A lot of us aren’t “into” observing Advent. If we're honest with ourselves, we don’t want the rhythm of our lives dictated by the Christian calendar. We’re so busy with our Christmas shopping and other activities that Advent as a Christian observance feels like an intrusion or, at best, a waste of time. We really don’t think that we can set aside some time each day for prayer and reflection, especially at this time of the year.
I recently read this Advent prayer: “Lord, help us to wait, with patience, with longing, for your coming – your coming into our poor lives. As once your people waited, and you came in our midst as a child, to be among us - so help us now to wait, and hope, and love what we wait for: your coming, and your peace.” The prayer seemed oddly anachronistic, out of place in contemporary American society. We are all about instant everything. We become agitated and even angry if a business makes us wait. And that carries over into our personal relationships. We can’t stand a person who makes us wait.
I think our impatience is one of the by-products of living in affluence. Do we really think that we need Jesus to come “into our poor lives”? What sort of poverty does it take to find the love, hope and peace that Jesus can bring? What kind of person is able to wait on God? Can this season help to make me that sort of person? What does God need to do in me to prepare me for his coming into my life and my world?
“Lord, help us to wait, with patience, with longing, for your coming – your coming into our poor lives. As once your people waited, and you came in our midst as a child, to be among us - so help us now to wait, and hope, and love what we wait for: your coming, and your peace.”
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
teaching songs
Psalm 60 has an interesting inscription: “for teaching”. The Psalms have been called “Israel’s songbook”. What is the purpose of singing? As a worship designer and leader I tend to use music for dramatic effect, to get the worshipers excited or reflective, to lift their spirits or to open their hearts. I’m not saying that this is bad. Worship should involve our emotions. But how often do I think of music as a teaching tool, one that opens our minds to new truths?
And Psalm 60 is about hard, challenging times, times when God seems to have rejected us (verse 1): “You have shown your people desperate times.” (verse 3). When we sing about those kinds of times we are being taught something about ourselves and about God that we might not get out of a “happy” song. So I’m glad that songwriters are still writing those sorts of songs for worshiping God. And I’ll try to use them more as I design and lead worship.
And Psalm 60 is about hard, challenging times, times when God seems to have rejected us (verse 1): “You have shown your people desperate times.” (verse 3). When we sing about those kinds of times we are being taught something about ourselves and about God that we might not get out of a “happy” song. So I’m glad that songwriters are still writing those sorts of songs for worshiping God. And I’ll try to use them more as I design and lead worship.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
for the King
Being a pastor brings out the worst neuroses in me. I feel responsible for everyone, I assume a “caretaker” role, I’m everyone’s co-dependent. I want to make everyone feel good and feel good about me. The result is that all I hear is complaints, which is to be expected if I’m hyper-vigilant about making people happy. But what’s worse is that I’ll mostly hear complaints if I’m encouraging people to focus on their own desires rather than leading them to follow God. For example, imagine if I were the coach of a football team. If I’m constantly asking the players if they’re comfortable, then I’ll constantly hear about whatever makes them uncomfortable: the pads are too heavy, the sun is too hot, the Gatorade is the wrong flavor. And I’ll spend all my time trying to make adjustments. But if I’m emphasizing winning games, then I’ll make sure water’s available, but I’ll also remind the team “no pain, no gain”.
The famous “prayer of Jabez” is in 1 Chron 4:9-10. Jabez requested blessings and God granted his request. Some see this as a justification for “name it and claim it” theology. But a few verses later (I Chron 4:21-23) another clan within Judah is listed, the sons of Shelah. What are they noted for? “They were the potters who… worked for the king.” Could I be content to be the best potter I could be, knowing that my work was being used by the King? Or would I plead with God, “Enlarge my territory!”
What’s more important than personal accomplishments is the fact that I work for the King of kings. Instead of trying to please everyone, I need to please only one Person. And it doesn’t matter where God places me. If I’m a pastor or a janitor, my calling still comes from God and I have something to contribute to God’s mission in the world. And that should be good enough for me.
I read about the sons of Shelah in the devotional book “Streams in the Desert” (Nov 12) in a selection written by Frances Havergal. She’s the author of the lyrics to “Take my life and let it be” and “Like a river glorious”. It seems that she knew something about consecrating one’s work solely for God’s use and resting in the presence of God. I’m glad that she focused on the sons of Shelah rather than on Jabez. I don’t know why Jabez’ story is included in 1 Chronicles. But I’m glad that the sons of Shelah are there, too.
The famous “prayer of Jabez” is in 1 Chron 4:9-10. Jabez requested blessings and God granted his request. Some see this as a justification for “name it and claim it” theology. But a few verses later (I Chron 4:21-23) another clan within Judah is listed, the sons of Shelah. What are they noted for? “They were the potters who… worked for the king.” Could I be content to be the best potter I could be, knowing that my work was being used by the King? Or would I plead with God, “Enlarge my territory!”
What’s more important than personal accomplishments is the fact that I work for the King of kings. Instead of trying to please everyone, I need to please only one Person. And it doesn’t matter where God places me. If I’m a pastor or a janitor, my calling still comes from God and I have something to contribute to God’s mission in the world. And that should be good enough for me.
I read about the sons of Shelah in the devotional book “Streams in the Desert” (Nov 12) in a selection written by Frances Havergal. She’s the author of the lyrics to “Take my life and let it be” and “Like a river glorious”. It seems that she knew something about consecrating one’s work solely for God’s use and resting in the presence of God. I’m glad that she focused on the sons of Shelah rather than on Jabez. I don’t know why Jabez’ story is included in 1 Chronicles. But I’m glad that the sons of Shelah are there, too.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
the God of Jacob
Who is the God of Jacob?
In Psalm 146 the God of Jacob is the God “who upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.” Jacob was a fugitive because his brother was trying to kill him. His own uncle cheated him. And in a lot of ways Jacob deserved it. He had stolen his brother’s birthright and was a schemer by nature.
Yet God had mercy on Jacob. Not only did he survive his flight from his brother (at one time he had to sleep in the open with only a stone for a pillow), he eventually found shelter with his uncle and became wealthy. Jacob wrestled with God, and so God made him lame. But God also blessed Jacob, giving him the name Israel and telling him he had wrestled with God and won.
That is the sort of God that I have. He knows my weaknesses and sins and yet he is with me anyway through all the struggles, many of which are self-inflicted. I have no right to ask anything of him, yet he blesses me.
“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.” Psalm 146:5
In Psalm 146 the God of Jacob is the God “who upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.” Jacob was a fugitive because his brother was trying to kill him. His own uncle cheated him. And in a lot of ways Jacob deserved it. He had stolen his brother’s birthright and was a schemer by nature.
Yet God had mercy on Jacob. Not only did he survive his flight from his brother (at one time he had to sleep in the open with only a stone for a pillow), he eventually found shelter with his uncle and became wealthy. Jacob wrestled with God, and so God made him lame. But God also blessed Jacob, giving him the name Israel and telling him he had wrestled with God and won.
That is the sort of God that I have. He knows my weaknesses and sins and yet he is with me anyway through all the struggles, many of which are self-inflicted. I have no right to ask anything of him, yet he blesses me.
“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.” Psalm 146:5
Sunday, September 19, 2010
what God values
Yesterday I was part of a memorial service for a baby that lived only 3 weeks. Last night I attended a dinner to hear from a Thai woman who was herself beaten by her father, left home and was taken in by an orphanage, and has now started a home for Thai children who are similarly victims of abuse.
In the memorial service there was a huge outpouring of love. Strong men wept openly and there was no shame in it. It was right to love and to grieve, to express how valuable this child was despite his short life. And it was a great contrast to what we heard about later that day about how the world has treated the children taken in at the home in Thailand.
It boggles my mind that people can mistreat children. It shows how damaged our world is, that people who are wounded can in turn wound other people, even children. The injustice and inhumanity of it makes me ashamed and angry and sick.
Jesus loves the little children. It grieves him to see them hurt and abused. He hurts with the premature baby struggling to live. He hurts with the child afraid of her or his own father or mother (who will later learn to distrust all adults and come to despise her/himself and then repeat the cycle unless someone intervenes).
Jesus knows the horrors of our human experience because he has lived them himself. No one would give up room in their house, so he had to be born among animals. He lived as a member of an oppressed minority in a world ruled by the brutality of the Roman legions. He died as a result of betrayal by one who had said he was his follower, and with the entire system of justice perverted and corrupted against him.
What does God value? He values every human life. He values each one so much that he himself entered our human existence and died a horrific and unjust death to take on himself the penalty for our unjust wounding of each other and our world. And then he rose again to demonstrate that he is the true Lord of this world and to offer us life with him. This is the wonderful message that we who are Christ’s followers are called to live and declare.
In the memorial service there was a huge outpouring of love. Strong men wept openly and there was no shame in it. It was right to love and to grieve, to express how valuable this child was despite his short life. And it was a great contrast to what we heard about later that day about how the world has treated the children taken in at the home in Thailand.
It boggles my mind that people can mistreat children. It shows how damaged our world is, that people who are wounded can in turn wound other people, even children. The injustice and inhumanity of it makes me ashamed and angry and sick.
Jesus loves the little children. It grieves him to see them hurt and abused. He hurts with the premature baby struggling to live. He hurts with the child afraid of her or his own father or mother (who will later learn to distrust all adults and come to despise her/himself and then repeat the cycle unless someone intervenes).
Jesus knows the horrors of our human experience because he has lived them himself. No one would give up room in their house, so he had to be born among animals. He lived as a member of an oppressed minority in a world ruled by the brutality of the Roman legions. He died as a result of betrayal by one who had said he was his follower, and with the entire system of justice perverted and corrupted against him.
What does God value? He values every human life. He values each one so much that he himself entered our human existence and died a horrific and unjust death to take on himself the penalty for our unjust wounding of each other and our world. And then he rose again to demonstrate that he is the true Lord of this world and to offer us life with him. This is the wonderful message that we who are Christ’s followers are called to live and declare.
wealth
The parable of the shrewd (and blatantly unethical) manager (Luke 16:1-9) has always made me uncomfortable. Is Jesus endorsing dishonesty? The story in itself is about a manager who has been hiding his own misuse of his master’s property, is exposed and about to be fired, and then protects himself by ingratiating himself to his master’s debtors by having them alter their accounts. And then the master praises the manager for being shrewd!
Something new struck me about this parable as I read it devotionally today. There is usually one explanation for a parable, a spiritual truth that Jesus illuminates by using a down-to-earth parallel. But in this case, Jesus follows up the story with not one, not even two, but three explanations. He starts by saying that worldly riches are to be used to gain friends. Then he compares worldly wealth to true riches. Finally he says that none of us can serve both God and Money. He hammers home his point by rebutting the Pharisees with a fourth explanation, that God detests what the Pharisees value so highly, i.e., worldly riches.
Jesus’ point is not a simple one. He is certainly not simply endorsing dishonesty (the Pharisees would have raked him over the coals for that). He is giving us a many-layered perspective of worldly wealth. His rebuttal to the Pharisees shows that many people who call themselves followers of God do not look at worldly wealth the way that God does. Jesus calls worldly wealth “very little” relative to true wealth (v. 10). He calls it “someone else’s property”, i.e., we do not truly own it (v. 12). He says that it has the ability to own us, to be our master (v. 13). And he calls it detestable to God even though some people value it highly (v. 15).
All of this begs the question: what is true wealth, that which is highly valued by God? And the problem with answering this question is that it may cause me to hoard something else in the mistaken belief that I am now hoarding something that is truly valuable. It is the hoarding that is in itself the problem. The deeper question is this: Is my value system the same as God’s? That is a question that can’t be answered like a math problem or a question in a catechism. It is a question that is meant to be “lived in”, a question that we will spend our lives answering. And that attitude of seeking to know what God values is what God values.
Something new struck me about this parable as I read it devotionally today. There is usually one explanation for a parable, a spiritual truth that Jesus illuminates by using a down-to-earth parallel. But in this case, Jesus follows up the story with not one, not even two, but three explanations. He starts by saying that worldly riches are to be used to gain friends. Then he compares worldly wealth to true riches. Finally he says that none of us can serve both God and Money. He hammers home his point by rebutting the Pharisees with a fourth explanation, that God detests what the Pharisees value so highly, i.e., worldly riches.
Jesus’ point is not a simple one. He is certainly not simply endorsing dishonesty (the Pharisees would have raked him over the coals for that). He is giving us a many-layered perspective of worldly wealth. His rebuttal to the Pharisees shows that many people who call themselves followers of God do not look at worldly wealth the way that God does. Jesus calls worldly wealth “very little” relative to true wealth (v. 10). He calls it “someone else’s property”, i.e., we do not truly own it (v. 12). He says that it has the ability to own us, to be our master (v. 13). And he calls it detestable to God even though some people value it highly (v. 15).
All of this begs the question: what is true wealth, that which is highly valued by God? And the problem with answering this question is that it may cause me to hoard something else in the mistaken belief that I am now hoarding something that is truly valuable. It is the hoarding that is in itself the problem. The deeper question is this: Is my value system the same as God’s? That is a question that can’t be answered like a math problem or a question in a catechism. It is a question that is meant to be “lived in”, a question that we will spend our lives answering. And that attitude of seeking to know what God values is what God values.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
wisdom
We all want to be wise. We want the ability to make right choices. My kids attended a Vacation Bible School last week that had James 1:5 as its theme: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God…” There’s a connection between wisdom and our relationship with God.
So what keeps us from being wise? The same thing that keeps us from God: lack of humility, i.e., pride. Pride isn’t thinking that I know it all or that I know more than God. It’s merely thinking that I know more than someone else.
I’ve spent my life trying to know more than other people. It’s one of the reasons I try to read so widely. Knowledge in itself isn’t a bad thing. In Proverbs 8:12 wisdom speaks and declares that “I possess knowledge.” The problem is not in the knowledge itself, it’s when I use the knowledge as a shield or a weapon. It can become a shield, keeping me from getting to know someone else because I’m trying to prove that I know more than her/him. Or it can be a weapon that allows me to emerge victorious from an argument, but impoverished because I have lost the opportunity to listen and to learn from someone with a different perspective.
Pride severs relationships. It’s the cause of disunity. It quenches the work that the Spirit of Christ is seeking to do in and through his church. Pride doesn’t have to be all-encompassing to be destructive, it just needs to get between me and one other person.
“All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’" 1 Peter 5:5
So what keeps us from being wise? The same thing that keeps us from God: lack of humility, i.e., pride. Pride isn’t thinking that I know it all or that I know more than God. It’s merely thinking that I know more than someone else.
I’ve spent my life trying to know more than other people. It’s one of the reasons I try to read so widely. Knowledge in itself isn’t a bad thing. In Proverbs 8:12 wisdom speaks and declares that “I possess knowledge.” The problem is not in the knowledge itself, it’s when I use the knowledge as a shield or a weapon. It can become a shield, keeping me from getting to know someone else because I’m trying to prove that I know more than her/him. Or it can be a weapon that allows me to emerge victorious from an argument, but impoverished because I have lost the opportunity to listen and to learn from someone with a different perspective.
Pride severs relationships. It’s the cause of disunity. It quenches the work that the Spirit of Christ is seeking to do in and through his church. Pride doesn’t have to be all-encompassing to be destructive, it just needs to get between me and one other person.
“All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’" 1 Peter 5:5
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