A Flickering Light In The Darkness

I had one response, yesterday, to my wonder on knowing God.  

“I know God as the light that flickered in the darkness of my depression.”

I didn’t quote her words specifically.  So I hope you get the point.  

She didn't try to define who God is; just that she knows him through her experience of His presence.  

I was grateful for her willingness to enter my mental conversation.

So here is another intellectual wondering.  “The eye of the storm.”

The sentence, in Ted Loder’s prayer, is a request: 

“I want peace;

show me the eye of the storm.”

        

And the question I asked, on this stormy mid-west day, is: What does that mean?  

Here is what I learned:

The eye of the storm is “the calm,” “the center,”  surrounded on all sides by turbulent cycles of wind.

Some weeks ago I wrote about Jesus leadership style as “a non-anxious presence.”  — the calming presence in the midst of the not-so-calm.

That would be the flashes of light the person felt in her depression.  A calming presence in her emotional crisis.

It seems to me that if we could just be satisfied with the light of Christ/God. The  calming, reassuring presence, that the light brings into our live; then maybe the stormy winds of interpretation, of God’s Word, would be more peace-filled.

Unfortunately, there are many in the world who have learned to understand God as a God of judgment; rather than a God of gracious assurance.  

You have heard me too often on that subject.

No more said about that.

The God/Jesus I know is indeed a calming and loving presence in our lives and in our world.

Who Is God Really?

This is what I am wondering this morning:  

Will it ever be possible for the human mind to finally stop trying to define God? 

Is it possible for our, overly intellectual, minds to finally admit that God cannot be put in a box and tied with pretty ribbons?  

Will there come a day when we all stand together and wave the white flag of surrender?   Realizing that even attempting to define God defeats the purpose all together.  

Can we come to the conclusion that trying to color God, inside the guidelines of our simple minds, spoils the glory of omnipotence and all knowingness of God?

After all, if we could accurately describe God that would mean that God is the same as you and I.  

So there would be no need for a Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.(Is. 9)

Tell me honestly.  What do we truly know, for sure, about God?

Anyone want to jump into the conversation?

What Wins, Grace or Fear?

Okay, I said I would write more about fear.  But my mind is arguing with itself about, at lease, two other points of interest this morning. So allow me to do a bit of  figure-eight thinking hear.  

My mind is still on the topic of fear.  It is also on the up coming celebration of our American freedom on the 4th of July. 

In the mix is my sermon preparation for this Sunday — June 30th.  Where I will be Talking about freedom.  More specially what the Apostle Paul is writing about in Galatians 5.  And how fear and freedom have gotten mixed up in the minds of God’s children.

What I am thinking is that the behavior, beliefs, and opinions, being displayed among the Galatians; is limiting their freedom.  And attempting to limit the freedom of others; because they are holding tight to the old laws and rules of the Jewish faith.  Only thinking of what is considered ‘proper'; and leaving out the teachings of Jesus.

In other words, they are acting out of fear.  Fear of what might happen  to them if they don’t do what they are suppose to.  Especially, if they don’t strictly follow the required  ritual of circumcision. 

Don't laugh, it was a huge issue then.

In my simple take: they are giving up their God given freedom to earn acceptance from God.  

Yes, that makes no sense. 

Paul is writing about the behavior of people who are acting out of fear. That is people who are making poor decisions, speaking unfortunate words and behaving rudely in order to be seen as best, or better, or superior, or smarter or stronger.  “Righteous” is the word they would have used.

They are putting themselves in a position of defensiveness.  Holding on to old rules, traditions and rituals that have been replace with the promise of grace, forgiveness and unconditional love.

Defending themselves because they don’t want to be seen as weak, or dumb. And so, act out in self-indulgent and arrogance ways; rather than in loving ways. 

Paul strongly announces that that kind of behavior is not freedom; but rather bondage. That they are trapped in their own fear of being exposed as less, or wrong, or unfaithful.

How many of us do the same?

Who Lives Without Some Kind of Fear?

I read somewhere once that: ‘authentic Christians live without fear in the freedom that Christ brings.’

Now I don’t know about you,  but it seems to me that that kind of thinking can put a heavy load on the most faithful of Christians.

Fear is one of the driving forces in the majority of human lives.  

Fear is built into the very fabric God’s children.  

One could count, on more that one hand, the times Jesus said: “Don’t be afraid.”  Or “Have no fear.”  Or “Don’t worry.”

He actually ask that people lay their burdens -- fears -- on him to take care of.  

28 ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’(Matt. 11)

A key passage for this entire discussion.

To say to a person, struggling with the strength of their faith, that if he or she was really a Christian they wouldn’t have fear or worry.  Could put a tight lid on the box of their God-given possibility.

In my understanding fear is quite common in the strongest of faith.

I challenge any one of you to claim no fear exists within your being.

Just one quick thought this morning.

More tomorrow.

The Courage of Integrity

I read this line from a prayer written by Ted Loder:  

“that I may have courage

to dare to love the enemies

    I have the integrity to make.”

I invite you to give that prayer some serious consideration.

I am thinking that it touched my nerve, so closely this morning is, because of all the hoops pastors — and other as well — jump through to please and keep the peace.

I will make true confession here.  It took me living through years of hard lessons, and  other people’s expectations to come to the point of this kind of courage   It was in  late 2009 when the Spirit filled me with a courage I had never dared to have before.

I am not talking about any other kind of courage.  I am talking about having the conviction to move up against a wrong that I witnessed occurring.  

God gave me the courage to confront as I had never confronted before.  My heart was pounding, my knees were wobbling, and my voice was tight and resisting.  all I wanted to do was go another way.

But I went! 

I did what needed to be done!

And two people that I had grown to love became my enemies — whether i liked it or not.

After that arduous afternoon I found myself struggling with the theological concept of love.  During the days, month and years that have followed, I did a lot of wondering about how love really works. I had many, many, circular conversations with myself, and sometimes others, about whether love worked.  I mean, that is, how I had always thought love worked.

What I have come to is that love isn’t always two ways. 

Oh, I experience this struggle before.  A painful divorce, after 24 years of marriage, took its toll on my tendency to idealism.  

But living with divorce was a different kind of courage.  That was a courage that was demanded of me in a different way.  Kind of the aftermath-kind-of-thing.

Acting on your conviction, somehow knowing enough, to confront a wrong you feel strongly about.  Is the kind of courage that places all self-involving feelings as unimportant -- not even an issue.  

In my case, only God’s enabling Spirit can give us that kind of courage.

A courage that must never be misused or abused. 

And yet, a courage often needed in the name of love.  This kind of courage is adhering to Jesus hard words:

43 ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” ⁴⁴But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. ⁴⁶For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? ⁴⁷And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? ⁴⁸Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.(Mt. 5)  

As a pastor you get a bit of kick back on this passage; this one and the time Jesus says to turn the other cheek.  Especially with confirmation kids.

Buy the truth is that these difficult requests are possible.

I can witness to that.

As far as to: ⁴⁸Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.  

I’ll will gladly leave that to Jesus.

What Have You To Do With Me?

‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?’

                                                                     (Luke 8: 26-39)

I have preached on this story many times over the years.  But this morning this line caught my imagination as never before.

That is what I love about riding scripture; every time you read it something new is somehow perceived.

Jesus is opposite Galilee. You could say he is in a foreign country.  A non-Jewish area; and I would guess that the people there did not know of Jesus or who he truly was. 

A complete stranger communicating with another complete stranger — supposedly.  Except, the one calling out to Jesus actually knew who Jesus was —  “.. Son of the Most High God?”     

The demon, speaking out of the mouth of the man, was asking an extremely pointed question of the Son of the Most High  "What have you to do with me?"   

Now we are not told if Jesus had spoken to this man before this moment.   All we know is that as Jesus steps into the country, of the Gerasenes, the man calls out to him.  Nothing more is added. 

There are all kinds of exegesis, I could relate to you, about this story; but it would make this blog much longer.  What I really want to focus on is the question. 

The question is for us to reflect on.

What does the Son of the Most High have to do with you and me thousands of year after the question was asked -- by many demons living in the mans body?

We might want to wonder about the demons in our lives.  Demons that want to remain in us; and ones that want to escape our insides.

Maybe we wonder where, or even why, demons reside in our minds or bodies.

Or who demons are.

     Or if they are calling out to Jesus.

      Or if demons are actually real beings.

Or, maybe just the wonder if Jesus care about the demons that haunt us.

Just another one of my wonders for you to think about.

Power

Lets play with the word ‘power.’  

If you do a quick word association with the word power, what do you first think of? 

I did that with myself this morning then I asked my daughter to do the same.  She answered “Electricity.”  I thought that was an excellent response.  One that did not come to my mind.

My word association went to more questions: “Good power or bad power?  Power that creates, builds, improves?  Or power that destroys and control.”

For years the word power was one I saw as less than appealing, a misuse of authority that caused — and causes — painful confusion.  Something that can oppress, degrade and ruin lives and things.

Though the years I have learned that there is a positive side to the word.  A power that allows for possibility, growth, and creates avenues of reconciliation.

In the book, 'In The Name of Jesus', Henri Nouwen writes about the third temptation of Jesus which was to be powerful — to rule the entire world. 

Nouwen asks a pointed question: “What makes the temptation of power so seemly irresistible?  Maybe it is that power offers an easy substitute for the hard task of love.  It seems easier to be God than to love God, easier to control people than to love people, easier to own life than to love life.” (page 55-64)

What comes to your mind when you hear the word power?

To be continued

What Is Invading The Crack In Our Witness?

The passage that caught my imagination is from the Gospel of John:

‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’

Before I go any further I need to say that I am using Nathanael’s question out of context.  Which, actually, has to do with the general option of the town of Nazareth in those days.  However, the question does have to do with the one who was raised in that non-important place.

The setting for Nathaniel’s question is when Jesus was in Galilee; and He called Philip to be one of his disciples.  Philip went to tell Nathanael about this news.(Jn.1:43-51)  

Nathanael’s reply was a bit flip: ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’

And my mind began to wonder.  

My thoughts went to a place I usually don’t go — to all the terrorism, school shootings, power struggles among nations,  political  character assassination and just the overall need for greediness.

These activities fly in face of all that Jesus came to earth to bring -- peace on earth and goodwill to all people -- and what He came to teach.  

Nathanael’s question brings up some honest wonder.  It mirrors the questions often ask in other forms today.

My question is:  Has Jesus, who came out of Nazareth, had any impacted on the world population living in today’s world?  

I have to wonder if people will ever give God’s way of living a chance.

And even as my fingers move across the keyboard, writing those wonders, my mind is hearing: ‘I know I know there are millions of people who spend their lives trying to follow the teaching of God/Jesus.  

And those who follow humanitarianism, whose core values have to do with human welfare, but not necessarily involving God’s purpose.  

The majority of the world’s population are good and honest people.  

I honestly know this!  

It is just that the vocal minority make it difficult for others who want to live peaceful and caring lives.

Years ago one of the confirmation students came into my office for her pre-confirmation visit.  She sat across from me and, with a nervous voice, said:  “I don’t believe in God or Jesus.  If God were real people wouldn’t be so mean and hurtful.  I am not going to be confirmed; because I don’t believe all the things you have taught us.”

There was a pain in her face that gave me caution.  After a moment I quietly said, “Well, if people behaved, and spoke, as Jesus asks, then there wouldn’t be mean people in the world.  Would there?”

I did not try to change her mind.  Oddly enough, I was very proud of her for telling “the pastor” such a hard truth.  She was brave and I told her so.

She wasn’t part of the confirmation that next Sunday.

It was only later that I learned that she had been abused by one of her parents.  Parents who were in church almost every week and seem relatively ‘nice.'

Don’t you wonder how that all works?   

It certainly make me wonder.

It also make me wonder how we who have confirmed our faith — whether in a service of confirmation or not — have fail to communicate what we believe so fully.  

How it is that we have failed to be enough for those who come?

  

Jesus left us with a critical call to be his model for the tiny part of the world we live in. That call is of extreme importance to me.  

And yet that young girl didn’t believe what I taught.  Didn’t feel God’s love.

What is the loudest message that she, and others, are hearing?

What is it that blocks the truth of God from people who search?

How is so much hostile/damaging behavior invading the cracks in our witness?

I am thinking that it is not just the violent actions that cause people to wonder about the reality of God. 

It is also the more subtle acts, and ways of speaking, that demean and destroy