been overwhelmed with leaving, moving, and resettling, and I confess that I am not the best at writing thank-you notes. However, even though I served bigger churches along the way, I am convinced that my time at SPPC was the best time of my ministry! You gave me the opportunity to love and lead, to teach and minister, to baptize and bury, and to know and be known, as we worked, planned, and played together. You gave me the opportunity to serve Christ in your midst and what is more- you supported me as I did. No man could ask for more!
I have every confidence that you will continue to serve our Risen Lord with energy and grace, and I know that He will bless you when you do. I served SPPC for seven years, and as anyone in "my" Bible Studies would know, seven is a very good number! May our Lord bless you richly- collectively and individually- and may He be ever so present to you this Christmas! Sherry and I will never forget you and we thank you in ways that words really can't express.
Remember to speak the truth in love,
pk and Sherry
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Who am I that you would care about me?
Many of you know the 8th Psalm. Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name! When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place... what is humankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?
Yes, it is true. As Christians, we believe that we have an awesome God. Scientists suggest that we are fortunate products of an impersonal selection process, and they further maintain that our inspiring moon, our magnificent mountains, and our majestic waters are simply the product of natural forces. But our faith calls us to see something much greater than this. Our faith invites us to see God's hand in every lovely thing, and with eyes of faith, our hearts leap for joy... when we take in all that God has made. People ask, "how can we explain the beauty of our world," but people of faith fall to their knees and praise God for the work of His hands.
People without faith are blind to God's work in and for the world... but even people of faith... often struggle with David's question: O God, what are we that you would consider us? Who am I that you would care about me? O Lord, I am embarrassed to pray for myself because I am so small and my life is so insignificant! Can it be that you really care if my heart is breaking today, that I am lonely tonight, or that I have a big interview tomorrow? Do any of my concerns rise to your level, O Lord? How can it be? How can the God of creation care about one of his creatures, and how can the God of all people care about each one of us?
I can understand a God who is to big to be known, but it's a hard to fathom a God who knows my name! But it is true. God has created us and called us to be his people. He has a plan for each one of us, and he listens to our joys and concerns (as any good father would). We may receive mail marked "occupant," and we may be called by a number as we queue up. Our neighbors may not know our name... but God does! This is the great truth of it. God DOES care for you... and even for me! God DOES watch over us and God DOES hear our prayers! God is not too big to notice us... but he is big enough to cheer us on, cry for us... and even die for us!
In my view, struggling with the question: O God, who am I that you would be mindful of me? leads us to a peace that passes all understanding... and to a confidence that the world will never be able to squelch. Amen.
Yes, it is true. As Christians, we believe that we have an awesome God. Scientists suggest that we are fortunate products of an impersonal selection process, and they further maintain that our inspiring moon, our magnificent mountains, and our majestic waters are simply the product of natural forces. But our faith calls us to see something much greater than this. Our faith invites us to see God's hand in every lovely thing, and with eyes of faith, our hearts leap for joy... when we take in all that God has made. People ask, "how can we explain the beauty of our world," but people of faith fall to their knees and praise God for the work of His hands.
People without faith are blind to God's work in and for the world... but even people of faith... often struggle with David's question: O God, what are we that you would consider us? Who am I that you would care about me? O Lord, I am embarrassed to pray for myself because I am so small and my life is so insignificant! Can it be that you really care if my heart is breaking today, that I am lonely tonight, or that I have a big interview tomorrow? Do any of my concerns rise to your level, O Lord? How can it be? How can the God of creation care about one of his creatures, and how can the God of all people care about each one of us?
I can understand a God who is to big to be known, but it's a hard to fathom a God who knows my name! But it is true. God has created us and called us to be his people. He has a plan for each one of us, and he listens to our joys and concerns (as any good father would). We may receive mail marked "occupant," and we may be called by a number as we queue up. Our neighbors may not know our name... but God does! This is the great truth of it. God DOES care for you... and even for me! God DOES watch over us and God DOES hear our prayers! God is not too big to notice us... but he is big enough to cheer us on, cry for us... and even die for us!
In my view, struggling with the question: O God, who am I that you would be mindful of me? leads us to a peace that passes all understanding... and to a confidence that the world will never be able to squelch. Amen.
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
ARE WE SPOKES ON THE SAME WHEEL?
Many years ago, while I lived in Omaha, I shared a meal with a good friend from AA and my pastor from the Reformed Church in America. Pastor Lu met us to talk about matters of faith, and somewhere during the luncheon, my friend stated that all faiths were pretty much the same. He said that we were all headed in the same direction, and that... when you get right down to it, our religions are all spokes on the same wheel. In the same time period, another friend of mine- a work associate- was with me on a business trip when we noticed a large billboard with the words, "JESUS DIED FOR YOU!" It was am awkward moment because my friend (like many of my other friends) was Jewish... but finally, he observed that "it doesn't matter what you believe just as long as you believe something."
Both of these comments beckoned for inclusion, and as a Sociology student in college, I applaud inclusion. Both comments called for tolerance in a world where sharp lines of intolerance are often drawn, and both comments embrace the truth that most of the world's great religions have embraced some form of the golden rule. I agree with this point. I get it, and acknowledge that- to the extent that they call for more concern about our neighbor and a kinder, gentler self- our great religions are in agreement. However... this does NOT mean that they are spokes on the same wheel... and I doubt if many of their own adherents would agree with that statement. Hindu's believe in karma, reincarnation, and a quest for liberation; Buddhists believe in living disciplined lives of moderation until they experience enlightenment; Muslims believe in salvation through faithfulness and jihad; and Christians believe they are saved by accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Yes, it's true that most faiths teach righteousness, but they interpret this in very different ways. Some religions focus on the individual and repentance. Others focus on the community and the need to keep it unsoiled. Some faiths are preoccupied with guilt- others are more concerned with honor. Some religions are sure that money is incompatible with a life of faith, while others seem to be much less concerned with wealth. Jesus said that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Light... but that is certainly a statement, with which other "spokes on the wheel" (and even many Christians) would disagree.
In short, we are not part of the same theological wheel, and I think we would do more justice to our faith... and to our neighbor's faith... if we honored our differences in love! To my Christian friends, I say "Merry Christmas" because it is Christmas, and to my many Jewish friends, I say, "Happy Hanukkah" because it is Hanukkah. It seems to me that, rather than pretending that it doesn't matter what we and others believe, it is far better to acknowledge what our neighbors' believe and to let them know what we believe... because what we believe DOES matter. Indeed, in the end, it may be the only thing that does!
Both of these comments beckoned for inclusion, and as a Sociology student in college, I applaud inclusion. Both comments called for tolerance in a world where sharp lines of intolerance are often drawn, and both comments embrace the truth that most of the world's great religions have embraced some form of the golden rule. I agree with this point. I get it, and acknowledge that- to the extent that they call for more concern about our neighbor and a kinder, gentler self- our great religions are in agreement. However... this does NOT mean that they are spokes on the same wheel... and I doubt if many of their own adherents would agree with that statement. Hindu's believe in karma, reincarnation, and a quest for liberation; Buddhists believe in living disciplined lives of moderation until they experience enlightenment; Muslims believe in salvation through faithfulness and jihad; and Christians believe they are saved by accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Yes, it's true that most faiths teach righteousness, but they interpret this in very different ways. Some religions focus on the individual and repentance. Others focus on the community and the need to keep it unsoiled. Some faiths are preoccupied with guilt- others are more concerned with honor. Some religions are sure that money is incompatible with a life of faith, while others seem to be much less concerned with wealth. Jesus said that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Light... but that is certainly a statement, with which other "spokes on the wheel" (and even many Christians) would disagree.
In short, we are not part of the same theological wheel, and I think we would do more justice to our faith... and to our neighbor's faith... if we honored our differences in love! To my Christian friends, I say "Merry Christmas" because it is Christmas, and to my many Jewish friends, I say, "Happy Hanukkah" because it is Hanukkah. It seems to me that, rather than pretending that it doesn't matter what we and others believe, it is far better to acknowledge what our neighbors' believe and to let them know what we believe... because what we believe DOES matter. Indeed, in the end, it may be the only thing that does!
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
WHY HAS ALL OF THIS HAPPENED TO US?
When an angel of God approached Gideon, he hailed him as a mighty warrior who had found favor with God. In response, Gideon questioned how God could be with him and his people when they were being oppressed by the Midianites. Expecting things to go our way is a common thing... but it is NOT a substitute for faith! It is a good thing when we are free to express ourselves to God... but it is a greater thing to trust him in all circumstances. Our passage is based on the 6th chapter of Judges and it invites all of us to put ourselves in Gideon's shoes.
Some people go to church to earn God's favor. They believe that good things will happen to them if they do good things for God. If they invest in good deeds and hang out with good people, they expect health and wealth to come their way. Rather than being unabashed acts of love, their acts of charity are more akin to insurance premiums. They expect to be blessed for blessing others, and this perspective in hardly new. Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:9-11) asked God to "expand his territory" because he had been obedient, and Job's friends were absolutely convinced that misfortune came his way because he had sinned. Indeed, when a number of Galileans were killed in an accident, Jesus' disciples asked, "Who sinned? These men or their parents?" (John 9:2ff) Their reasoning was simple: if God is pleased with us, God will bless us. If we have found favor with God, we will have a lot of friends and a lot of money. If we are faithful, we will have a happy marriage and a long life!
It all seems logical and it's easy to live a life of faith if things are going our way. It's easy to preach about all things being possible if all things have come to us. It's easy to claim that we are God's "chosen people" when everything is going our way... but what happens when the bottom falls out? What happens to our faith when we're hanging on a cross? What happens when we're told that we have stage 4 cancer? What happens to our faith when we bury our children... or lose our jobs... or watch our loved ones die? It was hard for the Hebrews to see how they could be God's chosen people when they were exiled in Babylon... and it was hard for the Jews to see how they were chosen when they were being slaughtered in Hitler's concentration camps! Likewise, it was hard for the Israelites to believe that they were living in the "promised land" when they were being suppressed by the Midianites. After Joshua died and before Saul was anointed King, Israel was a tribal people without an appointed or elected leader. They were decentralized and it was common for neighboring countries to wage war and oppress some of their tribes. Thus, the promised land was not all that it was promised to be, which is why an angel (messenger) of the Lord found Gideon threshing wheat in a winepress, for fear of the Midianites. (Judges 6:11ff) Hey, Gideon, the angel said, "the Lord is with you, might warrior." Oh really? Gideon was not so sure, and he spoke his mind- "if the Lord is with us, why has all of this happened to us?" (6:13) In fact, Gideon went on, it seems more like the "Lord has now abandoned us and given us into the hands of Midian." (Judges 6:13)
Well, Gideon asked more questions of the angel, but in the end, he trusted God and defeated the Midianites. We've already noted (in a previous blog) that God can do anything, and I have no doubts about this at all. However, Gideon's question is our question. It is every defeated, broken, frightened and disappointed person's question... and it is an important question because it forces us to deal with the true meaning of faith... which is living AS IF God's promises are true. Faith is CHOOSING to believe in all circumstances and trusting God in all things. God does not attempt to explain His actions to us, but he does invite us to trust Him each day. God does not rationalize his decisions, but he expects us to embrace his will.
Over the years, I've come to these conclusions: 1) People who base their "faith" on their circumstances in life... will surely lose it; 2) Surrender, and only surrender, sets us free... from worrying if God is doing his part or not; 3) honest doubt often leads to great faith (remember Thomas). Doubt is not the opposite of belief- disbelief is- but nursing our doubts will keep us from making the life-changing commitments we need to make. Gideon was right, of course. It doesn't look like you're a mighty warrior when you're hiding in a winepress, and Gideon's question is legion. Who, among us, hasn't heard... and said, "Why me?" God has heard it too... and he can handle it. He has heard "why me," and "it's not fair," again and again and again... and he knows that many of us see our relationship with him as some sort of a "deal." Still, he invites us to free ourselves from circumstance. Still, he invites us to trust and obey. Still, he invites us to live as a chosen and saved people. Amen.
Some people go to church to earn God's favor. They believe that good things will happen to them if they do good things for God. If they invest in good deeds and hang out with good people, they expect health and wealth to come their way. Rather than being unabashed acts of love, their acts of charity are more akin to insurance premiums. They expect to be blessed for blessing others, and this perspective in hardly new. Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:9-11) asked God to "expand his territory" because he had been obedient, and Job's friends were absolutely convinced that misfortune came his way because he had sinned. Indeed, when a number of Galileans were killed in an accident, Jesus' disciples asked, "Who sinned? These men or their parents?" (John 9:2ff) Their reasoning was simple: if God is pleased with us, God will bless us. If we have found favor with God, we will have a lot of friends and a lot of money. If we are faithful, we will have a happy marriage and a long life!
It all seems logical and it's easy to live a life of faith if things are going our way. It's easy to preach about all things being possible if all things have come to us. It's easy to claim that we are God's "chosen people" when everything is going our way... but what happens when the bottom falls out? What happens to our faith when we're hanging on a cross? What happens when we're told that we have stage 4 cancer? What happens to our faith when we bury our children... or lose our jobs... or watch our loved ones die? It was hard for the Hebrews to see how they could be God's chosen people when they were exiled in Babylon... and it was hard for the Jews to see how they were chosen when they were being slaughtered in Hitler's concentration camps! Likewise, it was hard for the Israelites to believe that they were living in the "promised land" when they were being suppressed by the Midianites. After Joshua died and before Saul was anointed King, Israel was a tribal people without an appointed or elected leader. They were decentralized and it was common for neighboring countries to wage war and oppress some of their tribes. Thus, the promised land was not all that it was promised to be, which is why an angel (messenger) of the Lord found Gideon threshing wheat in a winepress, for fear of the Midianites. (Judges 6:11ff) Hey, Gideon, the angel said, "the Lord is with you, might warrior." Oh really? Gideon was not so sure, and he spoke his mind- "if the Lord is with us, why has all of this happened to us?" (6:13) In fact, Gideon went on, it seems more like the "Lord has now abandoned us and given us into the hands of Midian." (Judges 6:13)
Well, Gideon asked more questions of the angel, but in the end, he trusted God and defeated the Midianites. We've already noted (in a previous blog) that God can do anything, and I have no doubts about this at all. However, Gideon's question is our question. It is every defeated, broken, frightened and disappointed person's question... and it is an important question because it forces us to deal with the true meaning of faith... which is living AS IF God's promises are true. Faith is CHOOSING to believe in all circumstances and trusting God in all things. God does not attempt to explain His actions to us, but he does invite us to trust Him each day. God does not rationalize his decisions, but he expects us to embrace his will.
Over the years, I've come to these conclusions: 1) People who base their "faith" on their circumstances in life... will surely lose it; 2) Surrender, and only surrender, sets us free... from worrying if God is doing his part or not; 3) honest doubt often leads to great faith (remember Thomas). Doubt is not the opposite of belief- disbelief is- but nursing our doubts will keep us from making the life-changing commitments we need to make. Gideon was right, of course. It doesn't look like you're a mighty warrior when you're hiding in a winepress, and Gideon's question is legion. Who, among us, hasn't heard... and said, "Why me?" God has heard it too... and he can handle it. He has heard "why me," and "it's not fair," again and again and again... and he knows that many of us see our relationship with him as some sort of a "deal." Still, he invites us to free ourselves from circumstance. Still, he invites us to trust and obey. Still, he invites us to live as a chosen and saved people. Amen.
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