Contents
"He Knows Me! He Calls Me -- He
Changes Me..." - Jan.16/00 1 Sam.3:1-10 Ps.139:1-6,13-18 Jn.1:43-51
"Qualities of a Healthy Church,
Part 1" - Jan.23/00
"Worship, Fellowship, Telling,
Loving: Qualities of a Healthy Church, Pt.2" - January 30, 2000
"A Time and a Place" -
Funeral of Estella Kathleen Adams - February 7, 2000
"The 5 Love Languages" -
Feb.13/00 Prov.12:13-25 Jn.13:1-5,12-17
"Why Be Positive?" -
Scout/Guide Week, Feb. 27/00 - 2 Samuel 23:11-17; Acts 4:32-5:2,9:36-42
"Listen to Jesus, Rise Above
the Muddle" - March 5/00 Transfiguration - Mk.9:2-13 2 Cor.4:3-15
"Why Worship?" - March
12/00 Lent 1 - Mk.1:9-15; Is.56:1-7,58:13-14
"Faith - not Luck - Hits the
Jackpot" - March 19/00 2nd in Lent - Gen.17:1-8,15-16 Rom.4:13-25
"God's House: in Church and in
Me" - Jn.2:13-25 Rom.8:9-17
"My God, Why? Yet..." -
Good Friday April 21/00 - Ps.22 Is.52:13-53:12
"Shocked, Blocked,
Re-stocked" - Mk.16:1-20 (Acts 9:1-22) - Easter Sunday/Confirmation
Apr.23/00
"A Joy to Feel, A Job to
Do" - Jn.20:19-31 1Jn.1:1-2:2 - 2nd of Easter April 27, 2000
"Mothering: an Impossible
Job?" - May 14/00 Mother's Day - Jn.10:11-18; 1 Jn.3:16-24; Ps.23
"Wise as Ants" - Sunday
School Picnic June 4/00 - Prov.6:6-8;30:24-25 Jn.17:6-11,14-23
"Practical Pointers on
Prayer" - THE WAY Service, June 11/00
"Fathering is 'IN'" -
Father's Day, June 18/00 - Malachi 4:1-6
Mark 9:14-29
"Clean Off the Barnacles"
- June 25/00 - Mark 6:1-13; 2 Cor.6:14-7:1
"God's Supply for Our
Giving" - Funeral of Mary McDougall - July 7, 2000 Rev.Ernest Dow
"Jubilee: the Sound of a Fresh
Start" - Lev.25:8-17,23,35-38,54-55 Mt.18:21-35 - July 30, 2000
"Are You a Soul Survivor?"
- Sept.3/00 - Mk.10:35-45 Eph.1:3-14
"The Most Wonderful Kind of
Knowing" - Funeral of Jean Griffiths - Sept.8/00
"The Antique Church: Relic or
Relevant?" - Mk.2:13-22 2 Cor.3:3-18
"Sexuality: What Goes?" -
Sept.17/00 (Eph.5:1-12/ various)
"Fragrant as a Flower" -
Funeral of Marie Elizabeth Schleich - Sept. 23/00
"How Can We KNOW What God
Wants?" - Sept.24/00 - John 3:10-21; Hebrews 4:12-16
"Bread that Really
Satisfies" - Oct.1/00 Worldwide Communion Sunday - Jn.6:25-40;
Ex.16:2-5,17-30
"From Rat Race to Gratitude for
Grace" - Thanksgiving Sunday Oct.8/00 - Joel 2:21-27 Matthew 6:25-33
"Who's In Control?" -
Oct.22/00 - Dan.4:29-37 Acts 4:23-33
"Hot for God: Love offers the
Time of your Life" - Oct.29/00 Mk.12:28-34
"Conserving God's Stream of
Caring" - Funeral of William Manning - Nov.13/00
"Healing for the Whole
Person" - Nov.19/00 Healing Fund Offering - Mark 2:1-12 James 5:10-16
"Hope for the Desolate,
Strength to Stand" - Advent 1, Dec.3/00 - Jeremiah 33:1-16; Luke 21:25-36
"Kept, Loved, and Glorified in
our Father's Care" - Funeral of Norma Daer - Dec. 5, 2000
"God's Joy and Delight in the
Humble" - Dec.17/00 3rd in Advent – Joy - Zephaniah 3:9-20
"Trees, Tinsel, &
Treasure" - Dec. 24/00 (7 pm) Christmas Eve - Luke 2:1-20
"Parenting the Perverted or
Fostering the Favoured?" - Dec.31/00 Lk.2:41-52 1Sam.2:18-26
Nearly
40 years ago, in 1963, Bob Dylan wrote a song called "The Times They Are
A-Changin'". I remember it from an early record of Simon and Garfunkel's.
At the brink of a new Millennium, its lyrics seem as appropriate as ever. It is
a warning from a new generation to those already in power and authority -
senators, congressmen, mothers and fathers, to become aware of the changes that
are coming. In particular, it is a warning not to "stand in the
doorway" or "block up the hall". Dylan cries, "Your old
road is rapidly agin' - please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand
for the times they are a-changin'." As I prepare to preach today, I find
this verse particularly relevant:
"Come writers and critics who prophesize with
your pen
And keep your eyes wide, the chance won't come again.
And don't speak too soon For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin's who That it's namin'
For the loser now will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'!"
Only
God knows the future. As we seek to peer ahead it is wise to pray much and
search scripture for the clues the Holy Spirit gives. But it is not too risky
to agree with Dylan when he writes, "the present now will later be past;
the order is rapidly fadin'..." It is the year 2000. It's doubtful that it
is exactly 2000 years since Jesus was born; and it is true that the third
Millennium AD won't actually begin until the end of this year, since there was
no year "zero". But the change of digits signals that it is
appropriate for us as Christ's people to pause and reflect on how we can stay
relevant in these changing times. As the song implies, society is going through
some dramatic upheavals, thrusting ahead beyond our control; those in
institutions are to some degree helpless to direct it. And these changes impact
the church too. We can futilely try to impede change, OR we can acknowledge it
and work with it. Not to the extent of being swept along by the spirit of the
age, but hear what God is calling us to do in our changing surroundings,
amongst the changing folk for whom Christ died and to whom He continues to
reach out. Society is experiencing four "crises" in which Jesus calls
us to remain faithful, yet relevant. The word "crisis" in Chinese I
understand is made up of two symbols: one for danger, the other opportunity. If
we ignore these changes, we may become extinct and irrelevant; if we embrace
them unthinkingly, we will be co-opted by Satan, compromising our faith.
The
first crisis is that of technology. In this crisis of technology, the Lord
calls us to be purposeful, not prostituting ourselves. The changes in
technology are mind-boggling. Ray Kurzweil is a pioneer of human/machine
interface technology; he led the development of the first commercial computer
speech-recognition program. In this September's "Scientific
American", he made 4 predictions: "1.Sometime early in the next
century, the intelligence of machines will exceed that of humans. 2.Once
computers achieve a level of intelligence comparable to that of humans, they
will necessarily soar past it...Ultimately, non-biological entities will master
not only the sum total of their own knowledge, but all of ours (humanity's) as
well. 3.As this happens, there will no longer be a clear distinction between
human and machine." His fourth prediction has to do with having beaten
evolution, which is not a biblical idea, and starts to sound like we're smarter
than our Creator. Scarier is the possibility of combining computer technology
and biotechnology to invent new forms of life, what some call "post
humanism". Humans could replace themselves with a kind of disembodied,
perfect-world brain. For example, when all of the gene sequences in a human
being's genetic structure have been identified and analyzed by some future
computer, that computer could run simulations of that "person's" life
as a sort of super detailed computer game.
Of
more immediate concern are GMO's, genetically modified organisms such as
strains of corn cooked up in the laboratory to resist corn borer and other
pests. Some countries are refusing to buy our crops if we use these genetically
tinkered varieties. It's too soon to tell what may be the long-term effects of
this tinkering. And the larger question is, what's to stop us at corn? We're
already cloning sheep. Is this the thin edge of the wedge to working on humans?
A super-smart Frankenstein, or "HAL" as in the movie 2001, may not be
far off. Will we soon be designing our children in advance as you would
custom-build a computer system or add options on a car? "Let's see, we can
afford blue eyes, blond hair, an IQ of 140, and let's spring for some bionic
leg muscles for those quads in figure skating..."
The
story of Ahab and Jezebel plotting to take over Naboth's vineyard reminds us
that, just because something is in our power to do, doesn't make it right to do
it. Queen Jezebel was from Tyre and Sidon, and worshipped the Phoenician god
Baal. The sea-trading, merchant-minded Phoenicians were no doubt
technologically superior to the Israelites. Jezebel, a king's daughter, was
used to getting what she wanted. Naboth protested that under Yahweh's covenant
the beautiful vineyard was his inheritance from his ancestors, but Jezebel
cooked up a scheme to have Naboth accused falsely in a kangaroo court and
killed. The prophet Elijah's rebuke to Ahab is a reminder that if we sell or
prostitute ourselves to do what is evil in the Lord's eyes, the long-term
outcome is disastrous. Just because we have the technology or capability to do
something does not make it OK: we may be damaging someone or violating some
aspect of God's will.
In
Revelation 17, the writer is shown a vision of "Babylon the Great", a
woman sitting on a scarlet beast. She is described as "the mother of
prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth", and has obviously
benefitted from her association with the kings and other inhabitants of the
planet. She is described as the "great city that rules over the kings of
the earth". In one sense she could stand for the grat mercantile system on
which our planet runs. With today's trading over the internet, international
mutual funds driven by all kinds of enterprises, and large multinational
corporations (of which my brother is one small cog), we need to beware that we
don't do something just because it's profitable and end up selling ourselves or
our Christian principles in the process.
The
TV network A&E recently published a list of the 100 most prominent people
in the previous 1,000 years, based on interviews from numerous scholars,
politicians and theologians. Ranked third was Martin Luther, the Protestant
Reformer. Second was Isaac Newton, the physicist. Selected for top spot was
Johann Gutenberg, who invented the moveable-type printing press in the 1450's.
One News Service comments, "the printing method Gutenberg gave the world
was the sole means of mass communication for centuries and remained largely
unchanged right through until the 20th century." What a remarkable
achievement! This invention fueled some of the most important social and
cultural changes that were to come, including the Reformation, the
Enlightenment, and the Industrial Revolution.
What
was Gutenberg's purpose? Was he trying to become so famous? No, he wanted to
make the word of God available to everyone. Gutenberg himself said: "God
suffers in the multitude of souls whom His holy word cannot reach. Religious
truth is imprisoned in a small number of manuscript books, which confine
instead of spreading the public treasure. Let us break the seal which seals up
holy things, and give wings to truth, in order that she may go and win every
soul that comes into this world, by her word, no longer written at great expense
by a hand easily palsied, but multiplied like the wind by an untiring
machine." In 1455, the Gutenberg Bible was the first book to have been
printed using metal moveable type. Here is a key example of someone using
technology for God's purposes, not personal profit.
A
second crisis we face is that of cocooning and global community. In the face of
this crisis, Jesus calls us to be accountable, not anonymous.
"Cocooning" describes the tendency of families and individuals to
shelter themselves inside their homes, surrounded by the comfort and
convenience of all the latest devices. Even within a home, individuals may
cocoon themselves in their room, immersed in their TV, stereo, Playstation, or
browser, not wanting to be bugged by anyone. Technology and the media allow us
to have a relatively interesting and stimulating life without having to get out
and meet people.
Back
around 1000 AD, western Europe was under attack from all sides, and there was
little unity amongst the nation-states within. Vikings were raiding from the
North, the Magyers of Hungary from the East, and the Islamic Saracens from the
south. Everybody was isolated from everyone else.
Even
in my own lifetime, there has been a real change. Staffa used to be a whole
different community from Dublin, 5 miles up the road. In the late 50's it
seemed to me as a boy that the limits of civilization were as far away as the
area enclosing my aunts and uncles. Trips outside a 10-mile radius from the
farm were rare. Communities were much more self-sufficient. This week's
"Citizen" states that earlier in the century, Blyth had a cheese
factory, sawmills and wood industries, flour and grist mills, salt block
production, flax mills, brick and tile yards, wool and leather industries,
bakers, bankers, implement dealers, foundries, barbers, butchers, coopers,
smiths of all types, garages, harness makers and liveries, hardware stores,
jewelers, restaurants, laundries, milliners, liquor stores, photographers,
shoemakers, doctors, dentists, and optometrists. What happened?
Alexander
Graham Bell invented the telephone. Edison pioneered electricity. Tesla and
Marconi began radio transmissions. Henry Ford mass-produced the automobile. And
suddenly, poof, here we are in the global village. The train tracks which used
to be part of Blyth's claim to fame are now gone, instead we truck goods far
and wide.
Today's
customer thinks little of driving an hour to the mall for an afternoon's
shopping. Gone are the house parties my parents remember in which uncle Norman
played the fiddle and cousin Mary F played the piano, while everyone danced
around the house. Instead moderns hole up in our room with a video, or perhaps
drive in to Toronto for some theatre. A woman we knew up north was in the habit
of driving an hour quite regularly to get to the style of worship she enjoyed.
But community disappears in the process; we tend to become anonymous.
In
Jesus' instructions to the disciples in Matthew 18, religious life and
interpersonal relations take place in the context of a community. Someone who's
harmed you is to be confronted with it before the church, if they won't listen
to you or a couple of friends. Jesus went on to say, "If two of you on
earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in
heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with
them." Jesus' vision of the church offers both support and censure (when
appropriate); we need others who KNOW us and can help hold us accountable. A
real opportunity for the church in this changing society is to offer safe
caring small group experience; rather than leaving the sheep to wander off
anonymously to multiple congregations.
A
third crisis is that of education. In this area, Christ calls us to be humble,
not hyper-critical. In the first half of this century, it was quite common for
people only to have a Grade 8 education (my father among them). And even many
of these did well. Today, a college education is more the norm, and there are
people who even wind up with a couple of university degrees. This will be more
and more the case as sociologists predict the person in today's work world will
have up to 4 different vocations before they retire.
Dr.James
Dobson of Focus on the Family observes that Gutenberg's printing press
orchestrated the creation of the "middle class", as the free flow of
information between common men and women gave power to the people and struck a
fatal blow to the absolute rule of the elite. Hence we can have democracy.
Protestantism sprang up because people were able to check out for themselves
what the Bible said, compared to abuses of the church. The risk of becoming
educated, though, is that we may become conceited, considering ourselves smart.
A hindrance of Protestantism today is that eveybody has their opinion about how
church should be "done", so clergy are under constant criticism. With
the ease of transportation, people aren't so tied to one church; denominational
loyalty is low, families are willing to drive further to find a church that
offers what they prefer. A recent church study predicts that in the future,
"People will be affiliated with multiple congregations, choosing one
church for one specific purpose and another for other reasons."
Two
proverbs in chapter 26 say: "Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There
is more hope for a fool than for him...(and) The sluggard is wiser in his own
eyes than 7 people who answer discreetly." Education makes it easy to
become wise in our own eyes. However Jesus urged us in Matthew 18, "Unless
you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of
heaven...Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom
of heaven."
Three
other men who made the A&E list of 100 greatest people in the millennium
were Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela. Gandhi applied
Jesus' teachings in the nonviolent revolution in colonial India. This inspired
Martin Luther King Jr in the fight for equality for blacks in the USA. Further,
Nelson Mandela and Christian blacks in South Africa showed the power of
biblical forgiveness in the peaceful transition away from apartheid. In the
crisis of education, Jesus calls us to be humble, not hyper-critical.
Gordon
MacDonald was being interviewed by Focus on the Family when he came up with
what I'm listing as the last crisis. While reviewing the dramatic changes in
technology, he pointed out what he called a "sleeper": the invention
of birth control. He pointed out that reproductive control has made a big
difference in family life and the work world, compared to previous generations.
So, in the crisis of birth control, Jesus calls us to be truly generative, not
juvenile.
David
DeWitt in the book The Mature Man describes how God's natural course of
development is for boys to become men, then patriarchs. A patriarch has learned
to become influential for God not only in the sphere of his immediate family,
but beyond. However DeWitt points out that on the sunny golf slopes of Florida
abounding with seniors, there are many "boys": that is, men who are
reneging on their obligation to be involved with their offspring. With the
advent of birth control, there is the temptation to adopt an attitude that
raising a family is less important. We may be tempted to cut corners on
influencing the next generation, instead excusing ourselves to pursue our own
personal goals of pleasure or career. To be juvenile, adolescent in our
thinking, rather than self-giving adults.
In
Genesis 1, God commanded the first people to be fruiful, increase, and fill the
earth. Jesus' Great Commission, his parting command, was to make disciples,
baptizing and teaching new followers to obey his instruction. Paul commanded
fathers in Epehsians 6 to bring up their children "in the training and
instruction of the Lord." We need to be generative in the sense of passing
on the great truths, habits, and priorities of the Christian faith to our
offspring. In 2 Timothy 3 we read that in the last days people will be
"lovers of themselves, ...disobedient to parents, ...lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God..." Jesus calls us to be generative rather than
juvenile, going off and doing our own thing.
Life
expectancy is changing. This offers us additional opportunity to have an impact
far beyond our years, through our children. In 1900 the average life expectancy
for a man was 43 - the age I am now! but today the average life expectancy is
73, and it's expected to keep increasing. In fact health professionals are now
predicting that most of the children born after 1990 will see THREE centuries -
living on past the year 2100! Don't write off the impact for good your children
may have after you're long gone: be generative, doing what you can to form the
mind of Christ in them.
I
began with a song from 1963; I'll close with a reference to one from 1962. Pete
Seeger wrote "Turn Turn Turn" based on Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, "To
everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven."
Just following that passage, the wise preacher writes: "What does the worker
gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made
everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of
men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know
that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they
live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his
toil--this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure
forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that
men will revere him. Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been
before; and God will call the past to account."
In
all our crises and changes - technology, cocooning, education, birth control,
and whatever the next "wave" brings - we can be confident that God is
watching over all, and will not be surprised. Jesus may return this millennium,
this century, this year, this week. May he find us being faithful: purposeful,
accountable, humble, generative. As we read in the closing verses of the Bible:
"Let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy
continue to be holy." "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with
me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha
and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." Amen.
Spiritual
thirst is rampant in society today. Just walk through a bookstore and you'll
see rows of shelves on spirituality, new age, and the occult. Unfortunately
although people are craving spiritual reality, they haven't been looking for
answers in the Christian church. Someone has observed that the LAST place a
person would expect to have a spiritual experience these days is in a church!
George Gallop, the noted pollster, said: "Americans are more religious
than ever.They just don't care much for churches and religious
organizations.They're believers but not joiners." Be careful, though -
there's belief and there's "belief". James would caution us to
remember that we don't really believe in something until we join ourselves to
it by some action.
It's
a shame people are turning to lesser gods for spiritual leading, because
spirituality is at the very heart of Christianity. Somehow though over the
years we've tried to box God in by our forms and habits, yet God as a living
Spirit can't be contained. Through our Scriptures today God reminds us that
authentic Christianity includes the opportunity to steep in the Holy Spirit and
thus come to know God's blessing in a very personal experience.
Let's
begin by looking at experiences of the Spirit in the past. Creation began with
the Holy Spirit. Genesis 1 tells us that when God created the heavens and the
earth, the Spirit was there, hovering over the waters. The Spirit or breath or
wind of God was the means of giving life. A little boy once told his Sunday
School teacher the Holy Spirit was like a vacuum cleaner because it was
"hoovering" over the waters! Perhaps the analogy is good because the
Spirit does help us clean up our act, sucking the dirt of sin out of our lives
and leaving us with a clean conscience by the power of the cross.
In
John's gospel, Jesus told Nicodemus that a person can't enter God's Kingdom
unless they're born of water and the Spirit, born anew or again. The wind or
Spirit blows where it pleases. This elite religious leader, a Pharisee and
member of the Sanhedrin, had risen to the top of religious life in Jerusalem
yet still sought something more. Jesus went on to link the gift of the Spirit
and eternal life to belief in the Son of God.
We
see the Spirit playing a very active role in Jesus' own start. Baptized by John
in the Jordan River, Christ saw heaven torn open and the Spirit descending on
him. The Father's voice assured him he was God's dearly loved Son, in whom he
was well pleased. The Spirit conveyed the fullness of the Father's blessing as
Jesus began his time of service.
In
Acts 1, Jesus gives his followers some parting instructions. he very
deliberately tells them to wait for the gift the Father promised. They weren't
to make a move without the Holy Spirit, who would bring them power, and
transform them to be witnesses for Christ. This happened about ten days later at
Pentecost, when they spoke in recognizable languages from other lands,
declaring the wonderful works of God. When Peter spoke to a group of Gentile
believers in Cornelius' house, the Spirit came and enabled them to speak in
tongues and praise God. So in the early church it became expected that the
Spirit's coming would be accompanied by unusual signs.
Thus
it's not surprising that when Paul found some disciples at Ephesus, about the
first thing he asked was, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"
He saw Christianity as a package deal, incomplete without the Spirit. The dozen
who had just received John's baptism consequently had Paul pray for them with
laying on of hands. Then the Spirit came on them, Luke says, evidenced by their
speaking in tongues and prophesying.
However
these examples of the Spirit's activity in Scripture do not always seem to
match up with life today. I'm sure there are those in this congregation who
have had disappointments when it came to experiencing the Spirit. Maybe it
seemed like God was bluffing instead of blessing, not coming through on the
promise.
Allow
me to branch off for a moment into my own history. I was raised in the church
and confirmed at age 15. I'm sure I meant my confirmation promises. However it
wasn't until I was 17 that I came through a "seeker" stage and
committed myself to Christ more on an adult level. When I was 21 I was
attending the University of Guelph, involved in Inter Varsity Christian
Fellowship, and had 2 Christian roommates, one of which was a charismatic. In
private God's Spirit granted me a special prayer language which I enjoyed using
for some time. This was helpful in my personal prayer life, but I don't recall
ever using it when praying with others.
The
Alpha Course manual says, "Often people are frustrated that they cannot
express what they really feel, even in a human relationship. They feel things
in their spirits, but they do not know how to put their feelings into words.
This is often true also in our relationship with God. This is where the gift of
tongues can be a great help. It enables us to express to God what we really
feel in our spirits without going through the process of translating it into
English." That's what it was like for me; when I ran out of words to praise
God in English, the Spirit gave me other sounds to take over. God understands.
Paul says in Romans, "the Spirit helps us in our weakness...the Spirit
himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.And he who
searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit..." God can interpret and
understand our prayers, even our groans.
In
recent years I have been more appreciative of the Spirit's light in
understanding Scripture and helping me prepare sermons to feed the flock. Like
Paul, in church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others
than 10,000 words in a tongue. One gift edifies just myself, the other edifies
many (by God's grace).
God is continuing to expand my life as I
co-operate with Him. It is especially difficult as a man in this culture to
give over control of one's emotional side. But we can trust the Spirit to make
us not more like an oddball, but more truly human, more like Jesus.
We
are intrigued by Christians who've experienced a special dose of filling of the
Holy Spirit, what some call the "second blessing". Samuel Logan
Brengle in the Salvation Army spoke of walking out over Boston Common one
morning brimming over with God's love. When in Congo we asked my Salvation Army
boss about this and she admitted she had sought this at one point but never had
the same experience, so just continued to serve God faithfully with the gifts
she had.
One
response people make to this subject is, "I went forward in good faith and
nothing happened." I am sorry that was your experience, but please
persevere and don't give up altogether. God meets each person's needs
individually, not in cookie-cutter fashion. Not all believers speak in tongues.
There are many other spiritual gifts mentioned in the New Testament: apostles,
teachers, helpers, administrators, evangelists and pastors, serving,
encouraging, giving, leadership, showing mercy, hospitality, and speaking. Be a
faithful steward of whatever gift God sends your way.
Sometimes
we need to check our motives and expectations. Were we testing God? Were we
saying under our breath, "I'll serve you if..." Jesus warned Satan
not to test God, as in throwing oneself down from the pinnacle of the temple.
Translate: wanting to get the same spiritual "high" as your friend,
warm tingles or whatever. Another check: were we totally yielded, or wanting to
deal with God on our own terms and conditions? Sometimes we imply, "Give
me your best, Lord, but don't ask me to go to Africa..." or "don't
ask me to love my neighbour" (which can be harder) or "don't ask me
to forgive my family member" (which can be hardest of all).
Another
disappointment people have in the realm of spirituality is that others who
claimed to be "Spirit-filled" or "born again" were, on
closer inspection, hokey rather than holy. TV preachers in particular can
become so image-conscious, such showmen, that credibility and integrity suffer.
Personality
type can be a big factor here, too. I'm very structured and orderly; about 3/4
of regular churchgoers tend to be the "SJ" personality type. People
who are more spontaneous may find it easier to be what they'd consider
"spirit-led", and this can really bug those of us who are prone to
orderliness. At the extreme, one seems to be a cover-up for a sloppy planner,
while the other is hyper-rigid. If we've been irritated perhaps we need to pray
for judgment to discern whether the other person may in fact be spiritually
motivated and we are just reacting out of our human nature.
And
even if the person is "Spirit-filled", nobody's perfect, until we see
Jesus and are made completely like Him. Extend some grace to those who have
been outspoken and tried to honour God before others. Those who obediently
witness to Christ publicly will always be subjected to scrutiny and criticized
when they fail. Better a halting, imperfect witness than silent invisibility.
Peter rightly pushed the limits when he went to the house of uncircumcised
Cornelius; but on another occasion he drew back when the Judaizers came to
town, and was properly scolded by Paul for his two-facedness.
Yes,
there have been disappointing experiences in the area of the Spirit. People
have gone forward in good faith with results that were less than expected.
Others who claimed to be Spirit-filled were hokey. But Christ encourages us to keep
on asking, seeking, knocking until we ourselves discover our Heavenly Father is
pleased to give a good gift, the Holy Spirit, after all. He's not bluffing, but
eager to bless.
So,
what's in the way? How do we clear away the snowdrifts hindering us from a
fuller experience of what should be a norm in the Christian life, the Holy
Spirit? First step is to admit our need. In Genesis 1 the earth was formless,
empty, and dark. That's what our lives are like without God. John the Baptist
helped people prepare by having them confess their sins. They could have been
humbling themselves with fasting and praying. The dozen people at Ephesus
freely admitted to Paul they hadn't even heard there was a Holy Spirit. Admit
your need.
Second,
Submit and turn to God. Jesus came to John and was baptized in the river, even
though he didn't need to be for his own righteousness. He submitted to God's
plan to bring righteousness to many. The 12 at Ephesus submitted to baptism
into the name of the Lord Jesus, and to having Paul place his hands on them.
Third,
"steep" in the blessing. When Jesus came up out of the water he saw
heaven torn open: the barrier to God was removed, by Jesus' atonement we have
free access to God, the Lamb has taken away the sins of the world. Jesus saw
the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And the voice said, "You are my
Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." "You are my Son"
- we are adopted into God's family, now permanently associated with our
Heavenly Father. "Whom I love" - God has affection for us and
commitment to us. "With you I am well pleased" - God favours us, is
delighted in us, His desire is happily fulfilled in having us on board.
As
believers "in Christ", we can take each of these phrases the voice
spoke and soak in the blessing, steep ourselves in it like a teabag until we
are completely permeated. Nicky Gumbel says, "Sometimes this experience is
like a hard, dry sponge being dropped into water. There can be a hardness in
our lives that stops us absorbing the Spirit of God. It may take a little time
for the initial hardness to wear off and for the sponge to be filled. So it is
one thing for the sponge to be in the water ('baptized'), but it is another for
the water to be in the sponge ('filled'). When the sponge is filled with water,
the water literally pours out of it."
Fourth
step in clearing away the snowdrift is, Express God's influence and control. In
Genesis 1, God spoke and separated: spoke the light into being, and separated
light and dark into day and night. So we can follow through by speaking about
the Spirit's work in our lives, and separating the light within us from the
dark outside, temptations that would weigh us down.
What
happened in Jesus' case? Did he sit around in an easy chair? The next verse in
Mark tells us he was sent AT ONCE by the Spirit into the desert, where he was
tested and hungry. He spoke God's word, memorized from the Bible, not letting
Satan convince him what the tempter had to offer was better.
The
twelve at Ephesus also expressed God's influence and control by speaking in
tongues and prophesying. Note that prophesying does not necessarily have
anything to do with foretelling the future. In 1 Corinthians 14 Paul describes
prophesying as just speaking to others for their strengthening, encouragement,
and comfort. Nothing freaky about that. Simply allow God to be the subject and
steerer of your conversation.
The
blessing of the Holy Spirit is not just something that happened in Bible times.
Christians today all over the world continue to experience God's coming
alongside to help. (That's how Jesus described the Spirit, as Paraclete, one
called alongside, like the tow truck when your car breaks down.) Many modern
people have described God's spiritual changes within them. Malcom Muggeridge
was a British journalist who was an atheist for much of his life. He wrote,
"The most characteristic and uplifting of the manifestations of conversion
is rapture -- an inexpressible joy which suffuses our whole being, making our
fears dissolve into nothing, and our expectations all move heavenwards."
Richard
Wurmbrand was imprisoned for many years and frequently tortured on account of
his faith. He wrote, "Alone in my cell, cold, hungry, and in rags, I
danced for joy every night...sometimes I was so filled with joy that I felt I
would burst if I did not give it expression."
Martin
Lloyd-Jones comments, "You will have such a depth of feeling that for a
moment you may well imagine that you have never 'felt' anything in your life
before.It is the profoundest experience that a man can ever know."
The
difference will be noticeable, but it doesn't have to be sensational. JH
"Bash" Nash came to faith in Christ as a 19-year-old clerk in an
insurance office. He had no athletic, academic, or artistic talent, but touched
many lives simply because he was full of God's Spirit. John Stott, whom he led
to Christ, described Bash Nash this way: "Nondescript in outward
appearance, his heart was ablaze with Christ." His obituary said,
"Bash was a quiet, unassuming clergyman who never made the limelight, hit
the headlines or wanted preferment, yet whose influence...during the last 50
years was probably greater than almost any of his contemporaries, for there
must be hundreds of men today, many in positions of responsibility, who thank
God for him for it was through his ministry that they were led to a Christian
commitment...Rarely can anyone have meant so much to so many as this quietly
spoken, modest and deeply spiritual man."
Jackie
Pullinger worked more than 20 years in the lawless walled city of Hong Kong.
She has given her life to working with prostitutes, heroin addicts, and gang
members. She has said, "God wants us to have soft hearts and hard feet.The
trouble with many of us is that we have hard hearts and soft feet." Jackie
is tough, she has hard feet in her willingness to go without sleep, food, and
comfort in order to serve others. Yet she also has a soft heart. She began
praying in the Spirit 15 minutes a day, asking the Spirit to help her intercede
for those he wanted to reach. She recalls, "After about six weeks of this
I began to lead people to Jesus without trying. Gangsters fell to their knees
sobbing in the streets, women were healed, heroin addicts were miraculously set
free. And I knew it all had nothing to do with me...We opened several homes to
house heroin addicts and all were delivered from drugs painlessly because of
the power of the Holy Spirit."
Are
we that calibre? Do we experience blessing like that in our life, or does it
seem God is bluffing? In Christ, we ARE the same calibre: the Holy Spirit
inspires each one, for the common good. May God help us confess, submit, steep
in the blessing, and give expression to his power in our lives. Let us close in
prayer, using the words from a hymn by Charles Wesley.
"Come, Holy Ghost, our hearts inspire; Let us
Thine influence prove;
Source of the old prophetic fire, Fountain of life and
love.
Expand Thy wings, celestial Dove; Brood o'er our
nature's night;
On our disordered spirits move, And let there now be
light.
God through Himself we then shall know If thou within
us shine,
And sound, with all Thy saints below, The depths of
love divine."
Stopped
at a stop light at a major intersection in London recently, I spotted a
middle-aged man sitting in a wheelchair parked on the sidewalk. He was dressed
in a grey jacket with a toque to keep out the cold; he didn't seem to be doing
much there, just sitting. I felt sorry for him, despite the fact that he was
probably strategically situated to capitalize on the sympathies of passers-by.
There was something about his demeanor that called out, that broke the code of
silence and anonymity that shrouds our fast-paced Western society and prevents
us from really truly interacting. The light turned green and I drove on. Who
was that man, really? Was he really handicapped? Would any of the hundreds that
passed him on the sidewalk that day even bother to stop and find out the
slightest detail about him?
I was
feeling reflective and melancholy, since I had just been to the funeral
visitation for Doug Trask. Doug was our Conference Personnel Minister, and his
life had been prematurely cut off by a deadly disease at age 60. I would miss
him. Partly because he had been my "bishop" and personal advisor
professionally most of the time I've been in ministry. His periodic visits to
my far-flung parishes made me feel that someone cared, that there was a
responsible person beyond the pastoral charge and presbytery who did indeed
care about how things were going for me in ministry and with the family. I had
told Doug things I could never share with people on the charge - frustrations,
fears, hopes and wonderings. I felt he knew me.
I got
to know Doug further when I was dealing on Presbytery's behalf with a ticklish
personnel situation involving another pastor. I got a glimpse of how his role
as a personnel minister must be, knowing so much about each clergyperson,
confidential advisor when they make mistakes as all pastors do, trying to help
them, but powerless to assist when a pastor chose to cut off relations and
hunker in a fortress mentality. Through that set of circumstances I felt
privileged to get a little insight into Doug's care and concern for his
clergy-collared "flock". The sight of him stretched out in a coffin
was a sad reminder that in this earthly life we only have so much time to
become known and appreciated by those around us. We crave desperately to be known,
to have some useful purpose, to be appreciated by our family, friends, and
fellow-workers.
Doug
Trask had to be involved with a lot of people by virtue of his occupation. And
what about the man in the wheelchair, waiting for the short January day to end
and then return to a small sparsely furnished apartment? Does anyone really
know him? What about us when we feel like him - overlooked, pitiful, our dreams
and opportunities having slipped away? Does anyone really know us or have a
purpose for us?
God's
word says, Yes! God knows us; he calls us - and he changes us, directing us in
fulfilling paths for our lives.
He
knows us; he knows you, he knows me. Nathanael wasn't in a wheelchair, but his
attitude was a little handicapped when Philip found him one day and excitedly
told him they had found the One Moses and the prophets had said would come, the
Deliverer all zealous Jews were awaiting to save them from the tyranny of pagan
Romans. Philip included the detail from Jesus' bio that he happened to be from
Nazareth. Over the years a certain prejudice had built up in other parts of the
country about the town. Nathanael replied with a scoff, "Nazareth! Can
anything good come from there?" All messianic-minded Jews knew Bethlehem
was the town to watch, not Nazareth far north in the sticks of Galilee.
Nathanael
nevertheless was intrigued by Philip's invite, and went to meet this Jesus son
of Joseph. Before they even got within normal greeting distance, Jesus spoke as
if he'd known Nathanael all his life. "Here's a true Israelite, in whom
there are no tricks." Nathanael gave a start and froze in his tracks.
"How do you know me?" he gasped. Obviously something in Jesus' words
struck him to the bone.
Then
Jesus said something that must have made the newcomer's jaw drop to the ground.
"I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called
you." We're not told what it was Nathanael was doing in that spot at that
exact time, but it could be he was praying, as the shade offered by the fig
leaves on a hot Mediterranean day would be a welcome place to take a load off
and meditate. Probably Jesus was referring to some plea or longing Nathanael
had expressed to God only in his spirit. How did he KNOW that? Nathanael
puzzled.
God
does know us, completely. We are transparent to the Trinity. Leslie Brandt
paraphrases Psalm 139: "O God, you know me inside and out, through and
through. Everything I do, every thought that flits through my mind, every step
I take, every plan I make, every word I speak, You know, even before these
things happen. You know my past; You know my future. Your circumventing
presence covers my every move. Your knowledge of me sometimes comforts me,
sometimes frightens me; but always it is far beyond my comprehension."
Rick
Warren is pastor at Saddleback Valley Community Church in California, the
fastest-growing Baptist church in the history of America. It started in his
living room with just one family. In 1995 it was averaging over 10,000 people
in worship attendance each week. But back in 1973 nobody had heard of Rick
Warren because he was just a college kid. He had preached revival meetings as a
youth evangelist, and had no doubt that God had called him to ministry, but was
unsure if God wanted him to become a pastor.
One
day with a buddy Rick skipped his classes and drove 350 miles to hear
Dr.W.A.Criswell speak. Criswell was renowned pastor of the largest Baptist
church in the world, located in Dallas Texas. Kind of like a Catholic getting
to hear the pope. As Rick Warren listened to Criswell preach, God spoke
personally to him and made it very clear he was calling him to be a pastor. But
most surprising was what happened after the service.
Rick
recalls, "My buddy and I stood in line to shake hands with Dr.Criswell.
When my turn finally arrived, Criswell looked at me with kind, loving eyes and
said, quite emphatically, 'Young man, I feel led to lay hands on you and pray
for you!' Without delay, he placed his hands on my head and prayed these words
that I will never forget: 'Father, I ask that you give this young preacher a
double portion of your Spirit. May the church he pastors grow to twice the size
of the Dallas church. Bless him greatly, O Lord.'"
Rick
continues: "As I walked away with tears in my eyes, I said to my friend
Danny, 'Did he pray what I think he prayed?'" Rick was amazed that
Criswell seemed to know him and offered him such a great blessing and promise.
The results over the years would seem to prove God knew what was in store and
put Criswell "in the know" too. "He knows me."
Next,
He calls me. Jesus called Andrew and Philip directly. All it took was two
intriguing words: "Follow me." Andrew in turn brought Peter; Philip
went and found Nathanael. Little by little, directly or indirectly, Christ was
building his church, calling others to follow him and leading them into the new
reality of His Kingdom. He continues to call people still - through a Gideon's
New Testament in a hotel desk; through a Christmas or Choral Kids concert;
through a sermon in the paper or on TV; through the sermon you preach by your
life each day at home, school, or work. You are the only Bible some people will
ever read! When we encounter a cynic like Nathanael, the most convincing thing
we can say is, "Come and see!" then present Christ himself.
Psalm
139 says, "How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the
sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake, I am still with you." God is thinking about us, we're on his
mind and heart. We may have wandered far off, doing our own thing, sidetracked
with the gimmicks of the world, pursuing persons or things we think are perfect
and will satisfy us, but God pursues us as a zealous lover. The Creator's
deepest desire is to be intimate with us, his person-creatures. Over and over
through life God tries to get our attention, so we might understand his
conscious thoughts of us are more in number than the sand along the Lake Huron
shoreline. He wants to be with us.
Samuel
was a little slow to catch on. But then, Eli was getting slow, period. Old,
overweight, and more than a bit out of focus. Samuel was just a young boy
dedicated to helping the aged senior priest at the tabernacle at Shiloh. He
knew how to tend the furnishings pretty well, but not only were Eli's eyes getting
dim, his spiritual insight was getting more limited too. "The word of the
Lord was rare; there were not many visions," we're told. Eli and sons were
more intent on fattening themselves on people's offering than genuinely
listening for God's word. So it seems Eli had even overlooked teaching Samuel
about bedtime prayers, that God was someone you could talk to.
But
the Lord wanted to catch Samuel's attention. What followed had all the comic
redundancy of a slapstick vaudeville routine. Three times Samuel heard someone
call; three times he ran to see what Eli wanted. But Eli wanted nothing.
Finally the old man twigged to what was happening. The fourth time, Samuel
responded to the Lord, "Speak, for your servant is listening." He
realized GOD was calling him, not Eli. God had a special message he wanted the
young boy to deliver as his agent to the others, who had stopped listening long
ago. God sought to employ Samuel in a special way, and was calling him.
The
Lord may call us in many ways; it's not always through special visions or
voices. We may feel a strong nudge in prayer, confirmed through a verse of
scripture or a fellow Christian's word of encouragement. Rick Warren was trying
to discern God's call about ministry back in the 70's. Having spent many hours
researching in the library, he discovered that the Saddleback Valley, in Orange
County, southern California, was the fastest-growing area in the
fastest-growing county in the United States that decade. In the dusty, dimly
lit basement of that university library, Rick heard God clearly speak to him:
"That's where I want you to plant a church!" Rick's body began to
tingle with excitement, and tears welled up in his eyes. He had heard from God.
Next
he found out the name of the Director of Missions for his denomination for that
county. He wrote him a letter saying: "My name is Rick Warren. I am a
seminary student in Texas. I am planning to move to south Orange County and
start a church. I'm not asking for money or support from you; I just want to know
what you think about that area. Does it need new churches?" An amazing
thing happened. Although they'd never met, the Director of Missions there had
somehow heard about Rick and his desire to plant a new church after graduating.
They were writing letters to each other at the same time; the letters crossed
in the mail! Two days after mailing his letter, Rick received one saying:
"Dear Mr Warren, I have heard that you may be interested in starting a new
church in California after seminary. Have you ever considered coming to the
Saddleback Valley in south Orange County?" When Rick opened that letter,
he began to cry. He and his wife both knew God was up to something. When God
truly calls us, it's exciting!
It
all begins with allowing ourselves, like Nathanael, to get involved with Jesus.
Christ beckons everyone in Matthew 11: "Come to me, all you who are weary
and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from
me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." We can confidently entrust
ourselves to such a leader, who is not out to exploit us and doesn't throw his
weight around, but is gentle, humble, sensitive, and knows us better than we
know ourselves.
But
get ready! Life is never going to be the same. Christ knows me, he calls me --
AND he also changes me. What a dramatic change in attitude we see in Nathanael.
A few moments earlier he was scoffing at the idea than anyone great could
possibly come from Nazareth. Now he is confessing, "Rabbi, you are the Son
of God" - the first acknowledgment of Jesus' divinity by any human. But
Christ lets him know bigger surprises are just around the corner, there's more
growth in store yet. "You shall see greater things than that." Over
time, Nathanael would experience God's intense and complete making-known,
communicating His essential reality and nature, to humanity through this Jesus
son of Joseph.
And
consider how God's call changed Samuel's life. Before he had just been a young
boy helping at the tabernacle, a servant, overlooked by most who visited. This
first revelation was the beginning of a complete shift in power and authority.
The child who had been spiritually ignorant began to receive more insight;
"the Lord...revealed himself to Samuel through his word" (3:21), and
"was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the
ground." (3:19) So "Samuel's word came to all Israel." (4:1)
This
was a critical incident in the history of the nation. They had been going
through a dark period spiritually, with a corrupt priesthood. The message God
gave Samuel for Eli signalled the end of an era. Soon the corrupt priests were
gone, and Samuel was judging Israel in Eli's place, anointing kings including
David who would bring in Israel's golden age. God was changing Samuel from an
insignificant altar boy to the most important leader in the nation. Gone were
the days of just attending to Eli's physical needs. Now Samuel was responsible
for everyone's needs. God prepared him, step by step.
When
we let Jesus into the house of our life, he starts going through, room by room,
housecleaning, renovating, remodelling. Changing things; sometimes things we'd
rather keep tucked in a back closet or a nook in the attic. Nathanael had a bad
attitude, which Jesus changed for starters. Often in our own hearts God's
Spirit of love and compassion discloses similar prejudices, hidden resentments,
pockets of bitterness about things that were done to us in the past. Maybe we
need to talk directly with the person involved to see if it can be cleared up;
maybe we need to take another believer along as in Matthew 18. Maybe the best
thing to do is just leave it at the foot of the cross for God to deal with, but
we must let it go or it will block us from God's full blessing.
Even
more noticeable is the change in behaviour when Jesus gets ahold of someone's
life. The early church definitely witnessed some surprising changes this way.
Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "Do you not know that the wicked will not
inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral
nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor
thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit
the kingdom of God." Quite a shocking list of behaviour that's disgusting
to God! But here's the astonishing part -- Paul continues, "And that is
what some of you were. But you
were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." Amazing, the clean-up job the
Holy Spirit can do in our life to make our house an acceptable residence for
the King. He changes me.
Sometimes
the changes Christ can make for us in our lives involve both outer and inner
aspects. As with Nathanael, Jesus sees us on the inside as well as the outer
appearance, and will heal and strengthen us from the inside out. Nicky Gumbel
tells the story of a woman in his congregation who developed a backache with
pain in her left hip. This interfered with sleep, movement, and work. The
doctor prescribed pills for arthritis. She asked for prayer one evening at the
church. The young woman who was praying for her said that the word
"forgiveness" had come to her mind. After a struggle the woman was
able to forgive someone who was continually troubling her, and she was
partially healed. At the moment she mailed a forgiving letter to her friend,
she was totally healed.
"He
knows me! He calls me -- He heals me..." If we're tired of feeling
pitiable and anonymous like the man in a wheelchair; if we want to be really
known, the way Doug Trask knew those who called him confidentially; if we want
to have a sense of calling like Rick Warren, discovering God's blessing as he
obediently stepped out in faith; if we want to be healed and reconciled like
the woman with the backache and hurt-ache -- may we receive the grace Jesus
offers to become his disciples, every step of the way. Let us pray.
Every
year we do what we can to encourage some amaryllis bulbs into bloom during
these dull days of winter, so their huge flowers will add a splash of colour
and brighten up our home. There's not too much you have to do. Water it once in
a while, and repot it when the roots grow large; keep it in the dark for a
period. But we don't have to tell it how to produce the fantastic blooms or its
long green leaves. It grows "all by itself".
Thoughout
the biological world we see the same growth principle. Whenever the necessary
conditions are met, God has placed within each plant, each pet, each child the
information it needs to know how to grow. All by itself. Then suddenly one
morning you wake up and your eldest is asking you to borrow the keys to the car!
Jesus
likened God's Kingdom to a growing seed in Mark 4. "A man scatters seed on
the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and
grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces
grain..." Although today agriculture is a big industry, with seed and
chemical companies doing what they can, when it comes right down to it the
farmer just basically tries to provide ideal conditions; the seed itself does
the growing. Then comes the stalk, the head, the kernel: and finally the
harvest. Could Jesus be implying the Kingdom, including God's church, is
designed to grow the same way?
With
our annual meeting coming up soon, I thought it appropriate to take a couple of
Sundays and consider what are the ideal conditions for church growth. Our
annual meeting is a time to review our vision and mission so we can with God's
help maximize our growth, both in quantity and quality.
Christian
Schwarz was 18 years old when he was told he had an incurable kidney condition,
and a limited time to live. He wanted to make the most of the remainder of his
life for Christ. He set out to discover the church growth principles which are
true regardless of culture. Schwarz wanted to answer the question, "What
should each church and every Christian do to obey the Great Commission in
today's world?" His research involved 1000 churches in 32 countries on 6
continents. He found there were eight "quality characterics" of
healthy churches. I'd like to look at four of these qualities today and four
next Sunday. In the course of his research, Christian Schwarz found an amazing
fact: every one of those thousand churches in which these 8 qualities reached
an index level of 65 was a growing church! Like the seed growing in the field,
given sufficient water, warmth, minerals, and light, nothing would hold it back
from growing "all by itself". Schwarz has found that when churches
work on their minimum factor - the quality they rate most poorly in - that
releases growth for them, too. So as we go through these qualities, be
evaluating us as a church in your mind. Do we already have this, or do we need
to be working on it as something that's holding us back?
First
quality characteristic: Empowering Leadership. Not just leadership that's on
the ball, but leadership that releases others within the church to be equipped
for their own particular ministries. In Exodus 18 Moses is getting worn out
adjudicating the people's cases and complaints from dusk to dawn. There are
long lineups, and nobody's happy. Moses' father-in-law Jethro suggests he
appoint capable people to decide the less difficult cases, then only the most
difficult ones would have to be decided by Moses. By thus sharing the load,
Moses is able to stand the strain, and everybody goes home quicker and happier.
In
Mark 6, Jesus sent out the 12 disciples to do what he'd been doing. They were
to preach, drive out demons, and anoint and heal people in the surrounding
villages. Jesus wasn't jealously guarding ministry for himself, instead he
multiplied himself by empowering and authorizing the disciples to extend his
work.
If
you look carefully at Ephesians 4, the passage we used for our call to worship,
you'll see it is not the job of pastors to do everything in the church. Far
from it. It says it's my job as pastor to prepare God's people for works of
service; that is, ministry is the task of everyone who belongs to Jesus. That's
the only way you will become mature - by exercising your particular gift. Verse
16 says "From Christ the whole body grows and builds itself up in love, as
EACH PART does its work."
It is
a harmful mindset to think, "Ministry is what we pay the pastor to
do." One person, any person, is very limited in talents and time. The
church's strength is in all its Spirit-empowered people, as Christ has gifted
each one. To expect me to do it all is to create a huge bottleneck. That would
frustrate other people with gifts and hinder their growth in the Holy Spirit.
Empowering
leadership does not mean using lay workers as "helpers" in attaining
the pastor's own goals or vision. It means up-ending the pyramid of authority
so the leader assists Christians to attain the spiritual potential God has for
them. Such pastors equip, support, motivate, and mentor individuals to become
all that God wants them to be. Rather than handling the bulk of church
responsibilities on their own, these pastors invest the majority of their time
in discipleship and delegation, so the energy they expend can be multiplied
indefinitely. God's energy, not human effort and pressure, is released to set
the church in motion.
In
Christian Schwarz's research, he found a very negative correlation between
church quality and theological training of the staff. Instead quality was more
related to a pastor's readiness to accept help from outside. Pastors of quality
churches could say, "I regularly seek counsel from a trusted outside
source, such as a church growth consultant." By the way, thank you for
honouring the United Church's guideline of clergy being allowed 3 weeks continuing
education each year. It helps keep us fresh and up-to-date!
The
second quality characteristic of a healthy church is "Gift-oriented
Ministry". A Natural Church Development seminar I attended with John Uyl
in October used the analogy of an Animal School. There were 3 students: a fish,
a duck, and a rabbit. Classes were in swimming, hopping, and flying. The fish
did admirably in swimming; the duck passed, too; but the rabbit was a flop. In
hopping, the rabbit excelled, the duck hobbled, and the fish flopped miserably.
In flying the duck had no problem, the rabbit was OK for very short distances,
but the fish could hardly make it out of the water. Of course the obvious
lesson is that the fish should stick to swimming, the duck to flying, and the
rabbit to hopping.
We
are not all alike; we are each unique, designed by God as different members of
Christ's body, with different gifts. In Exodus 31 God tells Moses he has chosen
Bezalel and filled him with God's Spirit so that he has skill and ability in
all kinds of crafts for making items for the new tabernacle. God adds, "I
have given skill to all the craftsmen."
In
Galatians 2, Paul recalls that the elders at Jerusalem realized he had been
entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter
had been to the Jews. Paul had been raised in Tarsus, outside Palestine, so was
better suited to reach Greek-speakers than Peter, who was from Galilee.
And 1
Corinthians 12 mentions the many different kinds of gifts and service that God
enabled in various believers by Christ's spirit. Paul says, "To each one
the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good." Very
different gifts, from wisdom and knowledge, to healing and prophecy, to
distinguishing between spirits. In Romans 12 other gifts are mentioned,
including encouragement, giving, and showing mercy.
Christian
Schwarz writes, "The gift-oriented approach reflects the conviction that
God sovereignly determines which Christians should best assume which
ministries. The role of church leadership is to help its members to identify
their gifts and to integrate them into appropriate ministries." He found
the contentedness of Christians, their "joy in living", was most
influenced by whether they were using their gifts. Members of quality churches
said, "My personal ministry involvements match my gifts," and pastors
agreed with the statement: "The volunteer workers of our church receive
training for their tasks." Too often in the nominations process we dictate
which ministries lay-persons should assume and then search eagerly for bodies
to fill the position - even if it means trying to persuade a duck to hop
instead of fly.
Remember,
as we continue through these characteristics, keep asking yourself: Do we as a
church already have this, or do we need to be improving in this area so it
doesn't hold us back?
The
third quality factor is Passionate Spirituality. In Daniel 3, Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego refused to compromise their Jewish faith by bowing down
to the golden image set up by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. They told the king God
was able to save them from the fiery furnace if He chose. But even if He
didn't, they were still not going to bow down. I admire the passionate
spirituality and trusting spunk of these three. As a reward, God not only spared
their lives, but they were accompanied in the furnace itself by one whom
Nebuchadnezzar said "looks like a son of the gods". It could have
been an angel, or Christ himself in a pre-Bethlehem form.
In
chapter 6 of the same book, Daniel evokes the irritation of the other
government leaders by distinguishing himself in the king's service. They decide
to trap him, but the only thing they can catch him in is his religiosity. They
get the king to make a decree forbidding prayer to anyone but him for a month.
Still Daniel kept on with his faithful routine, praying three times a day on
his knees. As a reward for his passionate spirituality, God spared him from the
lions' den. And the king was so impressed, he issued a decree honouring
Daniel's God.
Peter
and John were hauled before the Sanhedrin in Acts 4, and commanded not to speak
or teach at all in the name of Jesus. They stuck by their guns and responded,
"We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." Such
nerve! They are going against the very group that crucified their master just a
couple of months before.
Paul
and Silas were missionaries in prison in Philippi in Acts 16. About midnight
they were praising and singing hymns to God. They didn't know God was about to
use an earthquake to get them free. Where did they find the internal resources
to praise the Lord despite hardship? Their passionate spirituality.
What
is "passionate spirituality" these days? The Natural Chruch
Development workshop summed it up in 6 "p's": prayer, praise, personal
holiness, positive focus, practising His presence, and pondering His word.
(repeat) Passionately spiritual persons find prayer is an inspiring experience,
and are familiar with the Bible as another friend. This is applied religion,
where the rubber meets the road. If we can't get this right as a church, we're
in danger of turning into a social club!
Schwarz
puts the question this way: "Are the Christians in this church 'on fire'?
Do they live committed lives and practice their fiath with joy and enthusiasm?"
Spiritual passion does NOT mean just performing one's duty, or legalism.
Churches that are legalistic or pride themselves on their orthodoxy usually
have members with below average passion. Pure doctrine, the "right"
beliefs, are not enough; the truly "spiritual" person has a genuine,
living relationship with Jesus Christ. For example, are your bedtime prayers or
table graces simply memorized, by rote; or would your children hear you
speaking naturally, as to another person? I don't think Daniel braved the
lions' den just so he could keep on saying, "Now I lay me down to
sleep..."
Fourth
and last for today is the quality characteristic, Functional Structures. In our
Old Testament lesson, we saw the threats facing Nehemiah and the people of
Jerusalem as they rebuilt the protective wall that had been broken down before
the exile. Nehemiah as a leader responded creatively to the challenge. Half the
people worked, while the other half stood guard. Even those who worked carried
the material in one hand and a weapon in the other. The bricklayers had a sword
strapped to their waist. And Nehemiah kept the trumpet-blower near him, so if
the alarm went, people from all over would rally to the spot under attack. They
had a plan and they worked it. God granted them creativity to meet the
circumstances and get the job done.
The
early church didn't get too far off the ground before it ran into complaints.
In Acts 6 we read about problems with the daily food distribution: apparently
some of the Greek-speaking widows were being overlooked. Peter wisely felt it
was not right for the apostles to neglect the ministry of the word or devoting
themselves to prayer (verse 4) in order to wait on tables. Instead - another
creative response! The church appointed 7 "deacons", who had Greek
names and could probably relate well to the people who had the concern. Even
today in our United Church governing setup, we have a similar distinction
between the Session or "elders" who look after spiritual matters, and
the Stewards who look after temporal affairs.
Christian
Schwarz found that "Functional Structures" is the most controversial
of the 8 quality characteristics, because it brings to the surface faulty but
deeply-held convictions. Quality churches agree with the statement, "We
have created ministries, trained and supported people so as to fulfill the
vision and mission of the church." What's so controversial about that? Too
many churches don't HAVE a conscious vision or mission, so of course their
structures aren't designed to support them. And what do you do if you don't
have a vision? Why, you do the same thing you did last year! Fully half, 50%,
of low-quality declining churches had members who said, "I consider our
church to be tradition-bound." (In other words, "I love yesterday!")
By contrast, less than 10% of quality churches struggle with traditionalism.
For
example, Schwarz notes what he calls the "department head" principle:
4 out of 5 quality churches had department leaders for the individual areas of
ministry in their church; less than a third of low quality, declining churches
did. This highlights the advantage of structures which promote an ongoing
multiplication of the ministry. Leaders are not simply to lead, but also to
develop other leaders.
One
church had been having a Wednesday night prayer meeting for years which had
dropped off in attendance. When they changed the focus to discipleship, new
people started to come out. But it required a change in direction.
In
architecture, the saying is, "Form follows function." You want a
candle if you're going camping, but an electric bulb for a lamp at home. Just
so, our church structures need to be creatively adapted to the need of those
Christ is calling us to serve.
Rick
Warren is brutally blunt in his book, The Purpose-Driven Church. He
says, "Always clarify the purpose for every program in your church. KILL
any program that doesn't fulfill a purpose. Replace a program when you find one
that does a better job than the one you're using. Programs must always be the
servants of your purposes." Programs and structures must be functional,
working to fulfill Christ's mission.
In
closing, a true story of an UNhealthy church from Oklahoma. A young minister
had come to this little church in hopes of reviving it. But it seemed to just
keep on dying, no matter what he tried. Finally he had one last idea.
He
announced in the local newspaper that the church had died, and on Sunday
afternoon there would be a funeral service at the church itself. For the first
time in years the church was packed. People were standing outside on tiptoes
looking through the window to see this most unusual funeral service for a
church.
To
their shock, there was a casket down front, smothered with flowers. The pastor
told the people as soon as the eulogy was finished they could pass by and view
the remains of the dearly beloved that they were putting to rest that day. They
could hardly wait until he finished the eulogy. He slowly opened the casket,
pushed the flowers aside, and people walked by, one by one, to look in. They
left sheepishly, feeling guilty as they walked out the door, because inside the
casket he had placed a large mirror. As they walked by, they saw the church
that had died.
How
do you grow a healthy church? Keep up the quality of your own walk with Jesus!
The seed of the Kingdom is within you, waiting to grow "all by
itself". Empowering leadership, gift-oriented ministry, passionate
spirituality, functional structures...start by letting God through His Word and
prayer hold a mirror to you before you find yourself in a casket. Let us pray.
Back
in October the Chairperson of Session accompanied me to a workshop on
Developing Healthy Churches. At the end of one section of the presentation, a
cartoon was put up on the overhead. It showed a group of people, obviously
church members, seated around a table. The leader was standing up and saying,
"That settles it, then. The new Vision Statement for First Presbyterian
Church will be this: 'Misery Loves Company.'"
As we
prepare for our Annual Congregational Meeting this Tuesday, hopefully our
vision will be more positive than that. We are called and inspired by the most
positive person in all of history, Jesus Christ -- not even a cross could keep
him down! Perhaps misery does love company, but those who truly believe in
Jesus and are filled with his Spirit have a habit of attracting others, not
because they're miserable, but because of the loving warmth that comes from
being assured of God's acceptance and grace. Today we continue our exploration
of Christian Schwarz's 8 quality characteristics of healthy churches, churches
that obviously love company because they're growing or high-quality.
Last
week we talked about the qualities of Empowering Leadership, Gift-oriented
Ministry, Passionate Spirituality, and Functional Structures. The fifth quality
of healthy churches is Inspiring Worship. You wondered when we were going to
get to this one, didn't you? It wouldn't be church, the place we honour our
wonderful God, if we didn't have worship! But admittedly not all our worship
can be classed as "inspiring worship". When worship is inspiring, it
has that once- and- only- once quality of uniqueness, impossible to repeat
exactly. Somehow you feel God came to visit: "You had to be there."
Back
in Exodus 3, Moses was out herding sheep when he noticed a burning bush. God
called to him from out of the bush, because God had a job for him to do: lead
the Hebrews out of Egypt. First though Moses had to meet God face to face, a
holy experience. When Moses came over to look at the bush, God said, "Take
off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground."
Removing sandals was a sign of reverence, the bush and its surroundings were
mysteriously changed by God's presence; as a result, Moses was changed as well.
The Holy Spirit would enable him to boldly approach Pharaoh and perform God's
miracles until Pharaoh relinquished and released the people. The Exodus began,
then, with real heart-felt inspiring worship.
Once
the Hebrews had left Egypt and made it to Mount Sinai, God instructed Moses how
to build a Tent of Meeting or Tabernacle where many people could worship. In
Exodus 40 we're told that when Moses finished setting up the Tent, the dark
cloud of the Lord's presence covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord
filled the Tent of Meeting -- so much so that Moses couldn't even enter. God
had really come amongst his people. A similar thing happened in 1 Kings 8 when
Solomon completed his beautiful Temple: again the glory of God's very presence
filled the place, so not even the priests could enter!
The
New Testament church did not seek to construct tabernacles or temples for
worship, but gathered to celebrate the Risen Lord Jesus who had himself
"tabernacled" or dwelt among us. In John 20, the evening after the
resurrection, Jesus came and stood among the disciples even though they had the
doors locked. He showed them his hands and side, that it was really Him who had
been crucified, and they were overjoyed. "Peace be with you," he
said; and "Receive the Holy Spirit." All our gatherings in His name
since then hearken back to that first resurrection appearance to the gathered
followers. Inspiring worship has a sense that "He's really here! God is
speaking to us, reassuring and touching us, calling forth change and fresh
starts amongst us!" At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended as in tongues
of fire on each one. After Peter and John were released in Acts 4, they
rejoined the other believers, and the whole group "raised their voices
together in prayer to God." That's the essence of worship, coming together
to address God and enjoy His presence. Afterwards, "the place they were
meeting was shaken, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke the
word of God boldly." True worship fills us with an awareness of God's
powerful Spirit, and leads us to bubble over telling others how God has been
active in our lives.
When
Christian Schwarz surveyed 1000 churches on 6 continents, one criterion in the
area of worship separated growing churchs from stagnant and declining ones.
Members of growing churches put it this way: "Attending our worship
services is an inspiring experience for me." Inspiring means that when the
Holy Spirit is truly at work in a meeting, he will have a concrete effect upon
the way a worship service is conducted, including the entire atmosphere of a
gathering. People even indicate that "going to church is fun"!
Contrast
that with other motives for attending church. Some people go to church to
fulfill their Christian duty, maybe to do the pastor or God a favour. Some even
believe their faithfulness in enduring boring and unpleasant services will be
blessed by God. Strangely, those who think this way will always tend to
pressure other people to attend church. However when worship is inspiring, it
draws people "all by itself."
Rick
Warren writes of a common denominator behind every growing church: "They
have figured out a way to meet the real needs of people...If your church is
genuinely meeting needs, then attendance will be the least of your problems -
you'll have to lock the doors to keep people out." For example, his
church's vision statement is not "Misery loves company" but, "It
is the dream of a place where the hurting, the hopeless, the discouraged, the
depressed, the frustrated, and the confused can find love, acceptance,
guidance, and encouragement." I think I hear someone thinking, "I'll
buy that!" How can they deliver on that dream? A main way is through
inspiring worship.
Schwarz
notes that so-called "seeker sensitive services" are not a church
growth principle; they're not appropriate in every context. Undoubtedly the
younger generation often finds contemporary music more inspiring than hymns
from a previous century. But better questions to ask ourselves include,
"What needs to occur for the unchurched to be able to say, 'God is here?'
Is there a sense that God was in His house that day? How can we remove the hindrances
and spiritual strongholds that are holding God back?"
Quality
characteristic 6 is "Holistic Small Groups". Back in the pioneer
days, the Methodists had a secret weapon compared to Presbyterians and others.
That secret weapon was the class meeting. True, there were also the
circuit-riding preachers, that didn't depend on an established flock the way a
settled clergyman did. But in between the visits of the circuit rider, the
class meeting continued every week, often meeting in homes or a log schoolhouse,
led not by a trained professional but by a faithful local settler. This
distinctive and highly successful feature of Methodism called the class meeting
was just another form of Small Group. It's in small groups that God's people
become real, known, available to each other, that genuine loving and caring can
take place.
In
Exodus 17 we see the importance of small group solidarity during a crisis for
the Hebrew slaves, recently released from Egypt. They're attacked by enemies.
While Joshua leads the army on the battlefield, Moses holds the miraculous
staff up with both arms on the hillside. When his arms start to get weary, the
enemy begins to win. Solution: Moses sits on a stone while Aaron and Hur, the
other members of the small-group foursome, each hold up one of Moses' arms.
Literal small group support.
In
Daniel chapter 2, the wise men of Babylon are going to die unless they come up
with an interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. Which they happily
would, except he refuses to tell them the dream. Daniel and his 3 close friends
pray for mercy to interpret the king's dream. As a result, God shows Daniel the
secret, and everyone's life is spared. A small group, pulling together.
Did
you know Jesus had his own "small group"? I don't mean the twelve disciples;
there was an inner small group. When Jesus raised Jairus' daughter; when he
went up the Mount of Transfiguration; and when he stayed awake and prayed in
the Garden of Gethsemane, you'll note each time he took with him Peter, James,
and John, his "inner circle", his special support group. The ones to
whom when he was most distressed he could say, "My soul is overwhelmed
with sorrow to the point of death; stay here and keep watch." We all need
a few best buddies we can say that to.
When
Peter escaped from prison, he went to a house, and who was inside? A group of
close friends, praying for him. They were so intent on praying for him in his
dire circumstance they could hardly believe it was really him at the door! The
Lord answered the intercessions of another small group.
We're
covering a total of 8 qualities of healthy churches. When the researchers had
completed analyzing all 4.2 million answers, which of the 8 do you think was
most important? They're all significant, but the single variable that was most
highly related to church growth was this one: "Our church consciously
promotes the multiplication of small groups through cell division." This
is it, folks! In high quality churches there's even a tendency to give small
groups priority over worship service attendance. The largest church in the
world, which is in Asia, has over a million members; and it's built around
small groups. We're told that if the majority of people in a church were in
small groups, and if each group wins just one person each year, the church
would double in size in 5 years. Sound exciting?
The
word "holistic" means groups go beyond just DISCUSSING Bible passages
to APPLYING its message to daily life. Members are able to bring up issues and
questions that are immediate personal concerns. you just can't do that in
big-group Sunday morning worship! Small groups focus on meeting the real
questions and needs of their members, and are the natural place for Christians
to learn to serve others with their spiritual gifts (that's "gift-oriented
ministry" we talked about last week).
Seventh
- second last - is the quality of Need-oriented Evangelism. In some churches,
evangelism is almost a four-letter word, because of our prejudices and
stereotypes. I remember a Covenant Players presentation in which the a man was
standing by the bus stop. Along came a second actor, bopped him over the head
with a rolled-up newspaper and declared, "I am an evangelist!" Not
the way to earn a hearing.
"Evangel"
literally means "Good News". The whole message about Jesus is summed
up by the New Testament as Gospel, or "News" that is
"Good". Note Jesus' own openers in each book about him. In Matthew he
starts off with the Beattitudes, how blessed or happy people are who seek God.
In Mark he begins dramatically, "The Kingdom of God is near; repent and
believe the (what?) Good News!" Jesus' first sermon in Luke 4 quotes from
Isaiah about preaching Good News to the poor. And in John, we're introduced by
being told the Word has become flesh, his glory has been seen, full of
"grace and truth". Jesus is God's own Word being told, God's
"communication" or broadcast of what he's really like. And Jesus'
first words to the inquisitive are, "What do you want?" He began
where they were at, need-oriented.
The
apostle Philip was a natural evangelist. You get the feeling that telling
others about Jesus came as easily to him as breathing. In Acts 8, hitchiking in
the wilderness, Philip gets a chariot ride with a black man returning to
Ethiopia. This court official happens to be reading from the book of Isaiah,
maybe he was able to buy a copy hot off the scriptorium when he was in
Jerusalem. Philip doesn't miss a beat. It says he "began with that very
passage Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus."
Writing
to the scattered Christians in time of misunderstanding and persecution, Peter
writes in his first letter, chapter 3: "In your hearts set apart Christ as
Lord.Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the
reason for the hope that you have." He's telling that to everyone, not
just those who have a gift for evangelism like Philip. Everyone needs to be
ready to give an account, to tell what Jesus has done for you. John Douglas
Hall, a Canadian theologian and member of the United Church, and certainly no
high-pressure evangelist, reminded Bay of Quinte Conference of this verse at
its most recent annual meeting. Hall warns us as a church that "the days
of automatic Christianity are over". The United Church is no longer part
of the establishment; this century we'll be more and more like little flocks
spread out all over, as the Christians were dispersed in early times. I quote
from Professor Hall: "It is 'Gospel' that [the church after Christendom]
must learn to interpret and affirm...We will simply atrophy and, eventually,
disappear, unless within the next century we become clearer and more articulate
about our basic reason for existence: Gospel." Referring to Peter's
admonishment to "Be prepared to give a reason for the hope that is in
you," Hall comments, "It is not enough to have such hope. It is not
enough to do the good and resist the evil that such hope inspires. An account
has to be given, wherever it is called for; and in a world where genuine
hope...is extremely rare, a reason for hope is nearly always called for."
Relax.
It is not true, as some have said, that "every Christian is an
evangelist." Schwarz's studies tended to confirm Peter Wagner's thesis
that no more than 10% of all Christian have the actual "gift" of
evangelism. But in quality churches, the leaders know who has the gift of
evangelism and steer them into a corresponding area of ministry.
Having
said that, it IS the responsibility of each Christian to use his or her gifts
to serve non-Christians with whom they have a relationship, to see to it that
they HEAR the gospel, and to encourage contact with the local church. As a
church we need to occasionally organize public events to which members can
invite their unchurched neighbours. This doesn't even mean you have to go knocking
on doors (though I won't stop you! If you feel led to, maybe evangelism is your
gift): Christians in both growing and declining churches have exactly the same
number of contacts with non-Christians (an average of 8.5 contacts). Just use
your already existing relationships as contacts for evangelism.
It is
important that it be "need-oriented" evangelism, focussing on the
questions and needs of non-Christians. Rick Warren writes, "You need to
survey your own community because every area has its own unique needs. I know
of a church that discovered through a survey that the number one felt need in
their community was potty training for preschoolers! The area was filled with
young couples who wanted help with potty training. Rather than ignore this need
as "unspiritual", the church used it as an opportunity for
evangelism. The church held a "Parenting Preschoolers" conference
which, among other things, taught this vital skill. Later the pastor joked that
their biblical basis was Proverbs 22:6: 'Train a child in the way he should
GO!'"
Last
but not least, Christian Schwarz found an essential quality is Loving
Relationships. The Old Testament prophet Amos warned the nation of Israel
during a time of a booming economy that the poor were being taken advantage of.
Despite the elaborate religious rituals of the day, God was not pleased; people
had the pagan idea that if you performed the prescribed sacrifices at the
temple, you could scoot out the door and then do whatever you liked, especially
in business. Not so! In chapter 8 God showed Amos a vision of a basket of ripe
fruit. Israel was ripe to be plucked, the Lord warned, because they were
trampling the needy, doing away with the poor, inflating prices and cheating,
and using dishonest scales. The poor were being bought with silver, the needy
for a pair of sandals. God would turn the songs in the temple into wailing, the
religious feasts into warning. Religiosity was not enough: God was looking for
the fruit of loving relationships.
When
Jesus was asked what the greatest command was in Mark 12, he tied "love
your neighbour as yourself" to the command to love God totally. This
linking would seem to question whether you can really be loving God if you're
not showing it by loving your neighbour. Too many churches over the years have
become places where you come in, sit down, profess your devotion to God, then
head home again without having any loving contact with another human.
In
John 13, Jesus set forth what he called a new command, HIS command: that the
disciples love one another. This is to be our distinguishing feature as his
people. He said, "By THIS all will know you are my disciples, if you love
one another."
And
the picture we have of the early church in Acts 4 backs up the importance of
practical love in fostering rapid growth. We read that all the believers were
one in heart and mind; they didn't claim their possessions were their own, but
shared everything, so there were no needy persons among them. What was the
result? It says, "With great power the apostles continued to testify to
the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all." Do
we want that power and grace enough to let the Lord pry our fingers off our
possessions, so they become means of loving the needy who are on his heart?
How
did the researchers determine whether churches were loving? They asked about
very concrete things, like how much time members spend with one another outside
of official church-sponsored events. When people in high-qulaity, growing
churches were asked, "How often have you invited someone from the church
over for a meal or a cup of coffee in the past two months?" the average
answer was 17 times. Outsiders don't find it hard to penetrate cliques. Loving
churches tended to dole out compliments more; the pastor was aware of the
personal problems of the lay workers in the congregation; and 2/3 of church
members agreed with the statement, "There is a lot of laughter in our
church" - twice as many as in low quality churches. Summing up, Schwarz
writes, "Unfeigned, practical love has a divinely generated magnetic power
far more effective than evangelistic programs which depend almost entirely on
verbal communication. People do not want to hear us talk about love, they want
to experience how Christian love really works."
One
way we can show love is by what Rick Warren calls a "high-touch"
ministry. He says, "We give a lot of hugs and handshakes and pats on the
back. Our world is filled with lonely people who are starving for the
affirmation of a loving touch. Many individuals live by themselves and have
told me the only loving physical contact they ever get is at church. When I hug
someone on Sunday morning I often wonder how long that hug will have to last
them."
Rick
continues, "I recently got this note on a registration card: 'Pastor Rick,
I can't tell you what it meant to me when you put your arm around me in comfort
today. I felt as though Jesus was hugging me in such compassion and tenderness.
I now know I will make it through this scary time, and I know he sent you to
help me. It's wonderful that there's such caring and love in this church. Thank
you.' I had no idea when I hugged her she was going in for breast cancer
surgery the next day."
Worshipping,
meaningful small groups, telling the Good News, showing real love -- what could
hold such a church back? May the Lord help us develop all 8 qualities so we may
not just grow in numbers, but become more truly the loving healthy active
church that resembles Him in His ministry. Let us pray.
Psalm 46:1-5,10-11; Ecclesiastes 3:1-13; Romans 8:28,31-32,35,37-39; John
14:1-6,18-19,27
As we gather to remember Estella's life today, the
Preacher of Ecclesiastes reminds us, "There is a time for everything, and
a season for every activity under heaven." A time and a place. We are
thankful for the time we had with Estella, and the place she had in our lives
and our hearts.
There is a time, Scripture says, to be born, and a
time to die. The funeral is but one small moment in a Christian's history, a
transition to the next stage. Estella knew the joys of giving birth and family
life as well as the loss of her physical health. She was a daughter, mother,
and grandmother, and so knew the full range of life's joys and concerns
associated with those roles. As she was born and in turn gave birth, so we who
remain alive are invited to carry on in some way the good things she stood for,
and endeavoured to pass on to the next generation.
The Preacher speaks of "a time to plant and a
time to uproot". Estella was one of the most "planted" people I
know of: most of her life was lived within a few miles of Londesborough. She
was very much a farm girl, rooted in the sod, working alongside the rest of her
family to earn a living from the soil. She also strove to give her offspring a
grounding in the eternal truths of the faith. Her approach to life was
practical, down-to-earth, understanding others.
There is "a time to weep and a time to
laugh". Estella knew both loss and sacrifice, and how to enjoy life with
others. She had attended high school in hopes of becoming a teacher, but when
her mother died while Estella was a teenager, she returned home to help her
father manage the farm. A sacrifice for the family because they needed her.
However she also learned to celebrate life, enjoying euchre, going to dances,
being part of the Happy Gang and Cheerio Club.
Scripture says there is "a time to embrace and a
time to refrain". Estella was a caring mother; she would do anything for
her kids. But as they became adults, she was also able to let them go:
encouraging them to follow their own interests and gifts, freeing them to live
their own life. Estella was quite independent, which allowed others their space
and room to grow.
We're also told there is a time "to be silent,
and a time to speak". Estella was a tough farm girl who put up with some
rough times without complaining. Yet her family knew she could be supportive by
speaking, too. On the phone she would keep the kids filled in on the local
happenings; and more, she was a friend as well as a mother, you could share
freely and openly with her.
Finally, The Preacher says there is a time "to
mourn, and a time to dance". We mourn and grieve today because we've lost
someone who was dear to us. But as believers in Jesus Christ, the Risen One, we
do not mourn as do those who have no hope. As with God's help Estella was more
than a conqueror through the problems that beset her, so Jesus' sacrificial
death for our sins means we can be more than conquerors with him despite death
itself. Not even death, nor things to come, nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Our
mourning will turn to dancing.
So there is a time for all these things; there is a
sense of completeness, of fulfilment as we look back on Estella's life. Somehow
this was meant to be, it all worked out. Our time with her was quality time.
God's Word assures us that not only is there time, there is a place; a place
where our relationships with our loved ones who loved the Lord can continue.
Jesus said, "In my Father's house are many rooms...I am going there to
prepare a place for you...I will come back and take you to be with me that you
also may be where I am."
Estella will always have a place in our hearts because
of the memories we shared with her, the way she gave of herself into our lives.
Her grown children viewed her more as an equal, a friend or companion than a
parent, because of her love and respect; there was no "generation
gap". Christ gave himself in love, so that there might be no gap between
God and us. The Lord desires us to be with him, to come to his place, that we
might continue the companionship started in our earthly life. Jesus said we
could come to the Father through Him, He is the way, not leaving us as orphans
but longing for us to enjoy the rooms he's prepared. So joy chases our tears as
we anticipate seeing our faithful loved ones in heaven.
The Preacher concludes, "I know that there is
nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That
everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil--this is the
gift of God." Estella accomplished much in her life, and has left us for a
while to carry on the qualities and priorities which gave her life meaning and
impact. Knowing God's timing for us, our place in his care and eternal realm,
we can continue, confident in the peace Jesus gives. Amen.
Say!
Did you know God loves you? Jesus is God's expression of his love for us. The
Bible tells us so. The sacraments tell us so: they are visible signs of God's
invisible grace, reaching out to us through the events of Christ's life.
And
that's not all. More than likely you are loved by several people, too. If
that's hard to believe, perhaps it's because we stumble and stutter when it
comes to outright telling someone they're special to us. One reason Valentine's
Day became so popular is it gives people an excuse and a means to express
affection by cards, chocolates, flowers and so on.
If we
were to get better at communicating our love for one another, might it not also
help us understand God's love for us, and give us ways to express our love to
God in return? Dr.Gary Chapman counsels married couples and directs marriage
seminars. He has written a book called "The 5 Love Languages" to help
couples express their heartfelt commitment to each other. As we consider these
5 ways of communicating love on the verge of Valentine's Day, we can also
consider how they apply to our relationship to God.
The
first love language Chapman calls "Words of Affirmation". We just
read in Proverbs 12 that a kind word cheers a person up. Chapter 18 notes that
the tongue "has the power of life or death". By our tongue we can
build people up or tear them apart. For an example from Jesus' life, recall
what he said after Peter confessed him as the Christ. Jesus responded,
"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah!" Christ knew how to affirm
people with a few simple words.
What
might affirming words sound like around your home? "Do you ever look nice
in that dress!" "You must be the best potato cook in the world.I love
these potatoes." "I really appreciate your washing the dishes
tonight." "Thanks for getting the baby-sitter lined up.I want you to
know I don't take that for granted."
Encouraging
words can awaken hidden potential in a loved one, for example if they're a
writer, giving them the boldness to submit some articles to a magazine. Or you
might spur them on to develop an interest they already have, like taking a
night course in a particular hobby. Note: a lot has to do with the tone of
voice, as much or more than the actual words you use. It's no good to say,
"I would be delighted to wash dishes tonight," if you're snarling.
The Bible says "a soft answer turns away wrath." Empathy is
important, trying to see the world from your spouse's perspective. Forgiveness
is a must, otherwise bitterness and resentment are bound to harden your tone.
Love
makes requests, not demands, so it helps if you can approach your partner
humbly. One husband says, "You know those apple pies you make? Would it be
possible for you to make one this week? I love those apple pies." He's
giving his wife guidance on how to love him and thus build intimacy. Contrast
the guy who says, "Haven't had an apple pie since the baby was born. Guess
I won't get any more apple pies for 18 years!" Humility definitely helps.
The
second love language is Quality Time. Spending time together was important for
Jesus and the disciples. When he chose them in Mark 3 we read, "He
appointed them in order that they might be WITH HIM - AND to be sent out to
preach and to have authority to cast out demons." The functions of the
twelve came secondarily to their spending time with the Master. At the end of
his ministry, Jesus looking back said, "You are those who have stood by me
in my trials, and I confer on you a Kingdom..." He appreciated the fact
that they had been there for him, at his side, through thick and thin. They had
spent 3 years solid together.
So
for some individuals, quality time may be their #1 love language. One husband
made a list like this of things his wife had always wanted to do: "Spend a
weekend in the mountains; meet her for lunch, at a nice restaurant or sometimes
even [Tim Horton's]; when I come home at night, sit down and talk with her
about my day and listen as she tells me about her day (without trying to watch
TV while this is happening); go walking with her and talk as we walk."
A
central aspect of quality time is togetherness. The key feature is focused
attention. It can involve an activity such as badminton or cards as long as the
attention isn't focused on the game. I have a somewhat distant relative who
always complains about his wife trumping his cards in euchre when she's playing
against him. It's not that she's trying to be malicious, she just has the cards
and wants to help her partner win, yet her skill becomes a cause for her
husband to put her down. Keep togetherness the focus, not the activity itself.
Quality
time also includes quality conversation. This is different from Words of
Affirmation in that it's more a matter of listening sympathetically, drawing
them out. Don't try to solve her problems, just ensure she feels heard.
Maintain eye contact when your spouse is talking; don't listen and do something
else at the same time; listen for feelings; note body language such as clenched
fists, a furrowed brow, or defensively crossed arms; refuse to interrupt. And,
guys, if you really want it to be quality time, there's really no way around
the "f" word - "feelings". Intimacy requires that we learn
to reveal ourselves, and that means getting in touch with our feelings.
A
third love language is Receiving Gifts. How did God express his love for the
world? John 3:16: "God so loved the world that he GAVE his only
Son..." Jesus is God's love-gift, the swaddling clothes were the wrapping
paper. In Luke's account of the Lord's Supper, Jesus says, "This is my
body, GIVEN for you..." And John in his first letter implies that if we
have material possessions and see someone in need, love translates into sharing
what we have with them, giving them something.
Gary
Chapman notes, "A gift is something you can hold in your hand and say,
'Look, he was thinking of me,' or, 'She remembered me.'" The gift itself
is a symbol of your thinking of the other person. Gifts are visual symbols of
love.
It
doesn't have to be expensive. It can be a heart shape cut out of paper rescued
from the trash can at work, folded, signed, and with a few words of affection
written on the front. It just shows you were thinking of her or him.
An
important gift can be the gift of self. One husband left his wife and newborn
baby at the hospital in order to go play softball 10 minutes after the baby was
born, leaving his wife to lie there in bed by herself all afternoon. The same
guy dashed off to play ball right after his wife's mother's funeral was over.
When I hear that example I feel guilty, because when Meredith was born at
Stratford hospital about 10:20 am, I still made it out to Hibbert United at
Staffa in time to finish off the 11 o'clock service! Chapman says,
"Physical presence in the time of crisis is the most powerful gift you can
give if your spouse's primary love language is receiving gifts -- your body
becomes the symbol of your love."
Fourth
is Acts of Service. For many years I made the mistake of acting as if this was
the only one; I tend to try to show love by DOING something for someone.
Deeds
are important, even if they're not the only love language. In the John 13
passage read earlier, we see Jesus give a lesson in loving by doing something
for the disciples: washing their dirty feet! The point of the lesson was
unmistakable and straightforward: "I have set you an example," he
said, "that you should do as I have done for you." This, John notes,
was how Jesus "showed them the full extent of his love." Further, the
cross itself is Christ's ultimate action proving his love for us: taking the
punishment that should have been ours, so we could enjoy full fellowship with a
holy God. Love is a verb. 1 John 3:16 says, "This is how we know what love
is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us." That was the supreme Act of
Service.
In a
relationship, Dr.Chapman defines these as "doing things you know your
spouse would like you to do." Some examples: cooking a meal, setting a
table, vacuuming, getting hairs out of the sink or the ring off the tub,
removing the white spots from the mirror, bugs from the windshield, changing
the baby's diaper, changing the cat's litter box. Now it may not exactly
qualify as an act of service in your spouse's mind if it's already been agreed
that it's your job anyway. Love goes the extra mile, doing the unexpected. Mind
you, if you're a novice, you might want to ask for some tips first. One husband
had the initiative to help with the laundry, but used undiluted bleach instead
of regular detergent. The blue towels came out with white polka dots!
Love
can't be demanded, it's freely given. No good nagging your spouse to try to
manipulate them into performing an act of service. Also, you may need to learn
the person's specific "dialect" in this language of love: what do
THEY perceive as an act of service (as opposed to just your duty)?
If
you are mature enough to accept it, your spouse's criticisms can be an invaluable
clue to you about the area in which they themselves have the deepest emotional
need. Chapman says, "My spouse's criticisms about my behaviour provide me
with the clearest clue to her primary love language." One woman blamed
hunting as the thing that kept her husband from washing the car, vacuuming the
house, and mowing the grass. When he learned to meet her need for love by
speaking her emotional love language (doing those things), she became free to
support him in his hunting.
Words
of Affirmation; Quality Time; Receiving Gifts; Acts of Service; the fifth and
last love language is Physical Touch. (or as I try to remember them, talk time
tokens talents touch) Our skin is our largest organ, if you stop to think about
it. It's a prime means by which we receive messages from our environment.
Research has proven that babies that receive adequate holding and cuddling are
healthier. Mothers brought their children to Jesus - why? so that he might
TOUCH them. When he blessed them, Mark records that he "took the children
in his arms" and "put his hands on them" - one of the most
endearing images in all Scripture. When Martha's sister Mary anointed Jesus'
feet with expensive perfume, that also was a "touching" scene - she
wiped his feet with her hair, very tender and intimate.
With
regards to finding the best points of contact, your best instructor is your
spouse; it can be simple things like a hand on his shoulder, brushing against
her as you pass, sitting close as you watch TV; a kiss or hug when one leaves
or returns; a back rub with some delightful-smelling massage oil, or running
your hand through her hair. There are many ways to touch besides the sexual
ones.
In a
time of crisis, touch means so much, and can be the most powerful of all the
love languages. Many times when a person is on their deathbed a family member
or I myself have held their hand or brushed their hair or forehead gently.
Dr.Chapman writes, "The most important thing you can do for your mate in a
time of crisis is to love him or her. If your spouse's primary love language is
physical touch, nothing is more important that holding her as she cries...Your
tender touches will be remembered long after the crisis has passed."
As we
wrap this up in the context of today's worship, consider how the sacraments
employ these languages to communicate God's love to us. Affirming words are
spoken; baptism is a naming of the person as God's dearly-loved son or
daughter, through faith in Jesus. The prayer before communion blesses God in
words for the gift of his Son represented in the elements. We gather as God's
people to spend Quality Time together in worship, recalling the time of Jesus'
life. We have received Gifts of God's grace, symbolized in the water, bread,
and wine. These harken back to Christ's supreme Act of Service at the cross,
reconciling the world to God. And religion might be a head-trip, purely
spiritual, except Jesus commanded us to observe these sacraments as means of
God touching us physically, reassuring us that He loves us totally by an emblem
we can hold in our hand. One worship expert defined worship itself as
"speaking and touching in God's name."
This
coming week, on Valentine's Day and throughout the year, may the Lord guide us
to speak and act all love's languages - to those in our family, and our
precious Saviour. It's a message that won't go unheard! Let us pray. (Pastoral
Prayer)
"It's
a small world, after all." Or so the song goes. Yet we share this world
with billions of other people, and each person has their own unique needs. So
although it may be a "small, small world", it is also a very, very
needy world. On this Sunday when we're featuring World Development and Relief,
where do we begin amidst this sea of need?
Let's
begin with Jesus, for he walked this same planet, heard these same cries for
relief, interacted with people who were every bit as needy. Yet it didn't stop
him or make him balk for a minute. Within the limited time he had, he brought
God's resources to bear on the situations he encountered in a loving, creative
way. As we begin to follow Jesus through a day in the world's need, we discover
that Christ's love compels us to live out the Gospel in practical, caring ways.
In
our passage from Mark 1, Jesus has just concluded teaching in the synagogue.
Now perhaps the Saviour was wired differently from me, but when I'm done the
worship service, early Sunday afternoon I need to crash. My adrenaline is gone.
It's almost a requirement for me to lie down undisturbed for 20 minutes just to
get my wheels back under me.
But
this particular Sabbath Jesus didn't get much opportunity for that. When he
arrived at Simon Peter's house, he found Simon's mother-in-law sick in bed with
a fever. (Yes, incidentally, you heard me right: the founder of the long line
of popes was married!) But Jesus didn't beg off, saying he had to recharge his
batteries. He took her hand and helped her up. Made well, she began to serve
them. We are healed in order to minister in turn ourselves.
Christ
was only practising what he preached. He talked about love, he demonstrated
love by the way he lived. So for us, if we praise God for his unfailing love at
church then walk out but don't help another soul, we're living a lie. Christ's
love compels us to do what we can for those in need, even when, frankly, it's
inconvenient. James wrote (1:27): "Religion that God our Father accepts as
pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress,
and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." Religion becomes
REAL when we live it out, helping others with their felt needs in a practical
way. The story of the Good Samaritan reminds us that the despised foreigner was
more worthy of mention than the religious professionals, the priest or Levite:
they passed by on the other side, but HE inconvenienced himself in order to
save the life of a dying man.
I am
happy today that the Sunday School is having a luncheon partly in order to
raise money to sponsor a boy in Uganda named Swaibu Ntale. Sponsoring a child
is a very practical, hands-on way to help someone who is underprivileged in a
needy part of the world. It is good there are other ways to help people without
having to know the details one-on-one, as in mass food-for-work programs and
relief projects where we trust the administrators to give the money where it's
most needed. But sponsoring a child helps "humanize" the whole issue
of development for us, making us aware that these are real people, with faces
and names and struggles just like you and me.
In
his letter to us of October 9, Swaibu writes, "At home we have a garden;
we plant maize (corn), beans, potatoes. We also plant coffee. We also have fruits
like pawpaw (papaya) and jackfruit." At this end, we may grumble if we
have to settle for an ordinary hamburger instead of a quarter pounder when
eating out. But for much of the world's population, meat is a luxury. Corn and
beans provide the basic starch and protein to survive. When we have our
luncheon, we can be extra thankful remembering many people in the world don't
usually eat nearly that well. By the Sunday School's help, Swaibu is getting
some supplement that otherwise wouldn't be available.
Interesting
that he also mentions about planting coffee. The "Ten Days for Global
Justice" materials report, "World coffee prices have dropped in the
past 2 years, and small coffee producers are getting hit harder than ever. By
buying 'fair trade' coffee and educating about fair trade, you can help support
farmers' efforts through changing the system rather than offering
charity." Practical suggestions for us from the Ten Days committee:
"Ask grocery stores and coffee shops to carry at least one fairly traded
coffee; and ask your church or workplace to become a 'fair trade zone'."
Coffee and other products with the Bridgehead label are means of giving small
growers like Swaibu's family a better price for their product.
Our
church's World Development and Relief fund is another very practical way of
sharing aid where it's needed. Over $600,000 was offered this way by
congregations last year, and this prompts governments to chip in hundreds of
thousands of additional dollars. Listening to some of the projects that
received grants, and reading the list of emergencies we responded to last year
with supragifts and the emergency fund, gives one a good feeling at being to
help in so many vital ways around the world.
Yet,
once you start, it's hard to know where to stop. Our small small world is a
needy needy place. If we are truly caring, we may soon be swamped by the
world's massive level of need.
Back
to Jesus' Sabbath. It already wasn't turning out to be much of a day of rest:
he'd delivered a man from an evil spirit during synagogue time, then healed
Peter's relative from her fever. Both of which, by the way, put him in the
religious folks' bad books for working on the Sabbath. But that's beside the
point, it's just a risk he took in response to these persons' suffering.
Perhaps
Jesus got a chance eventually that afternoon to put his feet up for a few
minutes, but by sundown, guess who was knocking at the door? The whole town!
Literally, Mark says, "the whole town gathered at the door." Word
travels fast in these small towns. People were bringing to Jesus anyone and
everyone that was sick. With the coming of dusk and the end of the Sabbath,
people couldn't wait for the visiting doctor to get busy seeing patients. What
a night! Jesus healed many who had various diseases, verse 34 tells us, and he
drove out troublesome spirits - perhaps particularly draining work.
Did
Jesus have the feeling he was drowning in a sea of need? Sometimes we can
relate to that. Bad enough all the flyers that come, all the phone campaign solicitations
that interrupt you as you're just about to sit down to your evening meal. Does
Jesus really want us to go beyond our immediate circle, to make ourselves aware
and vulnerable of people in need anywhere? Where would it stop? At one point
(Luke 6:30), Jesus said, "Give to EVERYONE who asks you..." Uh, just
a minute, Lord. Can you rephrase that a bit? How 'bout, "Give to SOME of
those who ask you?" I mean, where's it going to end?
The
modern term for this weariness of feeling obligated to help others is
"compassion fatigue". I think it first became recognized in the 70's,
around the time of the starving Biafrans. A more recent example is a PHOTO in
the January Focus on the Family magazine showing a hunger-wracked child from
Sudan. The veins stand out on his head, the arms are almost skin and bone, the
head is the wrong shape for his body size. It's grotesque. We try to turn the
page, or if we've seen many, the child may be almost invisible to us. What
initially is very gripping becomes annoying when we feel it's hopeless for us
to begin to confront the massive problem. After repeated exposure, we
"turn off" in order to protect ourselves.
But
these are real people, the stories are too human, too real. We find them
wherever we turn. Last month Yvonne and I received a card from Captain Cox
Crowhurst, my former boss when I worked with the Salvation Army in Congo on a
project of Christian Blind Mission in the early 80's. She writes, "News
about Congo is rare.There is a quiet period but people do not trust it. Talks
are going on between the parties..." The "parties" likely refer
to the animosity between the rural northern tribes, who favoured communism, and
the urban business-oriented southern tribes, who didn't. In December 1998 many
had to flee from various areas because of the fighting that was going on.
Captain Crowhurst, a career nurse, must be particularly saddened to relate that
"only one clinic is functioning; the others are damaged and looted and the
area too dangerous." She notes the Congolese money has been devalued by
half: how would you like it if the Canadian dollar suddenly went from 76 cents
to 38 cents U.S.? As the back of the bulletin notes, debt relief for the Third
World is long overdue: for every every dollar of aid given by well-off countries
to poor ones, $5-6 comes back in the form of interest payments on their debt to
us. Captain Crowhurst continues, "The economy is rock
bottom...unemployment is high and schooling haphazard and young people have no
future -- no university -- no work. And until they can make peace by agreeing
to work together, the situation cannot really change."
The
saddest part of the letter for me is news of those I knew personally while
there for two years. Captain Makosso was my right-hand man; he "died in
January 1998 of complications of diabetes and lack of care (none
available)." Major Nsingani "was shot and died when on a peace
mission with other church leaders -- seven were killed." My job involved
helping blind people find work through garden and handicrafts. One of them was
a pleasant young woman about 30, "Mama Marianne", who though blind
learned to knit granny squares which could be sewn together into blankets.
Captain Crowhurst reports she died of a heart attack when they had to flee the
area. It's all very sad for me because these are people I worked with, people
with real names and faces, people who deserved to still be alive every bit as
much as I do, maybe more given their courage. It's disheartening, frustrating,
almost overwhelming.
So
how can one keep on? Must we give in to the flood of human need and be sucked
into the undertow, totally drained ourselves? How did Jesus keep going and
going, day after day, surrounded by such endless demands? In this scripture
passage, Jesus shows us that our relationship with God is the secret to
continued effectiveness and eternal priorities.
You
might have thought that after such a heavy evening Jesus would have wanted to
sleep in. He DID get himself some rest, but in a different way: by restricting
his commitments to those that were clearly God's priorities for him. Verse 35:
"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left
the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." Jesus
withdrew to the source. His spiritual emphasis was the key to his practical
effectiveness. Because he spent time with the Father in prayer, reviewing what
was important from heaven's perspective, he didn't get mired down in life's
daily demands. Prayer, conversing with God, restored his vision and vitality. It
prevented him from the problem of not being able to see the forest for the
trees; prayer saved him from the tyranny of the urgent. Here was where the
Saviour got recharged. As Isaiah says, God "gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak...those who hope in the Lord will renew
their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow
weary, they will walk and not be faint." Relief from compassion fatigue
comes from tapping into God's vast compassion and supply for us, coupled with
limiting ourselves to his purposes for our unique gifts.
It
was just as well Jesus snatched time to get alone with God when he did. His
quiet time was interrupted by Peter and the other disciples finding him after a
search and exclaiming, "Everyone is looking for you!" I guess so! The
locals had twigged to the fact that here was a wonder-worker from God in their
midst. They were ready to beg his help for every little problem they could
find. Maybe Peter was thinking, "We've got it made, Master. These folks
are ready to put us up for life. Let's just settle down, hang out our shingle,
and swing into full-time business!"
But
that's not the game plan Jesus received from the Chief Coach. Between the lines
you can read Jesus saying, "No, not that." What the disciples heard
him say was, "Let us go somewhere else -- to the nearby villages -- so I
can preach there also. That is why I have come." Jesus wasn't going to
give in to the temptation to turn miracles into a means of earning bread, or
winning people's popularity. The miracles were just signs backing up his main
message, the inbreaking of God's Kingdom through his person. He came to preach,
to call people to turn to God themselves for in-depth salvation, not to create
dependence by solving people's problems for them. That focused time of prayer
had given him a renewed sense of purpose, a fresh awareness of God's specific
calling about how to use one's limited resources.
Though
today we celebrate all the wonderful good works World Development and Relief
makes possible, Christ reminds us the heart of the gospel has to do with the
spirit, not just the body. Just as crucial, probably MORE crucial, than feeding
and sheltering people's bodies is giving them hope for their souls. Earlier we
mentioned the extreme need in Sudan, that photo of the starved child. Did you
know that the church is booming in that country? The Christian Education
officer for the New Sudan Council of Churches says, "There's been a
Christian explosion in Sudan...It's burning like fire in dry grass." There
are nearly 7 million Christians today, compared to about 3 million in 1983 when
the latest fighting broke out. So Christian aid groups such as World Relief and
World Vision are helping the people of the area not only with agricultural
assistance, health care, education, and small enterprise development, but also
CHURCH development. Another Council representative says, "Ours is a
suffering church, but it's a growing church. We may be weak, but we are strong
in the Lord. We may be poor, but we are rich in God."
Tom
Neven, who wrote the Focus on the Family magazine article, tells of his
experience leading worship in a village in southeast Sudan. He says,
"Afterward, several worshipers surrounded me. One was eager to show me the
fine lines across his forehead, the ritual scarring distinctive of the Dinka.
Another had a pattern of small dots across his brow, the ritual scarring of the
Nuer tribe. There were also men from the Anyak and Kakwa tribes. The mixing of
these different peoples is not to be taken for granted; the Dinka and
Nuer...have been warring for generations, stealing each others' cattle,
stealing children, killing each other at times. Now these men stress that they
are all brothers in Christ."
Do
you catch the significance of that? It is not relief supplies that has made the
warring stop, but the gospel. Without the practical caring of relief, the
gospel may not have been taken seriously; but when it is heard, accompanied by
loving action, the preaching of Jesus is truly revolutionary. A new social
order and cooperation are possible when people receive forgiveness in their
lives and have an overflow of God's grace to extend to others. So much
suffering in the developing world is caused not so much by environmental factors
as by human factors -- "man's inhumanity to man". Both tribal
differences overseas, and our own feelings of indifference or ineffectiveness
toward those who are suffering, are transformed by the Holy Spirit's witness in
our hearts that change is possible, the gospel backed up by our gifts does make
a difference. Praise God, Christ's Kingdom coming in our midst by His word
gives us hope -- and relief from compassion fatigue. Let us pray.
Christianity
shares many emphases with Scouting and Guiding, but a key emphasis is that of
being positive. Being positive, redemptive, having something good to share with
others. Jesus Christ was the most positive man that ever lived. Healing,
kindness, and genuine love flowed out of him continuously. He wanted all people
to discover that same positive blessing the Father is waiting to reveal to us.
He said he had come that we might have life, and have it to the full,
abundantly. (Jn.10:10)
There
is so much negativism around in today's world, especially among the younger
generation. Black is the colour of choice in fashion. The dark colour may
reflect a dark attitude, pessimism about ever finding meaningful employment,
about how the economy will ever support all those baby boomers when they try to
get pensions; pessimism because so many parents are busy off working or playing
with their toys that we've forgotten how to have a family life; pessimism
because in the previous century we created an industrial monster that gobbles
up resources and spews out pollution so fast, our whole planet is being
permanently affected. It doesn't help that secularism has so invaded our public
institutions that truth is viewed as relative rather than absolute, that
evolution is treated as fact rather than wishful thinking, that immoral
behaviour is so tolerated that not much seems to be worth protecting or living
for anymore.
This
negativism exacts a huge toll on our young people's lives. When there's not
much to live for, or you feel unloved and unneeded, it's easy to give in to
self-destructive behaviour. This may be a masked cry for help, to see if anyone
will get excited enough to step in and stop it. Recently a news story featured
a young man who took a couple of hits of a powerful drug in Winnipeg as part of
the Y2K bash. Now he's had to have a liver transplant as a result, and will
have to receive special medication the rest of his life. Then there are the
silent killers: eating disorders, self-mutilation, the "respectable"
self-poisoning of too much alcohol. Youths living for the thrill of the moment
will take risks and often die as the result of car or snowmobile accidents. In
urban areas, the loneliness and impersonal atmosphere get so bad that youths
resort to gangs to find some sense of community; however these gangs breed
their own brand of negativism, sometimes resulting in swarming or attacks on
other people -- something the individual themselves would never do.
Why
be positive? Christ calls us to fight evil wherever we find it, to counter the
forces that would destroy people's bodies and souls. The Scout/Guide movement
is a step in the right direction, along with our specifically Christian
organizations like Sunday School, Explorers, and youth groups. Scouting gives
youth at least 3 reasons to be positive, reasons that harmonize well with what
the Holy Spirit endeavours to foster in believers' lives. These reasons are:
(1) Respect for authority; (2) the rewards of self-discipline; and (3) the
results of teamwork.
First,
there is the emphasis on RESPECT FOR AUTHORITY. Each Scouting group's promise
includes something like, "I promise to do my best to do my duty to God,
and the Queen." God is honoured as someone to be obeyed and served, and
the Queen is revered as the guardian of the laws and historical worth of one's
country. Reverence for God is the starting point in the Judeo-Christian
heritage: "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you
shall LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and
with all your strength." (Deut.6:4) Or as Jesus responded to Satan's
temptations in the wilderness, "Worship the Lord your God, and serve him
only." (Matt.4:10)
The
spirit of independence and disorder of our age shouts, "I don't need to
give in to anybody. I'm my own person. I don't need anybody else, I have a
right to my own wants and freedoms." That's a good way to build chaos
rather than community: everybody pushing and shoving to get their own way.
Discovering the true meaning and value of life begins with worship, learning
how to relate to God and others who are greater than us, and on whom we depend
if we will admit it.
When
I was an Akela or "Old Wolf" in a Cub group, the law was, "The
Cub gives in to the Old Wolf, the Cub does not give in to himself."
Learning and mentoring can take place when we acknowledge someone is wiser than
ourself. This grows the virtues of obedience, submission, and a sense of honour
within us as something for which to strive. Rather than getting cynical. There
is a danger in having no "absolutes" in life: pretty soon, nothing is
worth laying down your life for.
I
love the story of David's 3 "mighty men" risking their lives to get a
drink for him. The enemy Philistines were guarding David's hometown of
Bethlehem. Out in the wilderness, stuck in a hot dry cave as a hideout, David
with scarcely a thought breathed out a longing for some water from the well at
Bethlehem - never thinking anyone would take it seriously. Just a yearning.
Well, 3 of the chief men of David's band overheard him, and decided to do a
little adventurous scouting of their own. They broke through the enemy lines
and managed to bring back water from the well to David. They risked their
lives, merely for a heartfelt wish of their beloved leader. As Christians, the
Holy Spirit seeks to develop such a love and respect for Christ our King within
us, a readiness to lay down our live for His wishes, just as Scouting seeks to
inspire respect and obedience for God and the Queen.
A
second reason to be positive comes from the results to be had from
self-discipline. One of the gods of our age is the tube: the TV tube, Nintendo
tube, computer tube. It's a very hot medium, now interactive with the advent of
the computer game and DVD movies. But too often young people are left to sit
and lose their souls in front of hours of programs and commercials. This tends
not only to make us get out of shape, but also breeds general lethargy, and an
attitude that demands, "Entertain me!" Scouting or Guiding helps kids
uncover many abilities, whatever their area of giftedness. There are all kinds
of badges, crafts, and skills to be learned. To manage a winter camp-out and
survive builds a real sense of self-esteem, an appreciation for the abilities
God has given the individual, a little less dependence on the "creature
comforts" of modern society. One summer campout near Thessalon, I helped a
group build a rope flyway: you held on to this pulley attached to a rope at the
top of a hill, and went zooming down to the bottom. Great fun! And we made it
ourselves! So the results of self-discipline pay off in diligence,
self-control, and resourcefulness.
Shammah
was one of David's mighty men. He disciplined himself to become a great warrior.
We're told one time when everyone else was fleeing, Shammah staked out a field
of lentils and determined to defend it to the death. As a result the Lord
helped him win a great victory. God blessed his initiative.
Tabitha,
or Dorcas, was a Girl Guide long before Lord Baden-Powell invented the term.
Scripture tells us this believer in the ninth chapter of Acts "was always
doing good and helping the poor". One of Scouting's objectives is to
"do a good turn for somebody every day". When she died prematurely from
sickness, and Peter had come, all the widows were standing around crying and
looking at the robes and other clothing Dorcas had made. Shammah had busied his
hand with the sword, but Dorcas was industrious with her sewing. She had made a
positive contribution to those who were needy in her time. Perhaps partly as a
reward, and to demonstrate the reality of the gospel in which Dorcas believed,
God raised her back to life. He did her a "good turn" too.
The
dedication and self-discipline of such believers had its reward: they made a
mark on their society, through diligence, self-control, and resourcefulness.
They knew God had a purpose and meaning for their lives. The theory of
evolution hadn't grabbed them with its lie that humans are just slime scaled up
a bit, that random chance and accident can somehow account for the tremendously
organized and delicately balanced systems of DNA and biochemistry that make
higher life forms possible. Shammah and Dorcas knew their Creator, that God had
equipped them with certain talents for a purpose; and they found fulfillment in
putting these skills to good use for God's glory.
A
third reason to be positive is the results that come from teamwork. We live in
a very individualistic, independent society. From pioneer days some choose to
elevate the myth of the Lone Ranger, the self-guided man or woman who can
manage on their own without help or interference from anyone else. We forget
that the pioneers probably survived more because they learned to work together
and co-operate, than by trying to tough it out alone. Stories still circulate
of barn-raisings, threshings, bees, and community dances that made life in
colonial times bearable. So in the Scouting movement we learn to take our turn
and pitch in together on projects: rotating duty rosters at campouts, getting
together to rake leaves or plant trees or pick up litter. Everything goes so
much faster when we work together as a team.
That
was the secret of the early church. Teamwork. The Holy Spirit within helped
them realize they belonged to God because Christ had bought them back from sin;
hence, they belonged to each other as well. Luke records, "All the
believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his
possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had." Those who
had emergency need were provided from by the surplus of others. Barnabas, whose
name means Son of Encouragement, was one who sold some extra real estate and
entrusted it to the apostles to distribute to the poor. By contrast, Ananias
and Sapphira thought they could lie to God and tried to trick the church
leaders into believing they'd offered all the proceeds from the land they sold.
Their fatal sin wasn't keeping back some of the money - they had every right to
do that - but in pretending they were giving it all when really they weren't.
They failed to accept the attitude of teamwork and co-operation that was so
exciting in the early church, and impressing outsiders. They were trying to
hold back for themselves instead of making a positive difference for others.
Recently
on a live TV show a woman married a multi-millionaire named Rockwell. But
apparently Mr.Rockwell is going to be up for grabs again. The woman who married
him is seeking an annulment, saying all she really wanted was a nice weekend in
Las Vegas! She hasn't discovered the joy and satisfaction that comes from fully
giving yourself to someone else; she held back, and apparently was trying to
trick God as well as her rich groom at the wedding. Jesus, on the other hand, tells
us that we find our life by losing it in love for him and others. He poured his
life into developing a team of apostles, then once he was no longer physically
present, they were empowered by the Holy Spirit to carry on the Kingdom'
program.
Why
be positive? In Christ, we have a goal for our life; he supplies strength and
guidance so we can keep our promises to him. As God's people we discover
respect for authority, the rewards of self-discipline, and the results of
teamwork. Michelle Akers is a world-class champion soccer player. Her team won
the World Cup in 1999. But she has higher goals in life than just winning
soccer games. She has started a ministry called "Soccer Outreach
International" that combines her love for God and for soccer. She says,
"After the 2000 Olympics, I'm going to retire and devote myself full-time
to reaching kids for Christ. It's become my passion."
Michelle
has other battles to fight than on the soccer field. She suffers from Chronic
Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome, which drains her energy and causes
migraine headaches. At one point she was so sick she couldn't take a 5-minute
walk without needing two days on the couch to recover. Her sickness forced her
to spend a lot of time thinking about who she was, and she didn't like what she
saw. She had received Christ in high school, but ignored God in college and
after graduation. She accepted an invitation from her coach to attend his
church. She knew she "needed to get things right with God". She
explains, "Looking back, I think God was gently, patiently tapping me on
the shoulder and calling my name for years. But I continuously brushed him off,
saying, 'Hey, I know what I am doing. I can make these decisions. Leave me
alone.' Then I think he finally said, 'Okay,' crossed his arms and looked at me
sadly - because he knew I was going to make a lot of mistakes by ignoring him.
He knew I would be hurting in the future. It took total devastation before I
would acquiesce and say, 'Okay, God. You can have my life. Please, help me."
She views her struggles as a wake-up call: "God was saying to me, 'Pay
attention! This is important! Rely on me and I will give you what you
need." She finally told God, "You can have this body. You can have
this life. You can have me, because I've made a mess of everything."
Of
the World Cup championship against China, she recalls finding comfort and
courage in Christ's crucifixion and his temptation to evade his call. She says,
"Like Jesus, I am sometimes tempted to take the easy way out. His courage
to face the cross gave me courage to be faithful to the challenge and privilege
God placed before me. I make it a habit to dedicate each game to a friend or
family member by writing his or her name on the ankle tape around my socks. For
the World Cup final, I simply wrote Joshua 1:9 on the tape. It reminded me to
be strong and courageous because God is with me. If I wimp out or give less
than my best, then I am disobeying God. My courage and strength come from him.
If I am living out God's will and my body is totally thrashed, then even though
I might not be getting up on the outside, I am still standing up in triumph on
the inside."
Whether
soccer players or armchair quarterbacks, Scouts or Guides, older women like
Dorcas or young soldiers like David's mighty men, God's strength and purpose
make the difference in our lives. Jesus helps us be positive in a tough world,
for he has overcome. Let us pray.
On a
movie we watched recently, the family was in the habit of doing what they
called "hi/lo": going around the supper table and saying what their
high for the day was, or the low for the day. Does it seem to you that some
days seem to have far more than their fair share of the lows? God's loving
grace, distilled in Christ, helps transform those lows so they're not so bad.
Marijean
is married to Steve Green, a Christian musician. She recalls an incident that
took place when she was 12 years old, an age when children need to feel
accepted and girls and boys are just starting to notice each other. She says, "One
day during recess as I waited for my turn at a game of four square, a classmate
named Rose came over to stand in line behind me. She proceeded to tell me that
one of the boys in our class didn't like me because I had 'black teeth'. She
didn't know that I had been sick as a child and the medicine prescribed for my
asthma had caused my teeth to discolour and turn gray. Crushed in my spirit and
trying to hide my hurt, I left school feeling angry, alone, and ugly.
"My
mom greeted me at the door with her usual smile. 'Hello, honey. How was your
day?' With head low I muttered, 'Fine,' then headed straight for the piano. She
could always tell what mood I was in by the way I played. After allowing me to
vent my frustrations on the keys, she lovingly sat me down on the couch and we
talked. I cried as I expressed my hurt, and she responded tenderly with a
promise: 'Your dad and I will do everything we can to make your smile just the
way you want it, but I want you to know that you reflect a beauty that goes beyond
any smile because you reflect Christ who is in you.' Her words planted hope
within me."
Marijean's
mother showed loving grace and understanding as she reassured her daughter.
Sounds like something Jesus would do, turning a real negative "low"
into a "high", by a promise to treasure forever. The transfiguration
was like that, a real "high" for Jesus and the disciples, an
expression of God the Father's reassuring value and care that turned all the
lows around it into something worthwhile. The transfiguration was a real
MOUNTAINTOP in the middle of a real MUDDLE giving a real MESSAGE which brings
real MEANING to this madness.
First,
it was a real MOUNTAINTOP. Peter James and John must have been excited to climb
the peak and get some time alone with the Master, away from the hubbub and
press of the crowd below. They would have become even more excited when
Christ's clothes started to shine a brilliant white. (Wouldn't you be surprised
if you were standing beside your friend when they suddenly started to glow!)
The word in the Greek is "metamorphosis", like a caterpillar changing
into a butterfly: some of the limitations of the earthly features of Jesus
began to fall away and they were getting a glimpse of his true, glorified
being.
Next,
2 strangers joined them out of thin air: strangers that turned out to be none
other than Moses and Elijah. These were the two "heavyweights" of Old
Testament revelation, one representing the books of the Law, the other, the
Prophets. What more could one want? The disciples must have begun to think
they'd got it all right here, they'd want to park right there at heaven's
doorstep. Peter suggested they build 2 lean-tos, explaining, "It is good
for us to be here." I guess! Who wouldn't give their eye teeth to have
been there? Maybe Peter's mind was beginning to race with the possibilities.
They could set up a souvenir stand - selling "glow-in-the-dark
Jesuses". Perhaps they could run a hydro line and somehow tap into that
mysterious power, then sell the current south of the border in Egypt. Or why
not start a seminary? I can see it now: "Mountain Ministry of Metaphysics:
All your toughest theological questions answered by the experts"...
But
Peter hadn't noticed the sign stuck in the ground up there at the crest of the
mountain. On the sign it said, "No overnight camping." Jesus did not
have plans in any of those directions. We need occasional mountaintops, but our
whole life can't be like that. God's design for growth involves lows as well as
highs. Greenhouse Christians wouldn't stand up in the real world. If the spring
weather keeps up, before long gardeners will be "hardening off" the
transplants they start indoors. In "hardening off" plants are placed
outdoors for increasing periods of time, giving them exposure to the cold and wind
so they will survive when they're finally planted out. We can't camp on the top
of the mountain with our favourite heroes for the rest of our life. God wants
us to take what we learn up on the mountain back down to the valley.
You
see, this mountaintop was in the middle of a real MUDDLE for Jesus and the
disciples. The context is the suffering of humanity in general, and of Jesus in
particular. As soon as they come down the mountain, they're met by a man whose
son is ravaged by an evil spirit -- symbolic of all the sickness and distress
around in Jesus' day, and our day. What is the particular context for Jesus?
Right before, in chapter 8, he has just begun teaching the disciples what his
Messiahship is all about. We find his first prediction that he must suffer many
things and be rejected, killed, and rise again. What was he talking about with
Moses and Elijah on the mountaintop? Matthew's account includes the detail that
they were discussing "his departure which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem".
Departure? Too nice a word for such a gory exit. And no sooner do they start
down the mountain than Jesus is mentioning in verse 12 that "the Son of
Man must suffer much and be rejected." He was going to be outlawed and
treated just as Elijah and John the Baptist had been mistreated. Of John he
observed, "They have done to him everything they wished" - as far as
imprisoning him and beheading him, and Jesus expected worse.
Throughout
the ages the world is made uncomfortable by those who are holy and devout, and
tries to undo them. Paul describes his missionary troubles to the Corinthians
with phrases such as, "hard pressed on every side, perplexed, persecuted,
struck down...we carry around in our body the death of Jesus...death is at work
in us." How'd you like that for a job description? Any volunteers? The
world is in such a muddle, moral and otherwise, it can't stand goodness.
Holiness is sour to sin, so sin tries to spit it out as fast as it can.
Nevertheless,
before they head on their way, there is some special content from above, a real
MESSAGE, injected into this whole situation. The disciples noticed a cloud
enveloping them -- not unlike the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night that
accompanied the Israelites in their wilderness wanderings. Then, more
astounding, they heard a voice from the cloud. Does it strike you as strange
that God the Father could make Himself heard by a voice? God communicates,
that's part of our likeness to his image. God is not dumb or silent, but
delights in revealing himself and his purposes. He who fashioned the ear and
tongue can surely get a message across when he wants to -- whether the air
particles actually vibrated in the process or not.
The
voice that came from the cloud said: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen
to him!" Then, just as quickly, Moses and Elijah vanished. It was the
Father's way of taking a highlighter and singling out Jesus, His unique Son. In
Him God was showing how much He loves us, is waiting to receive and bless us;
in Jesus we see how the way of grace -- humility, servanthood, self-giving
agape -- is far better than the world's way of selfish clamour, competition,
and discontent. Here was God's dearly-loved Son walking among us, demonstrating
what he preached about a forgiving, generous God who delights to bless His
creatures.
What
were those closing words? "Listen to HIM!" Rather than getting hung
up on what Moses or Elijah said or left unsaid. This underlined the singularity
of God's pulling-back-the-curtain in Jesus when it came to setting policy for
Peter and the early church: the fact that the Holy Spirit anointed even
Gentiles was more important than the burdensome legacy of Old Testament dietary
and ritual laws. Jesus is the key to interpreting any Scripture: listen to Him
first.
"LISTEN
to Him!" There's a command to carry into Lent. To whom are YOU listening?
Are you giving Jesus enough airtime in your consciousness? It's easy to become
inundated with pleasurable media -- songs, movies, easy-listening programs,
sitcoms, talk shows. These may anesthetize us from the struggle of life, for a
little while; but they leave us ill-equipped to venture back into the fray.
Maybe the programs we listen to draw us into mental lusting as we imagine what
it would be like to live on easy street, in a big house, with the fast car, and
a perfectly-built mate. If the Lord is prompting you to join the tradition of
some churches in giving up something for lent, allow me to suggest you look
long and hard at opting out of the TUBE and into the Bible (at least for a
portion of your day). Listen to Jesus' Spirit whisper to you as you turn the
pages of the book we otherwise "dust and trust". Therein you will
find God's promises to help you cope with the stresses and problems that rush
at us each day. Next week, the first Sunday in Lent, we'll be looking at Jesus'
temptations in the wilderness. It was his remembrance of Scripture that helped
him overcome Satan's temptations. So take that Bible off the shelf this week -
or get a modern translation if you don't already have one - and "Listen to
Him!"
Why
do I bring this up? Did you know this was the one passage in all of Scripture
that forbids TV? It's actually an obscure variant of the King James Version,
Matthew 17:9: "As they came down the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying,
'Tel-e-vision to no man...'"!
Seriously,
this MESSAGE brings real MEANING to this madness in which we find ourselves
down in the valley. Jesus did order them not to tell anyone what they had seen
until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. There was a danger that the news
would be misunderstood. You see, following Christ is NOT an easy glory trip,
these "highs" come to us once in a while so that we can cope with the
"lows". Church is not meant to be an escape to "feel-good
land", where warm fuzzies stimulate us while disconnected from the world
of hurting neighbours we're put here to love. The glory is for those who, by
God's grace, are prepared to go back down the mountain and serve others, even
if it means entering their pain and hurt, even if we wind up rejected as a
result of their fear, jealousy, or suspicion.
The
memory of the mountaintop - of God's real expression of commitment and
unconditional love, captured in the promises of Scripture, snippets of hymns,
the sacraments, the handshake or hug of a brother or sister in Christ - the
memory of the mountaintop gives us hope when times are tough. As the apostle
Paul wrote, "God made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light
of the knowledge of God in the face of Christ." That relationship with the
Father is ours when we turn to Jesus, His dear Son. Paul says this
"all-surpassing power" is from God, so we are NOT crushed, in
despair, abandoned, or destroyed. Yes, death haunts us, pursues us, indwells
these failing bodies and faulty souls, but only so that through faith the life
of Jesus is also being revealed in our body. Verse 11 repeats it in case you
missed it the first time: "We who are alive are always being given over to
death for Jesus' sake, SO THAT his life may be revealed in our mortal
body." That's our own transfiguration taking place, moment by moment, as
we walk in the Spirit.
Someone
has remarked: "Like plants and trees, we grow spiritually not only in
sunshine, but in rain, wind, lightning, thunder, hail and, yes, even in the
earthquake.In the adversity and darkness of our lives we sometimes see lights
which were invisible to us when our lives were all sunshine."
Another
shorter quote puts it this way: "A Christian is like a tea bag: he's not
worth much until he's been through some hot water."
The
transfiguration is not only for Jesus' benefit, but for yours and mine,
whenever we know we're going to have to descend a mountainside. A real
MOUNTAINTOP in the middle of a real MUDDLE gives a real MESSAGE which brings
real MEANING to this madness.
In
closing, here's a story from the book by Max Lucado featured in this week's
Library News. Max writes:
"We
have prayed for healing. God has not given it. But he has blessed us."
Glyn spoke slowly. Partly because of her conviction. Partly because of her
disease. Her husband, Don, sat in the chair next to her. The three of us had
come together to plan a funeral -- hers. And now, with that task done, with the
hymns selected and the directions given, Glyn spoke. "He has given us strength
we did not know.He gave it when we needed it and not before." Her words
were slurred, but clear. Her eyes were moist, but confident.
I
wondered what it would be like to have my life taken from me at age 45. I
wondered what it would be like to say good-bye to my children and spouse. I
wondered what it would be like to be a witness to my own death. "God has
given us peace in our pain. He covers us all the time. Even when we are out of
control, he is still there."
It
had been a year since Glyn and Don had learned of Glyn's condition --
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease). The cause and the cure
remain a mystery. But the result doesn't. Muscle strength and mobility steadily
deteriorate, leaving only the mind and the faith.
And
it was the coming together of Glyn's mind and faith that caused me to realize I
was doing more than planning a funeral. I was beholding holy jewels she had
quarried out of the mine of despair. "We can use any tragedy as a
stumbling block or a stepping-stone...I hope this will not cause my family to
be bitter. I hope I can be an example that God is wanting us to trust in the
good times and the bad. For if we don't trust when times are tough, we don't
trust at all." Don held her hand. He wiped her tears. He wiped his own.
"Who
are these two?" I asked myself as I watched him touch a tissue to her
cheek. "Who are these, who, on the edge of life's river, can look across
with such faith?" The moment was solemn and sweet. I said little. One is
not bold in the presence of the sacred.
Let
us pray. These words are from Richard Langford. "O God, give us enough
trials to make us strong; enough vision and endurance to follow Your way;
enough patience to persist when the going is difficult; enough of reality to
know our weaknesses; and enough humility to know these gifts come from
you." Amen!
Why
worship? Why are we here this morning? What is it we have come to church
expecting, what's motivating us? Why not just stay home and snuggle under the
covers an hour longer?
People
come to worship for all different kinds of reasons. This results in churches
which are very different, catering to each person's wants or needs. A humorous
email someone forwarded to us this week describes the
TOP TEN WAYS YOU KNOW YOU'RE IN A
"DIFFERENT" CHURCH
10. The church bus has gun racks.
9. The church staff consists of Senior Pastor,
Associate Pastor and Socio-pastor.
8. They use the "Dr. Seuss Version" of the Bible.
7. There's an ATM in the lobby.
6. The choir wears leather robes.
5. Worship services are B.Y.O.S. -- "Bring Your
Own Snake."
4. There's no cover charge, but communion is a
two-drink minimum.
3. They have Karaoke Worship Time.
2. Ushers ask, "Smoking or non-smoking?"
And the number 1 way you know you're in a different
church is:
1. The only song the organist knows is
"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida."
No,
we're not that kind of church - we're not here to handle snakes, or sing
karaoke, or over-imbibe the communion wine. But just why are we here? Why worship?
William
Willimon, Professor of Christian Ministry at Duke University in North Carolina,
says, "My first responses to the question are more questions. Why worship?
Why kiss someone you love? Or, for that matter, why send roses, write
sentimental poetry, attempt a moonlight serenade, or put on your best suit?
This is all rather ridiculous, useless behaviour which, to an outside observer,
would not seem to do anyone much lasting good. Of course, that's just the
problem: an 'outside observer' can hardly judge the meaning or the
appropriateness of the crude antics of lovers. It only makes sense, if sense be
needed, to those who are actually in love...Worship is a countercultural
activity in a hedonistic, auto-salvation-oriented, pragmatic, utilitarian
society. It is scandalously 'useless'. Worship serves no more worthy purpose
than the joy of being with the one who loves and is therefore loved. It ranks
somewhere near the top of the list of other useless and purposeless activities
such as singing songs, kissing, giving a gift without expecting one in return,
sitting quietly with a good friend, or doing nothing but watching a winter
sunset."
As
for myself, besides Professor Willimon's response based on sheer love for God,
here are four fundamental reasons to worship I find in Scripture: 1.God
commands it; 2.God deserves it; 3.We need it; 4.God blesses us by it.
First,
God commands it. Now let's
realize before we get into it that this reason holds more weight with the WW2
generation than with boomers or busters. The reason "God commands it"
is akin to the parent saying to the child, "because I say so". And
boomers and busters are very skeptical of such an authoritarian approach. There
is an element of fear involved here, the threat of painful consequences without
a rationale backing up why they're warranted. But it is different with the
designer of the universe than with any faulty, self-protective human
institution. So let's consider seriously God's commands about worship before we
dismiss them as unenlightened blustering.
Exodus
20 and Deuteronomy 5 contain parallel accounts of the Ten Commandments, the
very core of Jewish and Christian morality. The stone tablets recording these
brief laws conveyed to Moses at Mount Sinai were carried around in the Ark of
the Covenant wherever the nation went. In the Tabernacle then the Temple, these
key instructions were preserved underneath the atonement cover in the holiest
place of the building, the Holy of Holies. The fourth commandment reads,
"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and
do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it
you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your
manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.
For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that
is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the
Sabbath day and made it holy." In the passage in Exodus, fully 4 out of 16
verses, or one-quarter of the section on the Ten Commandments, is given over to
emphasizing this important command. One day in seven was set apart as belonging
to God, distinguished as meant for worship rather than work. Nehemiah berated
the nobles for doing business on the Sabbath, saying (13:18), "What is
this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the sabbath day? Did not your
ancestors act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and
on this city? Yet you bring more wrath on Israel by profaning the
Sabbath." Zechariah (14:17) even says one consequence of not worshipping
could be lack of rain.
The
New Testament continues this emphasis on worship as a command of God. Hebrews
10:25 says, "Let us not give up meeting together...and all the more as you
see the Day approaching." The closer we get to the Day of Christ's return
and the Day of Judgment, the more important it is to have kept God's commands.
Jesus himself re-emphasized God's command to worship in the temptation as
recorded by Matthew when he says, "Worship the Lord your God and serve
only Him." (quoting Deut.6:13) The context of that verse warns against
following other gods, the gods of the peoples around, for Yahweh is a jealous
God and following other idols would bring anger. If we're not worshipping,
chances are we have decided to give our time to some other god, some idol of
the culture such as sports or entertainment. Really, if you think about it, if
you break the fourth Commandment you're also breaking Commands 1&2 -
"no other gods" and not bowing down to or serving other gods. We're
taunting the Lord by putting other idols before Him. The fact that it's a
command makes it not optional.
But
before you congratulate yourself for just coming weekly and warming a pew,
listen to Martin Luther, the Reformer. He lumps together those who totally
ignore this command along with those who come to church but don't pay
attention. Luther wrote: "Since, therefore, so much depends upon God's
word that without it no holy day can be sanctified, we must know that God
insists upon a strict observance of this commandment, and will punish all who
despise His Word and are not willing to hear and learn it...Therefore not only
those sin against this commandment who grossly misuse and desecrate the holy
day, as those who on account of their greed or frivolity neglect to hear God's
Word or lie in taverns and are dead drunk like swine; but also that other
crowd, who listen to God's word as to any other trifle, and only from custom
come to preaching, and go away again and at the end of the year know as little
of it as at the beginning." Humph! Lumping respectable church-goers in
with the drunken pub crowd! But Luther is saying real worship requires attention
to what God is saying to us. He concludes, "Know, therefore, that you must
be concerned not only about hearing, but also about learning and retaining it
in memory, and do not think that it is optional with you or of no great
importance, but that it is God's commandment, who WILL REQUIRE OF YOU how you
have heard, learned, and honoured His Word."
God
commands our worship. In former generations that's all that would need to be
said on the subject. But my generation and those after have been taught to question
authority, we tend to rebel against just being told to do something. So let's
look at some other reasons. Second, God deserves
it. We "owe it to Him". He is WORTHY - that's the root word
behind worship anyway, worth-ship. Jeremiah wrote (10:7), "Who should not
revere you, O King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise men of the nations and in all their
kingdoms, there is no one like you." The Psalmist sang (18:3), "I
call upon the Lord, who is WORTHY to be praised..." God not only made the
world and all in it, he sustains us day by day, saving us from enemies. 1
Chronicles (16:29) urges us to ascribe to the Lord the glory DUE his name.
In
the New Testament, Romans 1:20, the apostle Paul says people who neglect to
glorify and thank God are without excuse because God's invisible qualities, his
eternal power and divine nature, are understood or obvious from what has been
made. Besides honouring God as our Creator and Sustainer, we owe credit to Him
as Redeemer on account of Christ's action dying for us and being raised for us.
He bluntly told his disciples at the Last Supper, "DO this in remembrance
of me." We owe God heartfelt
worship because of Christ's complete self-giving for us, proving God's love for
us at the expense of his own life. He loves us that much!
In a
way, we can pity atheists - they must be the most frustrated people in the
world, because whenever they get feeling grateful, they have no one to say
thanks to! Believers know God deserves credit, so we worship.
Why
worship? A third reason is, We NEED it. Physically, a day to worship offers
welcome rest. In Exodus the rationale given for the fourth commandment is that
God rested on the seventh day from the work of creation. In Deuteronomy the
rationale is that the Israelites themselves suffered as slaves in Egypt, so
should be especially conscious of making sure their own servants get enough
rest. Martin Luther said we keep the fourth commandment "first of all for
bodily causes and necessities, which nature teaches and requires; for the
common people, man-servants and maid-servants, who have been attending to their
work and trade the whole week, that for a day they may retire in order to rest
and be refreshed." I do believe God honours and blesses businesses and
farmers which give their workers Sunday off, as much as possible. We need the
rest a day of worship provides.
But
we also need it just as much spiritually. Worship helps us keep things in
perspective; frankly, it keeps us from getting "too big for our
britches", or overwhelmed by our current problems. Willimon notes that in
our "Me Generation" the question behind "Why Worship?" is
the more revealing "What's in it for me?" He says, "Christian
worship is bound to be judged irrelevant in a culture that is unable to see
beyond the limited confines of its own nose; that assumes that reality can be
adequately described and experienced wholly within the self; that cannot see
even the neighbour - much less God - because it is so busy looking at its own
vaunted needs and self-authenticated truths; that values things, people, and
experiences only for what they can give." In such a context, worship saves
us from ourselves, from our own narrowness and selfishness. We need it to
prevent over-inflation and subsequent puncture of the soul. As Willimon says,
"What more revolutionary, subversive activity could one undertake in this
'Me Generation' than to be caught singing a doxology?"
We
need it as well for protection from evil. In Ephesians 6, when Paul describes
the whole armour of God, the only offensive item is the "sword of the
Spirit" which is the Word of God. Worship centres on God's word, taking it
into our hearts, applying it in our lives. Luther warned Christians,
"Still you are daily in the dominion of the devil, who ceases neither day
nor night to steal unawares upon you, to kindle in your heart unbelief and
wicked thoughts against the foregoing and all the commandments. Therefore you
must always have God's Word in your heart, upon your lips, and in your ears.
But where the heart is idle, and the Word does not sound, he breaks in and has
done the damage before we are aware." Worship is to the Christian what
VirusShield is to a computer in a virus-infected internet culture. It gives us
ongoing protection from harmful thoughts and temptations.
Finally,
God BLESSES US by it. In Exodus 16, God promised to provide enough manna to
last for 2 days each week instead of just one if the Hebrews respected His
Sabbath. Isaiah relays God's promise in 58:14: "If you keep your feet from
breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call
the Sabbath a delight and the LORD's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by
not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then
you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights
of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." Jesus
promised in Luke 11(28), "Blessed
are those who hear the Word of God and obey it." God designed the universe
to work best around his principles and commands: if we follow his recipe,
things will generally come out better than if we ignore it. Paul told the
Colossians (3:16), "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you
teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns
and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God." Doesn't that
sound great? Worship becomes a real blessing, it gives Christ's message and
teaching opportunity to plant gratitude and wisdom within us. And Hebrews 10:25
reminds us that "encouraging one another" is a chief part of worship,
we build each other up just by being here, and conversing together.
Very
quickly, you can see some benefits of worship in the story of Jesus' baptism,
temptation, and launch into ministry from Mark 1. In the ritual or ceremony
(vv.9,10), Jesus RECONNECTED with God, heaven was torn open, worship ushers us
into the realm of God's Spirit. Verse 11, the voice (God's word heard in
worship) REASSURES us of God's unconditional love. "You are my dearly loved
child..." God is pleased with our worship, our seeking to spend time with
him in faith. Verses 12,13 briefly mention being tempted in the wilderness:
Worship REINFORCES us against evil's testing. Jesus was empowered to resist
Satan's offers because he had God's word hidden in his heart. He would quote,
"The Scripture says..." etc. Even the Son of God didn't try to make
up arguments against the devil on the spot, but relied on God's revealed truth
which had been ingrained in him through study and his custom of weekly
synagogue attendance. Verse 14, worship RECOMMISSIONS us for ministry to
others: despite the fact that John had been thrown in prison and danger was
great, Jesus began preaching in Galilee. And verse 15, worship helps us REFOCUS
on God's "good news" Kingdom.
This
section we can sum up in the words of the 1944 United Church Catechism. One
question asks, "What benefits flow from common worship?" The answer:
"If we worship God regularly and devoutly, we shall receive strength to
follow Christ with willing loyalty, and we shall partake of the vigour and joy
of the whole fellowship in heaven and in earth."
The
recent devastating floods in Mozambique provide a surprising example of the
place of worship in keeping us connected to God through tough times. Bill and
Karen Butt in a recent letter describe taking a layette or kit of clothes and
things for a new baby to a couple named Abel and Carlota. This couple had lost
their house in the flood, and Carlota had given birth to their fourth son in
the crowded emergency centre at a school. In return for the gift of the
layette, they extend the privilege of naming their new son to the Butts and
their colleague from the Christian Council of Mozambique. Now notice what
happens immediately after. Two "aunties" from the neighbourhood lead
a naming prayer in the local language, and they sing a verse of South Africa's
anthem, "God bless Africa", followed by a short spontaneous dance
with the parents and cousins and CCM folk and all the neighbours on the damp
mud floor. They worship!
Bill
and Karen conclude, "We don't know why calamities like these floods must
come. Meteorology can say how, but theology can't say why. We don't know what
the future may bring for [the baby boy]. Abel has no job, they have no house,
they having nothing but their faith and four sons now to feed. But we do know
that in one small space a family, a neighbourhood, a tiny community is pushing
on in the middle of disaster."
In
worship we are reminded of and celebrate God's promises to never leave us nor
forsake us, Christ's word that where two or three gather in his name, there He
is present too. And that knowing keeps us going. Let us pray.
"Good
luck!" someone says. They mean well, but do they know what they're saying?
Our society seems obsessed with this thing called luck. People routinely head
off to the casinos at Rama or Las Vegas. Lottery tickets are inescapable when
you go to pay at a convenience store. I walk into a bank and a sign suggests I
try winning a vacation by using my credit card. Visiting a local store this
past week, I could hear the radio broadcasting away - some woman supposedly
telling another's future by reading tarot cards. What the devil has gotten into
us?
I was
brought up short myself nearly 20 years ago when I mentioned the word
"luck" and Major Fred Crowhurst, a staunch Brit who at that time was
treasurer of the Salvation Army in Congo, told me flat-out that there was no
such thing as luck. Was he right?
The
short answer God's Word gives us is yes. Luck is a pagan concept, misfortune is
a condition of our fallen world. God's game plan is to bless us, not keep us
guessing. Faith is the winning combination that opens up God's promises to us
and escorts us into the real blessing of being Christ's.
"Luck"
is a pagan concept. The word comes from Latin and Greek roots, not from
Scripture. "Luck" and "chance" were very popular words in
the Greco-Roman world. The Greeks were always ascribing things to the Fates,
those women who sat at their spinning wheel in heaven and, when their thread
broke, broke the life of some poor mortal here on earth. Homer said our lives
are mere playthings of the gods.
The
Bible presents a better scenario, saying God is in control. God's name in
Hebrew, Yahweh, implies God is the God of all being, the God of what is and
what will be. Yahweh makes things happen - within the limits imposed by
granting his creatures freedom. In Genesis 17 God says to Abraham, "I am
God Almighty...I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will increase
your numbers...You will be...I have made you...I will make you...I will, I
will, I will..." God is very clearly the determining force here, Abraham's
life is going to be impacted by God's decisions, promises, and power to
intervene. There is no mention of luck, or of chance; but of Yahweh, God
Almighty, El Shaddai, Elohim - the one true God.
So if
God is good, where do all the bad happenings come into the picture? Who threw
the wrench into the works? Our Basis of Union holds that God made us "free
and able to choose between good and evil, and responsible to [our] Maker and
Lord." Being free, we were real agents, our actions were significant not
just puppetry. The Basis continues, "We believe that our first parents,
being tempted, chose evil, and so fell away from God and came under the power
of sin, the penalty of which is eternal death...by reason of this disobedience,
all [people] are born with a sinful nature, we have broken God's laws..."
The world is no longer perfect because its inhabitants are imperfect. So-called
"bad luck" is just a condition of our fallen world, a world subjected
to "frustration" as Paul puts it in Romans 8; a world in bondage to
decay, groaning in the pains of childbirth. A "bent" world in which a
couple like Abram and Sarai can reach nearly 100 years of age without being
able to conceive a child.
The
life insurance industry would tell us that very little happens to us by mere
chance. Actuaries are hired by insurance companies to predict how and when each
of us will die, how many children we will conceive, etc. From an actuarial
point of view, there is not much room for chance or luck. Until Jesus comes
back, our mortality rate will always be 100%!
Science
also questions the notion of luck. Albert Einstein (who knew a thing or two
about the cosmos) said, "I don't believe God plays dice with the
universe." A scientist noted it is ironic that we speak of "chaos
theory": if a phenomenon is coherent enough to have a theory about it,
it's really not chaotic, but discernible, patterned, even predictable. Pascal
wrote that science shows there are certain laws of probability, but never
anything in the world that could be called chance. Over a long enough period,
when processes are repeated, patterns appear. When we observe the natural
world, there does appear to be a kind of randomness. But keep watching and
you'll see patterns even in the randomness. Flip a coin 100 times, and it's not
by luck that half the time it will come up heads and half tails. There are
rules for randomness, rules called probability.
Even
the gaming industry will tell you there's no such thing as luck. The person
playing a slot machine in a casino may think he's going to have "good
luck". But those who build and finance the casinos don't believe in luck
at all! Millions of dollars aren't invested on something as intangible as luck.
No, they can tell you exactly, down to the cent, what your chances are of
winning. They can tell you exactly what they will earn from your dollars played
in their casino. When you win it is not by "luck" but by definite,
predictable laws of probability. In casinos, the only people dumb enough to
believe in luck are the customers!
But
there is another game plan - God's way. The Lord did not build the universe
like some grand-scale casino, just to "milk" us. No; God's game plan,
His basic intention, is to BLESS us. Yahweh pledges to Abram back in Genesis
12: "I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a
blessing.I will bless those who bless you...and in you all the families of the
earth shall be blessed." Look in 17:16 at God's promise for Sarah: "I
will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that
she will be the mother of nations..."
God
wants to bless us! That's his purpose right through the Bible. What's Jesus
begin the Sermon on the Mount with? Beatitudes, or "blessings"! Peter
tells people after the resurrection, "And you are heirs of the prophets
and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, `Through
your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.' When God raised up his
servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your
wicked ways." Paul's theme in Romans 4 is the blessedness of those whose
sins are forgiven, Gentile or Jew. To the Corinthians he writes, "God is
able to provide you with every blessing in abundance." (2Cor.9:8) He tells
the Ephesians (1:3), "God has BLESSED us with every spiritual blessing in
the heavenly places in Christ." Shake off your notion of God as some
arbitrary deity amusing him or herself by playing with our lives, or snipping
the thread of our existence short just on a whim. That's the pagan view. God's
overall plan and will is to save and bless those who turn to him, just as he
blessed Sarai and Abram, just as Jesus was a blessing to those who knew him.
Why gamble on luck when you could be a winner with God instead?
Now
don't get me wrong. This does not mean you're going to wake up tomorrow with a
Winnebago in your driveway, or whatever you want. The blessing God wills for us
is to come to be conformed to his Son Jesus, indwelt by the Holy Spirit. It's
not about money or material goods (though your stewardship will improve). Jesus
could even say, "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and
falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad,
because great is your reward in heaven..." It's not about earthly toys. In
Galatians 3:14 Paul says, "He redeemed us in order that the blessing given
to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, (now what's he mean
by that??) - so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit."
Prizes exist in the material realm, but blessing is something that's in the
realm of your spirit, your soul, that deep-down core of you where God longs to
reside and be in touch.
How
did Paul say we receive it? "By faith." Faith hits the jackpot as far
as God's concerned. Faith in Christ is the winning combination in heaven's game
show. And God guarantees it will work 100% of the time! In Genesis 22 (17,18)
Abraham has a test, a real opportunity to demonstrate his faith when God asks
him to be prepared to sacrifice his only son Isaac. Because Abraham doesn't
withhold his boy, God intervenes to save the child of promise, and reiterates,
"I will surely bless you...through your offspring all nations on earth
will be blessed."
In
Romans 4:13, how does Paul say Abraham received the promise that he would be
heir of the world? Not through law, but through the righteousness that comes by
- FAITH. Verse 16, the promise comes by faith. Next verse, Abraham is our
father in the sight of God, "in whom he believed": notice the ending
of verse 17, very important - "the God who gives life to the dead and
calls things that are not as though they were." Yahweh is the One who
makes things happen. Blessing comes not through our own piddly effort but by
connecting with the Master Designer's great plan and power.
There's
a little phrase we use when we want to describe something as nearly impossible,
something that pushes the limits of probability. The phrase I'm thinking of is,
"Against all odds." The secular person would say you were very lucky
if something happened in your favour "against all odds". Now look at
Romans 4:18. The NIV translates Paul's phrase "against all hope" -
quite similar to "against all odds"; literally Paul's saying
"Past hope in hope, Abraham believed." It was a most unlikely thing -
who would have dreamed that a 90-plus-year-old couple could conceive and have a
healthy child? In their own capacity, Sarah and Abraham were "as good as
dead" as Paul puts it. But Abraham didn't waver in unbelief, but was fully
persuaded God had power to do what He promised; he was fully convinced,
assured, it was a "done deal" as far as Abraham was concerned.
Perhaps
you doubt your own salvation from time to time. It's not that uncommon; many
people throughout history have wondered if they had done something so bad they
could never be forgiven. Perhaps you feel ashamed, no good, maybe others have
pounded it into your soul that nobody could ever love you, not even God. But
it's just the Accuser whispering in your ear. No sin is too big for the cross
to handle. The church is a hospital for sinners, not a fashion show for the
holy. Jesus said he came not to call righteous people, but sinners to
repentance; not to condemn the world, but to save it; to seek and to save what
was lost. He came for you. And we have God's solemn promise that if we confess
our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness. (1 Jn.1:9) Let God do the clean-up job, but never doubt that
He loves and wants you as His dear child! Meditate on these promises, be
strengthened in your faith, and give glory to God rather than give ground to
the one who would make you grovel. The Holy Spirit helped Paul see that Abraham
is our father, our pattern in faith. Abraham believed God, who credited this to
him as righteousness. Paul says (v.24) God will credit that same sense of
trusting by us, when we believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
God didn't set up a casino in the sky, He offers heaven as a "sure
thing" to those who will receive his Son. That was God's game plan, his
economy or scheme of salvation; as Paul puts it, Jesus "was delivered over
to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification", our
being "put right" with God. That's the real jackpot!
In
John 11, Martha and Mary were two sisters who faced a challenge to faith
similar to that confronting Abraham and Sarah. Their dear brother Lazarus had
died prematurely. When Jesus finally arrived, he challenged Martha to stretch
her faith, saying, "Your brother will rise again." She responded, I
know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." But Jesus
meant something different. He declared, "I am the resurrection and the
life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives
and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
Just
as God assured Abraham that he could overcome the deadness of the couple's
reproductive organs, Christ was telling Martha he too had the power, not only
to heal Lazarus before he died, but also to restore her brother to life there
on the spot. This prize required her to put her faith in Jesus. Oswald Chambers
writes: "Martha believed in the power at the disposal of Jesus Christ, she
believed that if He had been present He could have healed her brother; she also
believed that Jesus had a peculiar intimacy with God and that whatever he asked
of God, God would do; but she needed a closer personal intimacy with Jesus.
Martha's programme of belief had its fulfillment in the future; Jesus led her
on until her belief became a personal possession, and then slowly emerged into
a particular inheritance - 'Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ...'
"To
believe is to commit. In the programme of mental belief I commit myself, and
abandon all that is not related to that commitment. In personal belief I commit
myself morally to this way of confidence and refuse to compromise with any
other; and in particular belief I commit myself to Jesus Christ, and determine
in that thing to be dominated by the Lord alone. When I stand face to face with
Jesus Christ and He says to me, 'Do you believe this?' I find that faith is as
natural as breathing, and I am staggered that I was so stupid as not to trust
Him before."
So
let's have no more of wishing each other "good luck" or pretending
things depend on chance. Instead say, "God bless," or "I'll be
praying for you," or "May the Lord be with you" (if that doesn't
sound too much like Star Wars!). God's game plan is to bless us, so much as
possible in the confines of this sin-sickened sphere. Faith is the winning
combination that opens up God's promises to us and escorts us into the real
blessing of being Christ's. Let us pray.
What
do the words "God's house" mean to you? Do you think of a church
building? A stately cathedral? What about - a person?
Lately
Presbytery has had me supervising the Belgrave Pastoral Charge while they're
without a clergyperson. This particular supervision is more interesting than
some because one of the points on the charge, Calvin-Brick, a small country
church about 5 miles southwest of Wingham, is closing. The congregation decided
that the small attendance just didn't justify the needed repairs to the
building. We've held congregational meetings, involved Presbytery, and now the
final service is set for April 9, followed by an auction later that month and
the demolition of the building.
This
whole process reminds one of the loaded meanings attached to church buildings
and property. Do we offer the communion set back to the donor or to the other
point on the pastoral charge? Why would it seem sacrilegious to hold the
auction immediately following the final worship? What uses would or wouldn't be
appropriate for such a building in its next life? And - that mysterious
question that's been nagging the community of faith for centuries - just what
IS the appropriate way to dispose of old hymn books?
Clustered
around church property issues is a whole cloud of subliminal, shrouded associations
we've unconsciously soaked up ever since our parents first told us not to run
in the aisles and we wondered if heaven was a place where one could play. Our
Anglican forebears would refer to this as "the house of the Lord" and
even bless material things like manger scenes. My first church home, Roy's
Church between Staffa and Fullarton, closed when I was 12 then was turned into
a gift studio. This scandalized some people, but I kind of like to drive by and
still see it there, same pattern as Walton. What is it about a church building
that's different? When does reverence for the material and tradition cross the
line and become unhealthy superstition?
Jesus'
statements around the clearing of the temple in the second chapter of John
suggest there are a couple of ways in which we can talk about "God's
house". One is, the Church as God's house. The other is, God's house in
me.
First
we'll consider the Church as God's house. Picture the temple at the time of the
Passover when Jesus arrived. Crowds thronged the courtyards: many had made the
pilgrimage to the Holy City for this holy time in the Jewish year. Furthest to
the west was the central building, the temple proper where priests offered
sacrifices and once a year the High Priest entered the curtained-off portion
known as the Holy of Holies. Around the temple and down 12 steps was the Court
of the Priests, with the altar of burnt offering. Around that was the Court of
Israel, accessible to all Jewish males, who had a good view of the sacrifices
when they were being offered. Outside a cross wall to the east was the Women's
Court, where women and men were permitted and which had 13 offering-chests for
temple expenses. Outside another stone wall 6 feet high was the Court of the
Gentiles. This was not considered holy ground, so buying and selling were
permitted. Imagine the din and the smell as buyers and sellers haggled over
prices of doves, sheep, and cattle; money-changers convinced visitors they did
in fact have to pay the outrageous exchange rates for Jewish coinage, a trade
that is estimated to have netted the priests some $300,000 a year; and animals
did whatever animals do when they're stressed, thirsty, and hungry. More like a
stockyard than a place of worship!
Into
this madhouse strode Jesus Christ, with a whip in his hands and a determined
look on his face. Jerome says: "A certain fiery and starry light shone
from his eyes and the majesty of Godhead gleamed in His face." He cleared
the whole mess, he did: animals and coins and all. Suddenly it got very quiet.
To the astonished sellers he exclaimed, "Get these out of here! How dare
you turn my Father's house into a market!" In Mark's account, he says they
have turned what was supposed to be a "house of prayer" into a
"den of robbers".
"My
Father's house." Jesus is obviously referring to the temple itself. Two
initiatives or long-range plans of God were guiding Jesus' actions that day.
The first initiative was God's plan from centuries past to draw all people to
Himself when Jesus was lifted up (John 12:32). God had prophesied through
Isaiah concerning foreigners: "these I will bring to my holy mountain, and
make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their
sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house
of prayer for all peoples." God's plan in Christ was to break down the
dividing walls, so not only priests, but men and women, boys and girls, Jews
and non-Jews, - EVERYBODY could come to him in prayer, in relationship. Praise
the Lord, in Christ not only our sins are forgiven when we confess them, but
all the barriers of race and sex and age and class are overcome by God's cords
of love, reaching out to everyone in the world. Clearing the courtyard of noisy
animals and greedy moneychangers was not only an immediate improvement Jesus
made in the foreigners' worship experience; it was symbolic of the way he would
drive away every barrier Satan could try to erect between us and our Saving
God.
God
wants us in His house, He enjoys our worship, He seeks for it to be an
undistracted experience. So, in one sense, this church building (like others)
is God's "house". We as His people need to not only come and enjoy
him, we also need to offer public space for worship (as long as we can in this
country). Space that is conducive and accessible for worship.
The
objective is to provide space. That may mean enlarging or changing facilities
if needed. Saddleback church in California used 79 different facilities in
their first 15 years as they grew to 10,000 members. They often said Saddleback
was the church you could attend - if you could find them! They used to joke
that this was the way they attracted only really smart people. Pastor Rick
Warren says, "The shoe must never tell the foot how big it can grow."
May God help us get the message out and grow to the point we have a seating
problem!
So if
this is the Father's house, we have an obligation to provide public space for
worship. We also would want to avoid putting barriers in people's way as did
the sheep-sellers and money-changers. On the one hand, opportunistic churches
can fall into the trap of profaning religion by retail relicry -- trying to
make a buck off their enterprise. I enjoyed the Martyrs' Shrine at Midland some
time ago, but it starts to get trivialized by the sight of too many souvenirs
for sale at the conveniently located gift shop right next door. Closer to home,
I want to support the Mission & Service Fund, but don't want to
overemphasize the Minute for Mission to the point that it seems a demand. Some
churches just have a box at the back for offering rather than passing the
plate, wanting newcomers not to feel they're unwelcome if they didn't happen to
bring money with them, or are economically challenged. We want the emphasis to
be missionary, not mercenary.
With
their carefully designed temple system, the Jerusalem elite controlled who got
how close to the height of the action. One wonders if the view was as
overwhelming as the smell from the Court of the Gentiles! Who, say, might we
unwittingly be discouraging by our protocols of worship? Is our dress code
flexible enough to welcome those of lower income levels, or whose tastes are
different from ours? Do we grumble if someone new takes our favourite pew? Is
the ritual explained enough so that someone just in off the street can
understand what's going on? Are our music styles varied enough to intrigue both
the Country and Western and the pop or rock music fan? Do our services demand
that a person have an extremely good sense of seeing, or hearing? Some churches
have installed infra-red transmitters and headsets so people can adjust the
sound to the level they need. Would you sit as long in our pews as in a theatre
or bucket seat? And what about people who have trouble climbing stairs? Yes, it
is wonderful to be in God's house; but let's remember God's intention is for
all nations, all kinds of believers, to come together in it for prayer.
But
there's another aspect to the phrase "God's house" than just a
building of bricks and wood. God wants His house to be in you and me, too!
Jesus' overturning of the coin-dealers' tables was not nearly as upsetting or
revolutionary as what he said later when his opponents demanded of him what
sign he could give to prove his authority to do these things. Jesus answered,
"Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." They
misunderstood him to mean Herod's temple, and got quite defensive. Hadn't this
magnificent building, 150 feet high and just as wide, built of gleaming white
marble and gold, been in process for 46 years? In fact although started in 20
BC, it wouldn't be completed until 64 AD. Josephus reports that in some cases a
single stone was 37 feet long, 12 high and 18 wide. That's a colossal chunk of
rock! On one occasion even the disciples were exclaiming to Jesus, "Look,
Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!"
Jesus
would never have made it as a tour guide for he responded, "Do you see all
these great buildings? Not one stone here will be left on another; every one
will be thrown down." And he was right. In 70 AD, only six years after it
was completed, the Romans tore it to the ground. They even pried the stones
apart to get the gold leaf that had melted off the roof when they burned it.
The glorious temple of Herod was reduced to a pile of rubble.
God's
really not into building polished edifices; God's into building people. Hear
again Jesus' words: "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in
three days." He wasn't talking about Herod's temple at all, but as John
records, "The temple he had spoken of was his body." God's second
grand initiative we see here is to turn PEOPLE into walking TEMPLES. Jeremiah
(31:33) prophesied that God's new covenant would involve God writing his laws
on people's minds and hearts. God's shekinah glory may have filled the
tabernacle of Moses and Solomon's temple when they were set up, but Joel (2:28)
foretold that God would pour out His Spirit on all people, male and female,
young and old - unlike the temple fences separating various categories from
getting too close to the action. Peter quoted Joel to explain what happened at
Pentecost, the church's birth-day, when the Holy Spirit came and indwelt those
who believed in Jesus. Paul told the Romans in 8:9f, "The Spirit of God
lives in you...Christ is in you...You received the Spirit of sonship, by whom
we cry, 'Abba, Father'." Whereas the Old Testament spoke of the Holy
Spirit coming UPON people, in the New Testament he comes right INSIDE. Paul
puts this most clearly in 1Corinthians 6:19 when he says, "Your body is a
TEMPLE of the Holy Spirit."
Do
you see God's long-range plan? It is good to worship God together at his house
"out there", the church building. But Christ's vision is for each
believer to realize my BODY is a living temple. Religion is no longer something
that happens just "out there", but also "in here". It is a
matter of personal relationship, one-on-one, very intimate; God loves us dearly
as individuals as well as corporately. Giving your life to Jesus is the key to
a magical makeover that changes your person from a hovel of hurt to a palace
for a loving, true, never-failing king.
Having
God's house "in me" entails both privilege and obligation. On the
privilege side, now we can worship God anywhere! Jesus hinted at this when he told
the Samaritan woman it wouldn't be a matter of deciding to worship either at
the mountain in Samaria or the temple in Jerusalem; instead, people would
"worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of
worshipers the Father seeks." Isn't that exciting? God actually SEEKS your
worship! And you don't have to make a long pilgrimage trek to do it - Jesus
suggested we just close our door, and pray to our Father in secret. No
middlemen, no grabby moneychangers or slaughter of innocent animals: Jesus has
prepared the way for you right to the Father's throne.
Along
with the privilege, there is an obligation. If God's house is ME, our personal
upkeep is not something to take lightly. What's cluttering the temple of my
life? What braying of oxen or clamour of bargainers is distracting my soul from
a free and open interchange with the Father? What attractions or resentments
are putting up walls that would separate us, keep us distant from the Holy of
Holies like the partitions in Herod's temple? Let's begin by making sure God is
at the centre. E Stanley Jones wrote: "Christ is Lord, not you. This is
the crucial step. If you slur this over, then nothing will come out right. And
the step is simple. Everyone goes into the shrine of the heart and bends the
knee to something; something has the place of supreme allegiance. Some bow the
knee to what others will say. They look around before they act. They don't act;
they only react. Their god is public opinion. [The phrase] 'Everybody does it,'
decides it for them.
"Others
bend the knee to themselves. Self-interest is supreme. Their first reaction is:
How will that affect me? Their god is self. We could name others: money, sex,
ambition, fear - any one of these may be the centre of allegiance. Everybody
bends the knee to something. If so, I choose -- I choose Christ. I am not God;
He is! I whisper the inner consent, the consent of abdication. He commands; I
obey. From this moment I do not belong to myself. I let go the one thing I won
-- myself. I am free from self-domination; I choose Christ-domination. I let go
at the centre."
Once
that issue of surrender is settled, yielding control to let Jesus run your life
and be the focus in the temple of your person, other things follow. Behaviour
is affected. Study 1 Corinthians 6 where Paul describes our bodies as temples
and you'll find the context is all about our actions. Christians are not to be
sexually immoral, thieves, greedy, drunkards, slanderers, or swindlers --
because we're temples, we're not to let wickedness of any form master us. Paul
tells them point blank, "You are not your own; you were bought at a price.
Therefore honor God with your body." Check yourself this week: ask,
"Would this conversation, this TV program, this behaviour, belong in
church? And if it wouldn't belong in church, what am I doing bringing it into
the temple of my own being?" Clear the clutter! Take a whip and drive out
the encroachers that are interfering with what could be a more intimate walk
with God!
And
what was the original temple for? God wanted it to be "a house of prayer
for all nations." Is our personal life a "house of prayer"? Paul
urges us to pray without ceasing, to give thanks in ALL circumstances. How can
we make our day-to-day life more of a living temple experience?
William
Parker and Elaine St.Johns in their book "Prayer can change your
life" suggest ten steps: 1.Pray the last thing at night before going to
sleep. 2.Pray the first thing in the morning. 3.Pray for the world. 4.Pray for
others. 5.Pray for our enemies. 6.Ask ourselves daily what we truly desire.
7.Each day try at least once to be consciously WITH people (or one person).
9.Determine daily in one specific area to affect your environment instead of
reflecting it. 10.Each day say a definite NO to some activity, and a definite
YES to another.
It is
great to be able to come and worship God together in this building - the Church
is our Father's house. It's even more exciting to realize "God's
house" is also in ME. Church buildings like Calvin-Brick can be built and
sold and demolished, but true spirituality means you won't sell out yourself to
anyone but Christ. He only wants to keep on building you personally! And when
he's through clearing the junk out of your courts, you'll find other people
will be much more attracted to you, too. Even the air around you will seem to
smell fresher! Let us pray.
The
Psalmist cried out, "O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of
my mouth." Life is full of lessons to be learned. The world is a
classroom, if we are but receptive.
Jesus
was primarily a teacher during his ministry; "Rabbi" they called him.
As we approach Easter, it's appropriate that we remember Jesus' final acts with
his disciples the night before he was crucified. He accepted the title
"Teacher" by which he was called. He even did some teaching that last
evening, setting forth an object lesson, a demonstration, by washing the
disciples' feet. He said, "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed
your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example
that you should do as I have done for you." Jesus was a teacher to the
very end, wanting his followers to learn the lesson of loving servanthood. He
promised we would be blessed if we learned to help one another in humble ways.
He went on the next day to give us the supreme lesson, dying on the cross in
our place for our sins so we might be forgiven and receive eternal life through
faith in him. After his death and resurrection, the apostles looked back on his
life and recalled many teaching stories and analogies he'd used to try and get
the message of God's kingdom across in a way they could remember. He is our
Primary Teacher as well as our Saviour.
For a
good portion of her life Mary was a teacher too, an extremely dedicated one.
She attended Stratford Teacher's College, then taught in several small country
schools. Between 1949 and 1971 she taught here at Blyth Public School, from
which she retired. Who knows how many lives she influenced for good throughout
the course of her career?
But
Mary's lessons were not just confined to the classroom. We can see in
retrospect that she was also teaching us about the life of faith. She was a
very active member of Blyth United Church, serving in the UCW and Stewards. She
capitalized on her vocational skills by also teaching Sunday School. It was
very important for her that her lessons be adequately prepared. She sought to
do what the Psalmist talked about: "We will tell the next generation the
praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his
power, and the wonders he has done. He decreed statutes for Jacob and
established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach
their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet
to be born..." What is the value in teaching our children how to drive and
cook and make money if we don't also teach them what's worthy living FOR, what
are the ultimate values in life? And Mary didn't just talk about these things,
she lived them, reading her Bible and exercising a deep faith in God.
Besides
the school of faith, there is the school of family: one of the most demanding
classrooms because these are the people who know us best. We have the choice to
either get on each other's nerves or wash each other's feet, refreshing one
another in kindness and caring. Mary chose the latter. There was close sharing
with her daughters. She loved her grandchildren dearly, and was never too busy
to play cards, go to the park, or read them a story. She employed her
imagination and creativity in making up stories about a character named
"Minnie". And she would just beam when watching her
great-grandchildren play.
We
can learn a lesson too from the closeness Mary and sister Ollie shared. There
is a stack of evidence in the letters and photographs Ollie sent to Mary when
in the nursing home over the weeks and years. Phone calls kept them in touch as
well. How many sisters do you know that could stay up til the wee hours of the
morning playing Canasta (and remain on good terms)?
Last,
we can learn a lesson from Mary in the school of fun. I understand she had a
terrific sense of humour. Hers was a sunny, benevolent disposition, extremely
giving, always seeing the good in people rather than being condemning. The
staff at Seaforth Manor are to be commended in caring for her, but she was
probably one of their easier residents to deal with; even in that restricted
setting she was contented and happy. I believe Mary's attitude had a lot to do
with her deep-down, sincere trust in God. Paul writing to Titus about what he
should be teaching the early church noted the HOPE that is ours in Christ. He
said, "For the grace of God that brings salvation...teaches us...to live
self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for
the blessed hope--the glorious
appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to
redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his
very own, eager to do what is good."
We who give our lives to Jesus can be positive in our attitude, even while
washing others' feet, because Jesus' own love moved him to give himself for us.
Now we can have hope that the grave is not the end: while we await Jesus'
return with those who loved him in the past, we are empowered by God's strength
to be eager to do what is good. Here is the best lesson of all, learning to be
a blessing to others because God in Christ has already richly blessed us. His
Spirit can help our own disposition to be sunnier, involved and caring like
that of our Lord and Teacher.
Some
of the lessons Mary learned early in life went down a long way, especially
poems. Even when her mind started to go towards the end, Ollie could get her to
finish the lines of poems she'd start on the phone. I'd like to close with one
about leaves settling down for their winter nap. Though it's April on the
calendar, with the snow outside this shouldn't be too hard to picture! Instead
of wind and leaves, take this as an analogy for God's Spirit beckoning our
loved ones away for a little while until the spring of our Lord's return.
(Psalm 104:29,30)
"'Come, little leaves,' said the wind one day
'Come o'er the meadow with me and play.
Put on your dresses of red and gold
Autumn has come and the days grow cold.'
Soon as the leaves heard the wind's loud call
Down they came fluttering, one and all.
Over the brown fields they danced and flew
Singing the soft little songs they knew.
Soon fast asleep in their leafy beds
The snow laid a coverlet over their heads.
Into dreamland they quickly went...
Winter had come and they were content."
Jesus
called out in torment, "My God, my God, why...?" Why the cross? Why,
indeed? Does an intelligent, advanced, sophisticated culture like ours need it
any more? The further we get removed from an agricultural way of life in which
people's lives depend on livestock, the more hardened our consciences get as
news reports and subtly makes more acceptable weird or immoral behaviour, the
more people question what Jesus had to suffer for. In an increasingly secular
society, doubt grows about the value of the cross. Leif Vaage, professor at
Emmanuel College in Toronto, states that current theologian Marcus Borg does
not view the historical Jesus' death as inherently necessary. The professor
observes, "Borg and others...reject the sacrificial - substitutionary -
theory of humankind's atonement with God through Jesus".
Jim
Taylor is not a lettered professor, but he has been influential in the United
Church as publisher of the Whole People of God Sunday School curriculum along
with Ralph Milton. Yet even he seems to be questioning the value of the
traditional understanding of what happened at the cross. In the April
Observer's Front Page article, Taylor suggests the United Church should give
itself a gift for its 75th Anniversary, namely jettison the 20 Articles of
Faith in the Basis of Union. He argues the pre-1925 language is virtually
unintelligible, that words such as "justification" and
"redemption" require translation for ordinary members. Perhaps he
thinks we can do without such terms because he also has trouble with the
phrases "the finally impenitent shall go away to eternal punishment",
and "the Holy Scriptures...[contain] the only infallible rule of faith and
life..."
Regardless
of our theological bent, Good Friday forces us to face the fact of the cross of
Jesus, and try to answer for ourselves why this happened. What was going on in
this death of an innocent man? Was it just another senseless waste of human
life, another case of might over right? The system protecting itself? If Jesus
was the Messiah and the Son of God, why was his death necessary - what did it
accomplish?
Professor
Vaage attributes the sacrificial or substitutionary theory of atonement to
medieval theologians, Anselm in particular. But a look at Scripture shows it
goes much further back. How does Jesus interpret his own death?
When
he called out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" Jesus was
not simply expressing anguish out of the blue. He was quoting Psalm 22, written
about a thousand years earlier by King David. What was a vision for the
songwriter became true in the last hours of Jesus' life. It detailed the
sufferings of a person dying in a way that was not even known among the Jews,
for crucifixion was promoted by the Romans. We read, "All who see me mock
me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: 'He trusts in the LORD; let the
LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.'...a band of
evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count
all my bones; people stare and gloat over
me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing."
These graphic details of "the suffering of the afflicted one" were
fulfilled centuries later that day at Golgotha. Of course Jesus would quote
these words, they were about him and that very moment! The Psalm's closing
words, "They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn -- for
he has done it," sound like Jesus' exclamation later that day, "It is
finished!" It's done! (can also mean) It's paid up! What's paid up? God's
righteousness is shown in that the bill for our blatant sinning has been
charged to his Son's account. The Psalmist prophesied that somehow God was
going to make it possible for all nations to come to God, not just the chosen
Jewish race. God's plan was that through this one person's suffering, "All
the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families
of the nations will bow down before him." A much broader plan than the
Jewish wish for a Messiah who would liberate them as a nation politically.
Our
passage from Isaiah 52-53 was written later than the Psalm, but still some 700
years before Jesus came. The risen Lord no doubt referred to it when opening
the minds of his followers to understand what had been written about him in the
Law and the Prophets. Isaiah said, "Surely he took up our infirmities and
carried our sorrows...he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for
our iniquities; he punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his
wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has
turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all...he
bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." The
idea of peace with God by a substitutionary sacrifice was obviously not the
invention of Anselm in 1100 AD but was voiced by Isaiah centuries before Jesus
was born.
Christ
in his earthly life highlighted this meaning of his coming. He said in Mark 10,
"The Son of Man came...to give his life as a ransom for many." At the
Last Supper he said of the cup, "This is my blood of the covenant, which
is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." His own words! Let
the man himself interpret what he means by his actions!
There
is a secret shape of the cross. You probably thought the cross was shaped like
this. (draw cross on overhead) The secret shape of the cross is made up of two
parts. (draw 4 / u) Scripture reference? Paul's account of the Last Supper in 1
Corinthians 11. Jesus took the bread, gave thanks, broke it and said,
"This is my body, which is for you."
There are echoes of this throughout the New Testament: "You know the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became
poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." (2Cor.8:9)
"Christ suffered for you..." (1Peter 2:21) Does the 4/u together not
look a bit like Satan's sceptre or pitchfork? According to the Creed, Christ
descended to Hell in our place, he underwent the suffering, the separation from
God, that should have been ours.
The
meaning grows if we allow other combinations of words such as "for
us" or "for all". Romans 5 says God demonstrates his own love
for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Later,
"The death he died, he died to sin once for all." (6:10) The book of
Hebrews probably spells out best what atonement, at-one-ment is all about, how
Christ's sacrifice ended the ineffective or symbolic order of Old Testament
animal sacrifice and truly made it possible for us to be "at-one"
with God. "He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood,
having obtained eternal redemption...he has appeared once for all at the end of
the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself." (9:12,26) Peter
puts it concisely: "Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for
the unrighteous, to bring you to God." (1Pet.3:18)
The
word "redemption" has a very big meaning for the people of Sudan. In
recent years, the Islamic government of the north has been fighting a jihad or
holy war against Christians in the south. In March Glen Pearson and Jane Roy of
London made a return visit to Sudan to document human rights abuses and
facilitate a redemption or "buying back" of almost 5000 women and
children from slavery, as agents for Christian Solidarity International.
Independent investigations have found that in recent years more than 100,000
slaves have been taken to the north, 2 million people have been killed, and
millions more displaced in the conflict.
One photo shows a Sudanese father who tried to retrieve his wife and
children after they were abducted by northern soldiers. When he was caught, his
arms were cut off and he was left to die. Freeing slaves is risky business.
That's the redemption Jesus won for us at the cross: freedom from slavery to
sin and Satan, freedom to enter God's kingdom by faith and receive the Holy
Spirit our inheritance. But it cost him more than his arms: it cost him his
life.
Another
word Jim Taylor said needed translation was "justification". Those who
use word processors or email may already know that to "left-justify"
a document means the words all line up along the left side, and it's ragged on
the right. To be justified means to be "put right" with God, the
cross trims off the ragged effect of our wrongdoing, our transgressions or
crossing the line. In a fuller sense, we know it's hard to justify certain
actions: for example the Canadian oil company Talisman Energy making money by
drilling in Sudan and indirectly subsidizing the war against people in the
south by resource royalties paid to the north. How can you justify us getting
richer at the expense of someone else's suffering and terrorization? In our
families, in our working relationships, we know the difference justification
makes as well: the edginess and tension of being "at odds", or the
peace and harmony when we're "getting along". The cross of Jesus
opens the door so the barrier of our sin can be taken away and we can "get
along" with God, be "justified" or no longer "at odds"
with the Holy One.
Frankly,
fallen modern man would question the relevance or significance of the cross not
because we don't understand the language, but because we're loathe to admit we
need a Saviour. We want to be in control, to do it all on our own, be our own boss,
pretend we've got it all together. If we acknowledge God in Christ was really
doing something at the crucifixion, it forces us to accept or reject His offer
of Lordship and eternal life. And we like it too much in the driver's seat. We
prefer our delusion that "there ain't no flies on us", we're A-OK.
We'd really rather not admit our need, how much we've fallen short, our guilt
in offending God and making others suffer because of our own selfishness,
laziness, and misguided priorities.
Today,
as you come to the cross, ask God to help you realize how much it is FOR YOU.
The answer to Christ's agonized cry, "My God, why...?" has to do with
our salvation, our rescue from evil's grip. Psalm 22 doesn't end there, and
neither does Golgotha. Beyond the "Why" there is a "Yet".
Verse 3, "Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One...[our fathers] cried to
you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed." (19)
"but you, O Lord, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.
Deliver my life from the sword, rescue me, save me from the horns of the wild
oxen." The Psalm ends on a confident note: "I will declare your name
to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you." This foreshadows
Christ's victorious rising from the dead, and appearing to the gathered
disciples. He is not ashamed to call you or me "sister",
"brother". For God did not despise the suffering of the afflicted
one; when we go through hard times, he will listen to our cry for help, too.
Ott
McKennitt tells of a sermon preached in Notre Dame Cathedral by an archbishop
of Paris. In the sermon he told of 3 young men, wild and worldly, who came into
the cathedral one day. There was everything to give the impression that they
were godless young fellows. Two of them bet the third that he would not have
the nerve o make a false confession. The latter accepted the challenge. It was
apparent to the priest who heard the confession that it wasn't sincere.
When
the confessor had finished, the clergyman said, "To every confession there
is a penance. You see the great Crucifix over there. Go to it, kneel down, and
repeat 3 times as you look up into the face of the Crucified, "All this
you did for me, and I don't give a damn." (sic) Ignoring the priest's
instruction, the young man joined his pals, told of his confession and the
priest's request and asked for the wager. "Oh no," they said,
"first complete the penance, and then we will pay the bet."
Reluctantly he went to the Crucifix, knelt down, and looked up into that face
with its searching eyes of oppressed love. Then he began, "All this you
did for me, and I..." He got no further. Tears flooded his eyes. His heart
was torn by the pain of repentance. There his old life ended, and there the new
one began. Finishing his sermon, the archbishop said, "I was that young
man."
Why
the Cross? Jesus died FOR YOU. And me. All the wrong we have done, all our
bentness from what God intended, can be swept away when we trust in His giving
of Himself for us that day. "He was pierced for our transgressions, he was
crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed." Amen.
The
Lord has blessed his people! I don't know about you, but when I first heard the
responses of the confirmands to the 2 questions at our final session Wednesday
night, I was really moved and uplifted -- blessed. It was so marvelous to hear
these young people expressing in their own words what Jesus meant to them. It's
like 7 sermons all rolled together! So my message this morning is just a
wrap-up, some reflection on the resurrection account and an example from life
today.
What
does the risen Christ do for us? First he shocks us, and blocks us; but then he
re-stocks us.
The
overwhelming impression you get from Mark's account of the resurrection is one
of shock and denial. The women go to the tomb expecting to anoint a dead body -
If they can ever get the door open. But upon arrival they see the huge security
feature already rolled away, and a messenger from God tells them the crucified
Jesus has risen, and they will see him again. In fact at least one of them does
see him that very same day. What would be YOUR reaction if you met a person you
thought was dead walking down the street? SHOCK would be a mild word to
describe it. Mark says the women didn't tell a soul, at least right away,
because they were "alarmed, trembling, bewildered, afraid". When we first
come to grips with the fact of the resurrection, it is a shock to our mortal
expectations. That sort of thing just doesn't happen! A crucified Son of God,
back from the dead, intent on meeting us face to face - that grabs our
attention, Jesus shocks us.
Next
he BLOCKS us from our old, misguided ways. Before the apostle Paul was
converted, he was called Saul, an archenemy of Christians, the number one
"hit man" of the chief priests in Jerusalem who wanted to stop this
new sect. We read in Acts 9 that Saul got authorization to go to Damascus and
arrest any followers of the Way (that is, Christians) and imprison them. But on
the road to Damascus, Saul met the risen Jesus. A light from heaven flashed
around him. Saul fell to the ground as if he'd just been body-checked in the
playoffs. He heard Jesus say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute
me?...Get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."
When he got up from the ground and opened his eyes he couldn't see a thing.
Christ sent another follower, Ananias, to restore Saul's vision. Ananias had
reservations about going to help someone who'd come to throw Christians in
prison, but the Lord explained he had plans for Saul's life. He said, "This
man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their
kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer
for my name." Here we see both the privilege and the challenge of the
Christian life. "My chosen instrument to carry my name..." It is an honour
for us to belong to Jesus Christ. He has saved us, given our life new meaning,
his Spirit empowers us to preach and pray for others and heal and generally be
his witnesses. Young people, don't be ashamed to be known as a Christian. It is
a privilege. As we talked about in confirmation class, Jesus promised that
whoever acknowledges Him before other people, He Himself will on judgment day
acknowledge as His before the Father, God Almighty. That's his promise to us.
Yet
in Saul's case Jesus added, "I will show him how much he must suffer for
my name." At first even the Christian leaders didn't accept him, they were
afraid of him until Barnabas introduced him and assured them he had changed. In
another place (2 Cor.11:23-28) Paul talks about how many times he was imprisoned,
flogged, beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, and in danger. Yet the Lord gave him a
miraculous ability to survive the suffering, to recover somehow, stand up, and
keep going.
The
Christian life is not all rosey. There will be times, young people, when you will
be made fun of, ridiculed, left out, or not taken seriously because your
worldview has Christ at the centre instead of self or some other god. The Lord
blocks us from just going on our own steam, what seems best to our fallen human
way of proceeding. You are called to live differently from the majority, to say
"no" when others jump on board, to say "yes" when others
turn away from real needs, the Lord calls you to stand up and be counted for
what's right and pleasing to Him even when nobody else with their mortal
preoccupations understands.
The
risen Lord shocks; blocks, until we accept the Way; but also he RE-STOCKS. We
saw how each time the apostle Paul got knocked down, the Lord picked him up
again until he accomplished the mission. When the disciples got over the
shell-shock of the empty tomb, Jesus appeared to them in person and gave them
fresh power and direction. He told them to go into all the world and preach the
good news to all creation, to drive out evil, to pray for the sick, to baptize
believers as a sign they are saved. And the experience of the early church was
that as they did these things, the Lord Himself "worked with them and
confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it." God by the Holy
Spirit working in and through us re-stocks us for service, doing what he wants
done here on planet earth until Jesus returns.
Now
when he says "preach the good news", that doesn't mean we need to
drag a soapbox around with us wherever we go, looking for crowded streetcorners
to start preaching in the traditional sense. Young people, Jesus just wants us
to get the word out, spread the news, share the message. Publish it, talk about
it, live it. YOU are the only Bibles some people will ever read; YOU are the
only sermons they will ever hear. Use all the creativity you have in this
technological age to bring your friends face to face with the Lord Jesus who
can help them. Stick a verse on your webpage. Add an intriguing Christian
symbol or your favourite verse to the signature in your emails. Start a Bible
study group or Prayer home room at school. Invite someone to a Christian music
concert. Wear a smile while you're candy-striping at the hospital. Play hymns
on your instrument for an old person who can't get out much. Offer to pray for
a classmate who's ill or in a dilemma. Put your heart into helping with the
Sunday School class or midweek group. The news about the Saviour is not to be
confined to the pulpit on Sunday mornings; it's most convincing when lived out
by your actions and your attitude. The world is hungry for real, working, life-
and hope-giving alternatives to materialism. You are part of the body of
Christ; stay connected to the Head, read your Bible each day, pray, and he'll
show you what's important, he'll give you a passion for what's best.
Stephanie
McClellan is a young Christian who lives in Vancouver; she works at a
university disability resources centre and as youth pastor at a United Church.
This year she received the King Clancy award from the Canadian Foundation for
Persons with Physical Disabilities. Stephanie made news with her "On wings
like Eagles" hand-propelled bicycle trek from Vancouver to Ottawa last
summer.
In
Fellowship magazine she tells how it has not been an easy road for her as a
believer. She recalls: "I headed to the University of Guelph with my mind
set on an education degree that would lead to becoming a physical education
teacher for the deaf. After my first year, I developed sudden adult onset
rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia. Within a week, I went from being an
able-bodied athlete to needing assistance in every area of daily life. After 7
months of undiagnosed pain and immobilization, a diagnosis came and I spent
five months relearning basic life skills: dressing, tying my shoes, walking.
Family and friends prayed for and with me; the church became my lifeline. And I
found personal encouragement from a loving and powerful God. The words from
Isaiah gave me special hope: 'Those who hope in the Lord will renew their
strength. They will soar on wings like eagles.'"
8
years later, as part of a team, the "On Wings like Eagles" tour set
out to show what people with disabilities CAN do, instead of what they can't.
They shared the good news that God has gifted each person to be an active
member of the Body of Christ. And God helped Stephanie hand-cycle 5809 km, all
the way to the Peace Tower.
The
hardest moment was in the Prairies, where the wind gave Stephanie the first day
she did not reach her distance goal for the day. That night, physically
exhausted, she also received a nasty, discouraging email that floored her. She
says: "The next morning I did not want to get back on the bike. Our team
always started with prayer and as they finished a reading from Luke, I burst
into tears. I felt dejected and not physically strong enough to face the winds
again. But despite fear and exhaustion, we started the wheeling for the day.
"Just
after we crossed the border from Alberta to Saskatchewan, there was a valley.
As I raced down the hill, I noticed a man standing against his van at the
bottom and when I got close, he yelled, 'You're doing great! Keep going!' As I
topped the hill, he motioned to the team van to pull over and gave them
something, which they gave me that night after I had finished my distance. The
man was the coach of a Paralympic Athlete who had won the silver medal in
alpine skiing. The athlete wanted to thank and inspire his coach and gave him
his silver medal. When the coach heard about us on the news in British Columbia
he got into his van and set out to meet us on a highway in Saskatchewan. He
gave me the medal to inspire me because he knew that [in his words] 'some days
could get discouraging and he wanted me to have it.' I never felt discouraged
like that again throughout the trip."
The
risen Jesus shocks us, and blocks us - as he blocked the women, Saul, and
Stephanie McClellan from pursuing their original goals. But he re-stocks us for
his purposes so that with his help we too can soar "on wings like
eagles". We may be apostle Pauls and Stephanie McClellans, or we may
simply be like Ananias and Barnabas who helped Paul, or that guy with the van
who encouraged Stephanie. Together we are part of the Body of Christ, equipped
to preach the good news everywhere, making his love and power known to anyone who
will receive it. Thanks be to God!
It
was night. Just two days before, the leader of the frightened group gathered in
the shuttered and locked room had been suddenly put to death on trumped-up
charges. The men and women who just a week earlier had entered Jerusalem with
shouts of praise and triumph scattered and fled like mice scuttling for cover
when a light is turned on. Tonight they had mustered enough courage to at least
come together in this darkened, locked room. To mourn, to console one another,
to try to make sense of the sudden turn of events and some strange rumours that
had been circulating.
Strange
rumours but not ones to be taken seriously. The sort you might expect from
people who'd depended intimately on one person for three years then had the
carpet pulled from under them. Rumours of mix-ups and empty graves, of being
met by phantoms, of eery figures who disappeared as fast as they came. Rumours,
but no substance.
Do we
not at some point in our lives find ourselves with the disciples in that
locked, fear-filled room that first Easter evening? A check-up finds a growth
that shouldn't be there. Late at night the phone rings with the call that all
parents fear. A marriage so shaky that you wonder whether it needs legal advice
or palliative care. Or perhaps the despair of personal defeat, redundancy, or
failure. News reports this week carried the story of a doomsday cult in Uganda
resulting in dozens of bodies being found in a house. But we don't need to be
part of a cult to feel hopeless or overwhelmed. What's got you locked up and frightened?
But
suddenly, although the door was locked, Jesus was there. Jesus, large as life,
whom they'd seen crucified and drained of life and laid in the ground only a
couple of days before. Yet he was different. Same, but different. His greeting
was the same; he seemed eager to show them his hands and side, which definitely
bore the marks of the Roman nails and spear. But there was something special
about this new body, a quality of everlasting-ness. As if it had taken
everything bad the world could throw at it yet came back smelling like roses. A
body that wasn't deterred by a barred door, yet was no ghost. It was really
Him! "The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord."
So
the first major change that Easter evening brought about was a change from fear
to joy, from trembling to exultant triumph. Humanity was no longer bound by the
grave! God who created us with limits had also made it possible for His
Faithful One to continue past death. Sin and corruption had lost their
death-grip on our personal being. How wonderful! A joy to feel, a victory to
savour, a celebration deep down to our soul!
And
in case anyone doubted after the first time, it happened all over again just
for Thomas who hadn't been there. Of course he doubted the reports of the
others. Who ever heard of somebody back from the graveyard? Thomas wanted
hands-on evidence. He said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his
hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I
will not believe it."
And
the next Sunday night, when they were gathered again, Jesus met his demand. He
knocked sky-high the walls of Thomas' resistance. Not only was there the
evidence Thomas could reach out his hand and feel, there was the fact that
right off the bat Jesus turned to him and told him to satisfy his skepticism.
How did Jesus know unless he had been present in Spirit and heard Thomas'
protests? "Stop doubting and believe," Jesus urged; and Thomas did,
exclaiming, "My Lord and my God!" Fear and distrust again turned to
joy and conviction.
Christ
continues to bring that change in people's lives, from despair to delight. It's
based not on what they've done, but what HE's done for us. Sheer grace, pure
gift. Joy is a common experience when people believe and accept the truth about
the risen Lord.
Christian
camps can be a starting-point for many in their walk of faith with Jesus. It's
particularly gratifying to see young kids who come from rough home situations
get a taste of love and acceptance by being part of a Christian living
experience. One summer when Keith was a counselor at Camp McDougall, the United
Church camp in Algoma Presbytery, I stopped in to see him on the way to
campfire with his cabin of boys in tow. One little guy was so glad to be around
Keith he even jumped up on his back and was hanging around his neck! If we
truly knew the setting some of these boys and girls have to contend with when
they head back home, we would be shocked. So when they taste Jesus' love and
caring through counsellors and staff, lives are touched with joy.
Whatever
our problem, whatever our fear or confinement, when we receive the Risen Jesus
and reach out to his scarred hands and side to hold and accompany us through
it, changes happen. A man was once tortured in a South American torture cell.
Later he said that all Christian doctrines disappeared then and that only the
knowledge that Jesus had been where he was, and stayed with him, sustained him.
Whatever befalls us, encountering the One who suffered and rose again gives us
a JOY to feel.
But
it doesn't stop there. Christianity is more than warm fuzzies, a private
spiritual experience, an emotional massage or whirlpoolish worshiptime. Jesus
calls us to be a hospital for the hurting, not a holy huddle. That first night,
Christ said, "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." Get to
it! You've got a JOB to do! New orders from the Boss! "This mission,
should you choose to accept it..." - and we strain to catch every detail
before the tape (or, in this case, the messenger) disappears. What are we being
sent for? How'd that verse go the
confirmands quoted a couple of times? "God so loved...gave his
Son...should not perish but have eternal life." Or the one that follows:
"God SENT His Son into the world, NOT to condemn the world, but to SAVE
the world through him." The Father sent Jesus; He in turn is sending us,
to continue his work of saving the world, through him. Not by our own human
methods, such as residential schools, or gimmicky TV evangelists, or boycotts.
It's got to be one person at a time. You can't turn redemption into a machine
or institution and mass-produce it. Jesus is sending EACH ONE that he has
touched to transmit "the Way".
Dawson
Trotman, founder of the Navigators, calculated that if each person who came to
know Christ was faithful in bringing another to belief every half year, a
church could grow from one person to 1,024 persons in just five years. At the
end of 15/5 years, there would be 2,147,500,000 people in that church! What
reproductive capacity we have in faith! But reproduction requires maturity.
Jesus is sending us, authorizing us to continue what he started.
John
records Jesus then breathed on the disciples (quite a feat in itself if thought
this was just a group hallucination!), and said, "Receive the Holy
Spirit.If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive
them, they are not forgiven."
Obviously
the Holy Spirit is the equipment, the empowerment, required for us to carry out
the Master's will. You wouldn't send a worker onto a construction site without
steel-toed work boots, safety helmet, and work gloves. Or a teacher into a
classroom with no chalk, overhead projector, or textbooks. The Holy Spirit is
the Lord's way of equipping us for the job at hand. Without the Counselor,
we'll get hurt or at least be inadequate.
There
is real authorizing going on here, it's as if you're a fully franchised and
backed outlet agent for the Kingdom. That's why Jesus emphasized our authority
by saying our loosing or binding of sins is very definite. This was the very
thing He was criticized for at the outset of his ministry: the religious folks
were aghast, saying, "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's
blaspheming! Who can
forgive sins but
God alone?" (Mark 2:7; Luke 5:21) But this principle of assuring repentant
sinners of their acceptance by God was so important, so essential to the whole
ministry of Jesus, what he came for and was about, that he was prepared to die
for it. Now he has passed on to his followers this same awesome privilege of
announcing people can be totally put right with God when they believe in the
Son he sent to take the rap for their faults.
Our
job is to share the good news behind the joy that we feel. Deep in everyone's
psyche is the fundamental longing for significance and security, to know at our
core that we're accepted, all right, loved and wanted in the universe. A sense
of being blessed by God, totally at peace and "right by" Him. Sin and
evil, by contrast, lead us to experience shame and failure, the gnawing whisper
that we're not "good enough". We ask secretly, "Am I a SOMEBODY
or a SCUM-body?" So Jesus zeroes in on this core issue, not of physical
healing or externals, but of spiritual health and wholeness. The forgiveness of
sins, how to clean up our moral mess, is central to the church's calling.
People are already aware they've fouled up their chances of ever getting to
heaven on their own merits; they're crying out inside, if you can hear it past
the smoke screen of material goods and pleasures and diversions and drugs -
they're crying out for a clean heart, a fresh start with God.
So
the disciples got on with the job. The very reason we can read about what
happened is John's determination to write these things, as he says (31),
"that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that
by believing you may have life in his name." Note the emphasis on getting
the word out in 1 John 1: "we proclaim" (1,3), "we write
this" (4), "this is the message" (5), "I write this to
you" (2:1). Note especially 1:4: "We write this to make our joy
complete." We feel the joy already, because of the resurrection; but the
joy is made complete by communicating the great news to others, doing the job.
And
it's not a fairy tale! The apostles gave their lives to back up the truth that
Jesus rose. Look at the "hands-on" evidence the author refers to in 1
John: (1) "which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we
looked at and our hands have touched..."; (2) "we have seen it";
(3) "what we have seen and heard" - 7 times he uses sensory terms.
Thomas did the touching for every one of us who couldn't be there in person.
This news is so startling that it's like the birth of your baby - you've just
GOT to tell someone! It's real, alive, practical. Such wonderful news deserves
to be heard.
A
pastor had a weakness for playing golf, so much so that one Sunday he called in
sick and made the Pulpit Supply committee scramble to come up with something.
Without anyone knowing the pastor sneaked off to a golf course in a
neighbouring town. Of course, the angels saw all this and were very displeased.
They asked the pastor's guardian angel how he was going to try to bring the
pastor back to his spiritual senses. They asked, "So how do you plan to
get the pastor back into his pulpit? A thunderbolt from the sky? What possible
pain can you arrange that will make him repent for deserting his flock?"
"Just wait and see," was all the guardian angel said.
So
the angels all watched as the pastor unloaded his golf clubs and walked up to
the first tee. It was a beautiful sunny day, just a light breeze, hardly
anybody on the course. The pastor pulled out his number 1 wood, wound up and
whacked the ball. It sailed high and far through the air, bounced onto the
green and sank into the cup. A hole in one!
Now,
all the other angels were quite chagrined and demanded of the guardian angel,
"What did you do that for? You're supposed to be making things difficult
for him, not granting him a hole in one!" The guardian angel just hovered
there and smiled. A moment later he added, "But who's he going to
tell?"
Our
news is just as exciting, just as wonderful; Jesus wants us to get out there
and communicate the awesomeness of the cross and his teaching. Christianity is
not just a bunch of theories or philosophy, it's practical hands-on guidance
for daily living so we're not dominated by fear or crushed by futile temptation
and worry. It works, in every kind of human relationship, in our homes,
workplace, and community.
Christian
camping is a natural way to share the gospel subtly but powerfully. It's a
whole-life exposure, round the clock, day in day out, not just a tiny slice
like a sermon or Sunday school class. Campers are impressed by Christ because
they see Him alive in their counselors, the Director, the staff, in every
possible kind of situation. More impact can be felt in one week of camp than in
a whole year of strung-out, occasional church activity. In the calm of
nightfall, in the lull after lunch, campers have the freedom and privacy to
share their deepest thoughts, hopes, and insecurities with someone who will
care and listen. And introduce them to Jesus who will go with them back home
where the counsellor can't.
Camping
is a great experience for a family, too, to draw closer to God through nature
and by getting away from all the electrical gadgets we use to amuse ourselves
while we avoid one another at home. Christian counsellor Gary Smalley
recommends families go camping at least once a year. Why? Because usually when
you're camping there's a crisis of one form or another. The canoe springs a
leak. The macaroni gets burnt to a crisp. A mighty thunderstorm wakes everyone
up in the middle of the night. These crises make memories, and what's more,
they bond a family in a way it wouldn't any other time. Invite Jesus into your
crisis and he will give you joy eventually as he weathers it with you, and you
will have an experience of his help to share with others later.
Samuel
FB Morse was devoted to art the first half of his life. By 1835 he was very
close to the top of American painters. But things just didn't work out in his
favour. By apparent coincidence he lost the government commission to paint one
of the historical panels in the rotunda of the new Capitol building in
Washington. He was deeply grieved by this blow, and even more discouraged by
the failure of America to appreciate his artistic powers.
But
Morse did not whine. Without any loss of faith in God or in himself, he quietly
turned to his other dominant interest. He was eager to perfect a system of
communication over electrical wires. His work was successful, resulting in what
we call the telegraph. He took his place in a little group of the world's
supreme inventors. Unfailing faith resulted in joy.
Jesus
is with us in our darkest moments, even when we've locked everyone else out.
His scarred hand and pierced side are the signs how much he loved us and longs
for us to share the joy he has with the Father. May the Holy Spirit help us do
the job he's given, communicating the grand news to others! Amen.
"Answer
me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be
merciful to me and hear my prayer." Psalm 4 voices an anguished cry for
relief of a soul in distress. From time to time in life we will all meet with
stresses of one kind or another, pressures we're afraid we won't be able to
bear up under. God's word assures us that He not only hears the cry of those
who turn to Him for help, He grants strength and help to those in need. In fact
it's God's desire to bless all those who seek to be refreshed and restored by
trusting in the Special Agent God sent, His Son Jesus.
On
this Rural Life Sunday we must recognize that some farmers will fall into this
category by virtue of their occupation. Although rural people have no monopoly
on stress or pressure, they do face significant struggles in our current
economy and food system. Acts 3 begins with the description of a beggar,
handicapped in his legs from birth, who was brought each day to beg for alms at
the gate of the temple. Although he was looking for a handout, Peter was able
with God's help to extend to him something far better: restoration of strength
to his feet and ankles. The man then proceeded to go around the temple courts, "walking
and jumping and praising God," a vivid picture of God's ability to help
those in distress.
The
path to blessing begins with a cry for relief. Then we must turn to God, away
from other idols, trusting in Jesus and what he's done for us. Also we need to
be able to recognize the blessing when it comes, even if it's not the handout
we were expecting.
Are
farmers today crying for relief? Is it too much to compare them to the lame
beggar, crippled and dependent on others for support? Certainly there are apparently
prosperous farmers around today, but there are also ones who are struggling.
Some just can't seem to make it on their own strength. The Psalmist cried,
"How long will you turn my glory into shame?", referring likely to
those of other religions who scoffed at his fear of Yahweh. Though farming is
an honourable occupation, necessary for society in order to eat, many
youngsters raised on the farm today do not see it as an enviable occupation to
take up. The number of family farms is so low, about 270,000, somewhere around
3% of the population, that it is becoming easier for the public at large to
have caricatures of farmers as someone in a straw hat and overalls, chewing on
a stem of grass while pumping the tail of the cow to get the milk out. Farm
kids grow up knowing enough about the long hours, hard work, and limited
rewards of farm life that, although they're not exactly ashamed of it, it's not
their top choice for a livelihood.
What
are some of the crippling stresses farmers face? I polled some local farmers.
They mentioned the hectic pace of modern agriculture. Part of this results from
feeling like you need to keep getting bigger and bigger in order to compete.
Bigger farms require bigger implements to get the crop in, which requires more
financing, which takes more production, and so on. More people work off the
farm to subsidize the low income: in 1965, the amount of average farm family
income that came from on the farm was 46%; in 1996, that was halved to 23%. In
other words, more than 3/4 of the average farm family income now comes from
off-farm sources, 2/3 of that from wages and salaries.
Farmers
also mentioned to me the financial pressures, the stress caused by having so
many dollars invested in the operation. Mortgages and operating loans to pay.
"You have to spend half the time in the office," one said; there's so
much paperwork and regulations, you need a computer, not just "a 5 cent
scribbler and the stub of a pencil" like 50 years ago. Commodity prices
are very erratic. One hog farmer noted that just a couple of years ago a pig
that today sells for $170 was selling in the $30 range. From 1983 to 86, the
price of corn dropped from over $150/bushel to about $90/bushel. Makes for an
interesting business plan to show the banker!
While
commodity prices fluctuate unfavourably, input costs keep going up and up. 25
years ago land was $1-2,000 per acre, now it's double at $4,000. Property taxes
increased 49% from 1986 to 1998. Over the same period, hired farm labour rose
50% in price; combines, 56%; tractors, 38%; fertilizer, 21%; seed, 29%;
pesticides, 30%. To sum this up, between 1986 and 95 farm product prices rose
8%, but input prices rose 22%. The squeeze is on!
The
average person in the supermarket might think farmers must be doing all right, because
the price of the typical grocery cartful has risen steadily. Between 1977 and
1998, the cost of retail pork chops about doubled from $4.45 to 8.76 per kg.
But that wasn't padding the farmer's pockets! At the end of that period he or
she was receiving .22 LESS than two decades earlier. The farmer's share of the
consumer dollar for pork chops shrank from 30% to 14% of retail price.
Or
take a box of corn flakes - THIS ONE for example. From 1975 to 1998 the retail
price of a 525 g box of corn flakes rose from .43 to $2.36, costing
five-and-a-half times as much. The cash cropper's revenue from the corn in that
box of flakes rose from .05 to .08! Their share of the purchaser's dollar
shrank from 13% to just 3% of the total price. Just for comparison, there were
525 g of corn flakes in this box and they cost 2.36; 525 g of corn itself
(exhibit) today is worth 6.4 cents. Does that not strike you as strange? Now
you know why I eat granola!
Similarly
for a loaf of bread: between 1975 and 1998 the cost of a loaf of bread tripled,
while the value to the farmer of the wheat in that $1.31 loaf was only 11
cents. The farmer's share of the consumer's dollar was halved from 17% down to
8%.
Escalating
input costs and low commodity prices spell minimal profits for farmers. Bumper
crops like last year's 200 bu/ac corn help, but you can't count on them every
year. Return on equity is low (that's the ratio of net income to money invested
in the enterprise); one NFU study reported farmers earned .3% return on equity
in 1998. Another farmer I talked to estimated his was 5-15% based on old land
values. One person wondered whether those paying 4,000/ac for land should get
their heads examined. I ask, with mutual fund returns at 15% and the cost of
land so much, what crop can I grow that's going to net me $600/ac?! Meanwhile
in 1998, breakfast cereal companies Kelloggs, Quaker Oats, and General Mills
earned returns on equity of 56, 156, and 222% respectively. One non-radical
cash cropper put it something like this: "At what point are you no longer
farming as a livelihood and instead paying to support it as a hobby?"
In
March I attended a workshop in Woodstock put on by the Rural Life Committee of
London Conference. David Older, a Ridgetown grad and dairy farmer with 50 cows
and 300 acres, reported farming is 4 times as capital intensive as mining, 8
times manufacturing, and 15 times construction. It takes 5 years' of sales in
agriculture to equal capital invested, compared to just 1 year 2 months in
manufacturing. He explained that whereas the Chicago Board of trade used to be
just a place for processors to hedge risks, now speculative funds have
introduced a "whipsaw" effect. There also is less collegiality
between farmers, he feels: "hard times have made them harder".
George
Stock has farmed on a Century Farm near Tavistock, and works off the farm in
the mental health field. He said a 1987 study of farm suicides in
Oxford-Elgin-Middlesex showed the rate was 10 times normal. Symptoms of stress
reported by farmers include chronic fatigue, forgetfulness, trouble
concentrating, loss of temper. Stressors range from the traditional ones of
weather, disease, and market cycles, to time stressors (seasonal rushes,
interruptions, breakdowns), special interest politics, government regulations
(where are you going to put your manure?), intergenerational transfer, and
personal links to the farm or community -- such as the perceived shame of
losing the family farm, or simple financial failure.
Listen
to this quote from a Saskatchewan Qu'appelle Presbytery farmer in response to
the extreme rains last year in southeastern Saskatchewan and southwestern
Manitoba. "Harvest is done now, and our yields were low. You cannot seed
in the mud as it just does not grow properly. Another year, perhaps? We can't
see ourselves able to hang on farming much longer. Fourth generation farm down
the tube! I have an off farm job so we can eat and exist, but many of our
neighbours do not have money to buy food nor to clothe their children. This
crisis is worse than the 30's. Support systems and welfare are there for other
groups of Canadians, but not for farmers and farm families. To me, this is a
national crime to leave families with no hope, no support and most of all no
future. I pray for all people and hope that other Canadians pray for us the
farm families in this our greatest time of need. Any help will be greatly
appreciated by a broken people who are struggling just to survive."
There
is a definite CRY FOR RELIEF. Some farmers are definitely feeling like that lame
man in Acts 3, begging for help. But Peter and John didn't just leave him
sitting there. God wants to bless us. Peter proclaimed, "And you are heirs
of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to
Abraham, `Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.' When God raised up his
servant, he sent him first to you to bless
you by turning each of you from your wicked ways." God's will is to bless
us. That becomes possible when we first turn to Him, away from the idols and
drives that consumed us before. Peter urged the people to turn from their
wicked ways; (19) "Repent...and turn to God, so that your sins may be
wiped out..." The Psalmist said, (2) "How long will you love
delusions and seek false gods?"
What
idols might these be as they affect rural life? Affluence: do we really need to
work so many hours on and off the farm, cutting into family time? For
consumers, are we willing to pay more than our current amount of 12% of
disposable income on food? How about nearer 20% like Europe, Japan, and Israel?
There's the idol of brand-spankin' new machinery - that half-ton or tractor
like the Joneses just got. Perhaps consumers have made an idol of
flawless-looking food: the year-round tomatoes and apples flown in from offshore
have spoiled us for the local "in-season" slightly imperfect produce.
How many miles is it reasonable to bring the food for our table, at what cost
to the environment, creating what level of dependency and vulnerability on
outside sources? God wants us not to be deluded, or seeking false gods.
Next,
after turning to the Lord, we can trust Him. Peter said, "By faith in the
name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong.It is Jesus' name
and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to
him..." (16) The Psalmist urges, "Offer right sacrifices and trust in
the Lord." (5) Trust and faith are matters of commitment, priorities,
values, what's important to you. We can ask, "To what am I prepared to
give my time, my resources, my life?" "Can I get by without that new
vehicle, that extra acreage?" (For the consumer) "Can I afford to pay
more for food?" Else we may be relying on farm families to make sacrifices
to support our standard of living. "What commitment am I as a consumer
ready to make so farmers don't have to push themselves so hard?" And for
those of us who like to eat lots: "Can I get satisfaction from other
things rather than demanding to be able to afford lots of cheap food?" Now
you're getting close to the quick. "Farmers, we love you, but don't ask us
to pay more for milk and cheese and cake and..." ("Darling, I love
you, but give me Park Avenue...")
Faith
is essential, trust is necessary, in any relationship; especially in our
relationship with God. In my poll, one farmer commented to me, "It
requires faith in God to put the crop in." Weather can be so spotty, one
cropper has a failure while a few miles away they receive just the rain that's
needed. It does take trust in the Almighty to plow thousands of dollars' worth
of inputs into the ground, and believe God will make something of your efforts.
It takes commitment to stay farming one more year when you've had a loss, or
you know you could stick the money in the bank and earn more but care about
your family's lifestyle and feel called to produce food for the world.
Finally,
the path from distress to blessing requires us to be able to recognize the real
blessing when it comes. What kind of blessing are we expecting? Is it based on
material goods, having as much as the neighbours? George Stock said some
farmers' definition of "success" means money, time, control, new
"tin", top production, lots of land; while to others success means
satisfaction, being happy, enjoying one's family. On a human level, he said, "I
am what you think I am" - we're all living in somebody else's goldfish
bowl. But that's measuring blessing on a simply human scale. Real blessing, by
God's definition, is spiritual, not material. Peter spoke of "times of
refreshing [that would] come from the Lord...that he may send the Christ, who
has been appointed for you..." Blessing is about intangibles: the smell of
a fresh-mown field; a splash of warm milk straight from the cow; helping in the
birth of a new calf, even if it IS 4 in the morning; a harvest safely stored in
the granary or mowed in the barn; being your own boss; a tear as that long-time
good milker goes off to market; working together as a family to put out a grass
fire; kids that are used to working, and have had the responsibility of caring
for a 4H calf that won the ribbon. There are spiritual values behind these
intangibles. Christ is coming. All the toys and tin in the world won't count
for a hill of beans on that day; what's most important then is whether we know
Him already, whether we've loved, and what we've made of whatever gifts He's
entrusted to us. We are heirs of the Covenant, adopted into the rights of a
heavenly Father's bequest.
The
Psalmist put it this way (7,8): "You have filled my heart with greater joy
than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety." Blessing doesn't mean our
material goods abound - even for a farmer. Our hearts are freed to receive
God's blessing when we put Him first, whatever our vocation, consciously
serving Him and others in good times and bad.
A
parting comment from my poll. One farmer said his concern was "trying to
remain aware of God's presence and leading in a hectic pace of life". That's where we gain true peace and
security, seeking the light of the Lord's face. What have we gained with all
our civilized doodads and social busy-ness if we're distracted from the One who
is able to give life real meaning? When we're in distress, whether we're
farmers or not, may we turn to God, trust in Him, and recognize His blessing
when it comes. Let us pray.
Mothering
is a difficult task; to be a good mother at times seems well-nigh impossible,
at least in our own human strength. In "Chicken Soup for the Woman's
Soul" Joan Beck shares job descriptions for various stages of mothering.
Here's an ad for an ideal mother for a toddler:
"Wanted
- athlete in top condition to safeguard tireless toddler. Needs quick reflexes,
boundless energy, infinite patience. ESP helpful. Knowledge of first aid
essential. Must be able to drive, cook, phone, work despite constant
distractions. Workday, 15 hours. No coffee or lunch breaks unless child naps.
Would consider pediatric nurse with Olympic background."
The
demands change as the child grows. For example, these might be the requirements
for a mother of a teenager: "Job Available - For specialist in adolescent
psychology, with experience in large-quantity cooking. Tolerance is chief
requirement. Slight hearing loss helpful or must provide own ear plugs. Must be
unflappable. Should be able to sense when presence is embarrassing to child and
disappear."
To be
a good mother is so demanding, so challenging. It's so daunting as to seem
impossible. But God who designed the family system will help when moms are
feeling overwhelmed. Amidst the challenge of mothering, God through Jesus and
the Holy Spirit brings a life-restoring supply; and Christ's love becomes our
continuing motivation.
Back
to the challenge of mothering for a minute. It's really not surprising that
mothering is so difficult when you consider what it was like for the original
mom and even the mother of our Saviour. The original mom, Eve, with her
husband's co-operation instigated the problems of the world when selfishly they
decided to do things THEIR way instead of God's way. The disobedience of Adam
and Eve introduced guilt, shame, alienation, and fear to our race. As a consequence
God told Eve that her pains in childbearing would be increased; "with pain
you will give birth to children." It's not easy, from the word go. Right
away in Eve's own sons, Cain and Abel, we see the spin-off of the parents'
selfish attitude: one murders his brother in jealousy, the first example of
sibling rivalry.
Even
the mother of our Lord, Mary herself, was not exempt from hardship. Jesus was
barely a week old when Simeon met the new family in the temple courts and
warned Mary explicitly, "This child is destined to cause the falling and
rising of many in Israel...and a sword will pierce your own soul too."
Imagine the heartbreak Jesus' mother must have felt when her firstborn, so full
of wisdom and miraculous power and compassionate goodness, was whipped and
nailed to a cross to die. So even for mothers whose offspring turn out better
than Cain, it can still be a painful experience: a fallen world can be cruel,
especially to those who are good, innocent, holding out high ideals. Even in
the elementary grades they start to get labeled and ridiculed: "goody
goody", "browner", "teacher's pet", "suck",
"square", "self-righteous". While a mother may long for her
child to excel, to rise above the crowd, the crowd can't stand such deviation
and tries to make things unpleasant and bring the individual back down to the
lowest common denominator. And when a child hurts, the mother hurts too.
Meanwhile,
all the time mothers are trying to pour themselves into their youngster to heal
their hurts and build them back up, our modern society consistently undermines
the value of motherhood in its TV shows, movies, and unspoken public attitude.
Working women (working OUTSIDE the home, that is) are viewed as more
interesting, more significant than a woman who stays home and is (quote)
"JUST a housewife". The demoralizing lack of respect for full-time
mothers is hinted at in this poem by Caryl M Kerber, "Housewife's
Lament".
Make the beds, bandage heads, straighten up the room;
Wash the windows, cut the grass, see the tulips bloom.
Drive the children to school, drive them back again.
Have the Cubs to meeting then I clean the den.
Serve on my committee, attend the PTA.
Forgot to buy the children shoes...can't do it today.
Pay the bills, write a note, fill the cookie jar.
Oh dear, I forgot to go and have them grease the car.
Catch up on the ironing, scrub the kitchen floor.
Answer phone and doorbell, need I list some more?
My pet peeve I must admit, you surely will agree,
When someone asks, "Are you employed?" I
answer, "No, not me."
Mothering
would be an impossible job, energy-draining and unrecognized as it is, if it
were attempted in just our own human strength. But the Christian message brings
hope and relief, for all believers but especially for mothers. God offers mothers
a life-restoring supply. If we
will receive him, Jesus pours his own life into ours to make up what we lack or
what we've been drained of in serving others for him.
You've
probably not thought about John 10 as a passage on mothering. But there are
many parallels between a good mother and a "good shepherd". The
shepherd Jesus describes is "good" in the sense of being competent,
able, proven. Jesus implies in this passage that he is both our model and our
energizer: in verses 11,15,17,18 he repeatedly emphasizes, "I lay down my
life for the sheep." It's not just an aimless loss of life; the good
shepherd, like a good mother, intentionally puts his life at stake for the sake
of the sheep. You don't want to get between a mother bear and her cubs; but you
also wouldn't want to be a bear trying to get between David and his sheep. John
in his first letter (3:16) defines love in this self-sacrificial sense:
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for
us.And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." Not only
"ought", we are empowered by Christ to lay down our lives for others.
Rather than being like a hired hand who sees the wolf coming and runs for his
life, abandoning the sheep to be killed and scattered.
Dear
old Psalm 23 is so well-liked undoubtedly because it too reflects God's
life-restoring supply. "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want..."
Literally, whatever needs I may have, God is going to supply (as I do my part
in faith). "He restores my soul...He prepares a table before me..."
The image blurs from that of a shepherd pulling weeds out of the pasture, to
that of a mother setting a table with all sorts of good food. God is saying,
"Whatever your needs may be, however stressed you get by legitimate
demands, I will be your supply. I'm going to look after you like a trustworthy
and experienced shepherd, like a generous caring mother." "As one
whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you..." (Isaiah 66:13)
How
does this happen? The hook-up of God's supply comes to us through the Holy
Spirit. 1John assures us that when we are being obedient to the Father, we will
receive what we ask from him. And not just his favour, but his very presence.
"Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them.And this is how we
know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us." When a
child calls out in the middle of the night, it's not just a drink of water or
light turned on that they want; they want the assurance of the parent's
presence, knowing someone is right there with them who can calm them and dispel
their fears. God makes himself available to us as a life-restoring supply, so
we in turn can handle the demands of loving and parenting.
Susannah
Wesley, mother of John and Charles Wesley, founders of the Methodist church,
had 19 children; ten survived infancy. She set up a school in her home, six
hours a day, six days a week. Weekly private conversations with each child
formed the basis of their spiritual formation. (Today's parents average 7
minutes one-on-one with each child per week!) How did she do it all? She found
strength and refreshment in God. The children learned that, when she was
sitting down and threw her apron back over her head, she was praying and not to
be disturbed. Amidst the commotion of a busy household, Susanna carved out a
way of finding her supply in her Lord.
It's
not easy to lay down your life for anybody else. That cuts across the grain of
our selfish fallen nature. Along with God's life-restoring supply comes Christ's love as our continuing motivation.
Think for a minute about the hired hand Jesus described. Why did he run when
the wolf came? Because he's in it for the money, he "cares nothing for the
sheep". (10:13) His real goal is not sacrificial shepherding, but
self-preservation, self-promotion - even if it's at the sheep's expense.
By
contrast, what was the motivation of Jesus, the Good Shepherd? His love for the
Father, and love for us. Verses 17,18 show the importance of his love for the
Father. He was ready to lay down his life in order to carry out the Father's
plan of reconciliation. He says, "I have authority to lay it down and
authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
The actions Jesus undertook for us sprang from his awareness and identification
with God's plan to seek us out, draw us back, and make atonement so we sinners
could be reunited with an absolutely good and holy God. Because it was
important to the Father, it was important to Jesus, who willingly stepped into
the role prepared for him.
As
mothers and fathers, we need to keep reminding ourselves of the awesome
privilege and responsibility it is to be parents. Jesus received his orders
from the Father concerning us. Similarly, our children are entrusted to us by
God, we are accountable to Him, He's looking to us to raise up godly offspring.
Yes, "the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world," but the
effects of our child-rearing go beyond this world. Our impact on our children
has significance for eternity. The worth of mothering just isn't on the same
scale as if it could be compared to typical monetarily-rewarded careers.
Abraham Lincoln, respected president, said: "No one is poor who has a
godly mother."
As
Jesus revered and loved God and accepted his role of becoming our Saviour, the
Father put his love for us inside Christ's heart. 1John argues that if we have
God's love in us, when we see someone in material need, we won't slam the door
of our compassion against that person. It is the nature of God's kind of love
to lay down one's life for those loved. Jesus directed his attention and
concern toward us, pouring out his energy in an effort to become familiar with
us and communicate the depth of God's caring in our direction. He said (10:14),
"I know my sheep, and my sheep know me..." The good shepherd spends
time with his sheep, examining their coats for insect pests, anointing their
cuts with medicine, counting them each night as they return to the fold, laying
down across the gap in the stone wall of the fold so that enemies will have to
come in over his dead body. Yes, the shepherd even starts to smell like a
sheep! So Jesus' motivation, and our motivation in mothering, can't be for
money or selfish goals. It springs from an internalizing of God's love for the
sheep or our children.
A
shepherd's life is bound up with that of his sheep; he is for them, with them,
beside them all the way. If he cares for them. A mother's life becomes so bound
up with her children that the boundary between self and offspring fades at
times; the mother bird or bunny is glad to use her own feathers or fur to make
the nest more comfortable for her young. I'd like to close with an article by
Dale Hanson Bourke telling how much mothering can change your life. A friend
mentions she and her husband are thinking of starting a family; the biological
clock is running out, and she asks, half joking, "We're taking a survey;
do you think I should have a baby?" Dale Bourke replies, "It will
change your life." The friend responds, "I know: no more sleeping in
on Saturdays, no more spontaneous vacations..." Dale thinks to herself:
"But
that is not what I mean at all. I look at my friend, trying to decide what to
tell her. I want her to know what she will never learn in child-birth classes.
I want to tell her that the physical wounds of childbearing heal, but that
becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will
be forever vulnerable.
I
consider warning her that she will never read a newspaper again without asking,
"What if that had been my child?" That every plane crash, every fire
will haunt her. That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will
wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.
I
look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no matter
how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive
level of a bear protecting her cub. That an urgent call of "Mom!"
will cause her to drop a souffle or her best crystal without a moment's
hesitation...
Looking
at my attractive friend, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the
pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself. That her
life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That
she would give it up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to
hope for more years -- not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child
accomplish his. I want her to know that a caesarean scar or shiny stretch marks
will become badges of honour...
I
wish my friend could sense the bond she will feel with women throughout history
who have tried desperately to stop war and prejudice and drunk driving. I hope
she will understand why I can think rationally about most issues, but become
temporarily insane when I discuss the threat of nuclear war to my children's
future.
I
want to describe to my friend the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to
hit a baseball. I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is
touching the soft fur of a dog for the first time. I want her to taste the joy
that is so real it hurts.
My
friend's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes.
'You'll never regret it,' I say finally. Then I reach across the table, squeeze
my friend's hand, and offer a prayer for her and me and all of the mere mortal
women who stumble their way into this holiest of callings."
Let
us pray.
Do
you remember learning to swim? It's a different experience for everyone, of
course. Some people take to swimming like ducks to water, but others have fears
to overcome: fear of water, fear of putting their face in the water, fear of
getting out too far and not being able to get back, fear that the water isn't
trustworthy and won't hold them up.
One
of the greatest fears - even for able swimmers, is of getting out into deep
water, too far from shore, without the energy or the ability to get back. Even
when people are out in a boat, there is always the possibility of an accident,
with the boat overturned and everyone thrown out. Something that people use to
make deep water safer is a life jacket.
Of
course, back then, Peter and the other fishermen didn't have life jackets. And even if you know how to swim, deep waters
can be treacherous, if a storm is coming up or if you're already tired out from
casting nets out and hauling them in again.
There
are risks in deep water, whether or not you can swim. You don't know what's
under there. It's cold. The water's dark. You're a long way from home and from
safety. It's tiring to stay up and keep going. And - if you're far enough out -
you may not know if you're headed in the right direction to get back to shore.
A
life jacket (or personal flotation device) helps with some of that. You still
don't know what's under there. It's still cold and dark and a long way from
home. But there is something that's holding you up. Your head isn't going to go
under. You may not know where you're going, but you've got something to help
you and to keep you up even if you have to turn around and start again.
Jesus
asked the disciples to put out into the deep water without the assurance of
having life jackets. After obeying his suggestion to put out again and then
finding a miraculously huge catch of fish, they began to understand. And as
they went along they learned they could trust and find support in Christ. As
they went along, their life jackets got better and better, their life jackets
of trust in Jesus Christ, in what he was doing and how he was doing it and what
their role was with him. He can become OUR life jacket, too. He strengthens us
to take risks, to move into the unknown because we believe he knows what he's
doing and we're responding to his call to carry on his ministry.
Of
course, knowing that the life jacket is there doesn't always mean that we DO
take those risks or move into the unknown -- whatever it may be. Like the
disciples in their boat, we are tempted to stay in the more familiar and safer
shallow waters.
The
ship is an ancient symbol of the church. Partly because Jesus urged the
fishermen to leave behind their nets and catch people instead of fish. The ship
is the safe place from which we throw out our nets to catch whatever - or
whoever - may swim into them.
But
somewhere along the way of the last two millennia, we've found ourselves
drifting, worn out and empty, in familiar, safe, shallow waters. And when we do
from time to time just for habit's sake cast our nets, we become discouraged
because we don't get anything much back. Why are we stuck where there aren't
fish? Why should we keep on expecting to get more and more fish out of the same
waters? We Canadians, of all people, should be able to take a lesson from the
exhausted Grand Banks and change our approach! Why are we so reluctant to leave
our familiar territory and push the boat out to deeper water?
Maybe
it's because it hasn't occurred to us. We've been busy singing sea shanties and
dipping the occasional new sailor in the water without really explaining what a
death to self and immersion into Christ's new life baptism is. Maybe it's
because we haven't studied our maps (the Bible) in a long time, or tracked the
fish migration (population trends) and don't know where the deep waters are.
Maybe it's because we're worried about what might happen if we did put out into
the deep water. It's probably a combination of all of these.
The
first reason, "it hasn't occurred to us" that there are deep waters,
is easy to overcome: in choosing this as her theme, Conference President Anne
Beattie-Stokes has made the suggestion that there is deep water and we should think about putting out into it.
The
second reason, not knowing our maps or what the fish are up to, takes a little
more effort to solve. There are no easy, universal answers. The deep waters
will be different in every community and for every congregation. We have to
find our own, praying for God to reveal how he wants us to share His Word,
praying for discernment to become aware of hurting people's real needs. Blyth
is a little different from your typical rural community because we've got all
these theatre people swimming right up to the edge of our boat. What peculiar
kind of bait might interest them? What might interest those of other walks of
life, the unchurched of various classes - what diversions are they looking to
now for the fulfilment that only comes from peace with God? Are we even friends
with some of them so we'd know?
The
third reason, fear of what might happen if we launched out into unfamiliar
waters, is the hardest of all to conquer. Because in order to overcome our
anxiety we have to be willing to take the risk of going out into water that may
not be well known and certainly will be risky. There might be rocks, or
deadhead logs, or storms. People might actually ask us to explain just why WE
follow Jesus, what difference he makes in our lives. We may have to get
creative in order to show how Scripture has answers to today's concerns, the
alienation and meaninglessness that plagues modern life.
Imagine
- just IMAGINE - if we cast out our nets in such deep waters, and pulled in
nets so full that they were too heavy for our ship. It might sink. It might
break. And then where would we be? Imagine having to go to a different
building, a different time to worship, even different ways of meeting so that
the real purpose of church - fellowship with one another and the Lord -
HAPPENED in a more powerful way.
Our
survival of deep water depends on the state of our life jackets. How strong are
they? In other words, how much faith do we have in the ability of Jesus to save
us if things get rough? Are our life jackets as good as a FROG - "Fully
Reliant On God"? Have we the humility with Peter to fall at Jesus' knees
and admit, "Lord, I am a sinful man!" To admit our need of a Saviour?
We
are called to put out into the deep water. We are called to take some risks and
to go where we haven't gone, trusting that we will be kept afloat, although not
necessarily in our same old boat.
The
Master Fisherman assures us that we will be safe, and that this risk is
necessary in order to show God's love and calling in the world; in order for
people to hear God's voice, be challenged out of their idols and deceptions,
and experience the reality and wonder of God's love and grace. If we do not
take the risk, our communities will have to go without something they need.
It
will be rough at times. It may even be frightening. But, with God's help, we
can do it. And the reward will be great - not just for us, but for everyone.
And if we invite him, Jesus will come with us, as we put out into the deep
waters.
(story: Charles Swindoll, Tale of the Tardy Oxcart
p.89)
Here
we are at Camp Menesetung, on the occasion of our Sunday school picnic. And
when you go camping or on a picnic, what do you find? Ants! Leave a bit of food
uncovered on the ground and before long you'll find a dedicated ant with
friends trying to haul some of it away. Did you know the Bible tells us to be
wise as ants? In the book of Proverbs we read, "Go to the ant, you
sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or
ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at
harvest." So I thought it appropriate for us today to try to learn
something from the ant, to become at least as wise as these little creatures.
Along with Jesus' prayer in John 17 the ant gives us this guidance: 1.Follow
the leader. 2.Good things are for passing on. 3.We need somebody bigger to
protect us. 4.God has a special purpose for your life: you are unique,
custom-made to meet a specific need. 5.However little I feel, trusting Jesus I
am part of God's big plan to bless the world through our Saviour.
The
first lesson is, follow the leader. (picture - ant life stages: Here's the
critter we're talking about, from egg stage to larva, then pupa in a little
case, and finally adult.) As the life cycle suggests, we follow a course,
somebody has gone ahead of us to make life possible. When we were in Congo, we
tried to discourage the ants finding the table by setting the table legs in
tall tin cans. But sometimes a bit of food would fall to the floor (we had two
toddlers back then) and before long you'd see a continuous line of ants down
from the window, along the wall, across the floor to the bit of food, and back
again. How did they know? Ants have a good sense of smell, and when one finds
food she makes a trail marked by special smells called pheromones back to the
nest. (I say "she" because workers are females - there are very few
male ants) So soon you have this long line of worker ants following the lead of
the trailblazer, hauling the yummy food back to the nest.
In
our spiritual life we need to "follow the leader" too. Jesus said in
John 17:6, "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the
world.They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your
word." Jesus is the Son of God, the divine Word become flesh; he is the
one who has come from heaven and made a trail for us to return with him. The
markings are not pheromone chemicals, but his teaching during his life and his
blood given at the cross so we could be forgiven. He is the Way to God; all we
need to do is follow the leader, obey his Word, and we can find God, who is
waiting to reveal Himself to us personally.
Jim
Burns tells the story: "Once upon a time there was a colony of ants who
were busy doing whatever ants do with their lives. God wanted to tell the ants
of His love for them and His eternal home prepared for them. What was the very
best way for God to communicate to those ants? The only possible way to speak
to the ants was to become an ant and speak their language. So He did, and they
believed." That story captures something of how wonderful it was that God
became human in Jesus, bridging a gap even bigger than between us and ants. He
came to convince us how much he loved us, and to show us the way home.
So
lesson 1 is Follow the Leader. Lesson 2 is, Good things are for passing on.
Suppose two ants are sauntering toward each other. When they meet, they smell
each other with their antennae; it's thought that ants from the same nest all
share the same distinctive odour. If they're not from the same nest, they might
fight or shove. If they ARE from the same nest, the two ants may stand mouth to
mouth. One ant then regurgitates a drop of liquid for the other. (It sounds
worse than it probably is; think of it as a handshake or offering a
breathmint!) You see, ants have a specially designed pouch inside their mouth
that stores the fluid they squeeze out of plant material. This storage pouch is
far away from their true stomach hence ideal for a little "pocket" to
pass on a snack to another ant.
Jesus
said in verse 8, "I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted
them.They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you
sent me." Jesus passed on the good things he got from the Father, and the
disciples not only accepted the good news, but passed it on to others in turn.
That's why our Sunday School teachers are so important: they're not hogging the
wonderful truth in the Bible for themselves, but passing it on to young people,
the next generation. So remember this week when you meet someone, try to pass
on something good like the ants sharing a snack. Build up a fellow believer
with a word of encouragement, share Jesus' concern and sensitivity toward an
unbeliever. Good things are for passing on.
Lesson
3: We need somebody bigger to protect us. (picture - Notice how different in
size various ants in the same nest may be: Queen, male, worker, and - what have
we here?? Soldier) The soldiers are just that, they protect the ant colony from
enemies. Their heads have large mandibles, things like jaws that go crosswise
for fighting. They defend the entrance by actually sticking their head in the
entry hole to block it! So you can guess if an intruder does get in, some poor
soldier has lost his head. They lay down their lives for the nest.
Jesus
said, "Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name--the name you
gave me...My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you
protect them from the evil one." The Soldier Ant guarding the entrance to
the believer's life is Jesus, we can be protected from the Accuser by God
through the power of Jesus' name. Let's remember though that if we want to
benefit by saying Jesus' name against evil, we need also to be living in Him
day-to-day.
The
fourth lesson is that God has a special purpose for your life. you are unique,
for meeting a specific need. (picture - ant anatomy: I was surprised to find
how complex ants are inside, with their specially designed digestive, nervous,
circulatory, and respiratory systems. Very delicately built, yet some ants live
up to 20 years!) Even more amazing is the great number of types of ants that
exist. There are 20,000 species of ants, and it's estimated that on the planet
at any given time the number of ants is about 1 quadrillion (that's a 1 with 15
zeroes behind it). There are 6 main groups: army ants, slave makers, harvester
ants, dairying ants, honey ants, and fungus growers. This is where it gets
really fascinating. Harvester ants go out through the summer and bring in seeds
from plants; they don't just dump them, but take the hull off first, and store
the seeds in special chambers. Dairying ants live off the honeydew produced by
aphids and plant lice. In many cases, a plant louse will release a drop of
honeydew whenever an ant "milks" the insect by stroking it with its
antennae. The ants protect the lice by
fighting insects that come near while the ants are feeding. Some colonies actually
keep their own "herds" of lice "cows" right in the colony;
when a queen ant goes to start a new colony, she carries a louse with her in
her mandibles to start a new "herd" too.
And
did you know there are actually gardener ants? Well, almost. It's just that
their "flowerbeds" are filled with mould- or yeast-like fungi. Ants
can't digest the cellulose in plant walls. So fungus-growing ants drag leaves,
flower petals, and other plant material into the nest, chew it up into a kind
of mulch or compost, and fertilize the fungus beds with it. Then the ants eat
the tiny nourishing knobs the fungi produce, like little mushrooms. Can you
guess what the queen takes with her to start a new nest? A pellet of fungus, of
course. How amazing is God's unique design!
Tropical
weaver ants construct nests from tree leaves.
To make a nest, some of the workers hold the edges of leaves together,
while other workers carry silk-spinning larvae back and forth across the edges.
The larvae produce a thick sheet of silken webbing that binds the edges of the
leaves together. Clever, huh? Almost like using a tool!
From
these very specialized types of ants we can learn that God has designed each
one of us uniquely, with a particular purpose in mind. Jesus asked God in verse 17 on,
"Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the
world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they
too may be truly sanctified." The word "sanctify" means to set
apart for God's use, to designate as special to God, holy. Jesus sanctified or
set himself about God's special work for him of redeeming the world, making it
possible for sinners to be reconciled to a perfect, holy God. In the same way,
Jesus prays God will set us apart, sending us into the world as his messengers
of grace and truth. How do we become sanctified? "By the truth,"
Jesus says, that is, by accepting God's word and letting it shape and transform
our lives. Holiness is something only God can do: He speaks and it happens, as
we give him our attention and acquiesce. One commentator said, "Christ
prays for their consecration by the power of the word in their hearts.Every
disciple should be thus consecrated...the means is...the reception of God's
word into our hearts and the complete surrender to his will spoken in his
word."
Those
amazingly diverse ants discover their path by heeding the instructions in their
DNA, so a fungus-growing ant doesn't suddenly try to start milking aphids
amongst the compost. Thus as we pray and give our selves to God, listening to
His voice, he will show us the customized gifts and talents he's endowed us
with to live for him and speak his message to our peers in a convincing way.
That's the purpose Jesus sends us into the world for: that the world may
believe he the Messiah was sent by God, and that God loves his people dearly as
he loves his own Son. Sanctification, being made holy or set-apart, means God
has a special purpose for your life; you are unique, for meeting a specific
need, reaching those you know for the Lord.
The
final lesson from the ants is this: However little I am, I can be part of God's
big plan to bless the world through Jesus. Ants are not individuals, they're
perhaps the most highly developed form of "social insects": they live
in organized communities, with hundreds of thousands or even millions of
members in each colony. (picture - ant nest: here's a cross-section of an ant
colony, with all the different store rooms, queen's chamber, nursery, and guard
on duty at the door.) Where do all these members come from? Usually there is
just one queen in a colony, and almost all the other ants come from her.
They're one big family. And though each ant individually is small, together
they are a force to be reckoned with. A colony of leaf-cutter ants can even
strip all the leaves from a whole orange grove in one night! Ant nests can
extend 3 feet above ground, and 40 feet below ground. Such amazing coordination
and cooperation is made possible because they're all on the same wavelength,
they're united in their goal.
This
is the concept behind the union of our church 75 years ago this week: though on
our own we may be small, together we can make a big difference. The motto on
our United Church Crest, "that all may be one", comes from John
17:21-23. Jesus prays "that all of them may be one, Father, just as you
are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us...I have given them the glory
that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in
me.May they be brought to complete unity..."
The
ants in a colony are united because they're basically all from one source, the
queen. The unity Jesus describes is not just a oneness similar to that bonding
the Father and the Son, but that very unity itself enlarged and extended so as
to include believers within the very fellowship the Trinity knew from eternity
past. We are included in this heavenly "colony" when we receive
Christ as Lord and Saviour, becoming God's own sons and daughters by faith as
the apostles taught. This is an essential goal toward which our Sunday School,
our parenting, and all our Church programming needs to be heading -- and beyond
to maturity in Christian discipleship.
This
becomes real to us through the Holy Spirit. Note Jesus said, "I have given
them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one..."
McGarvey writes, "God gave Christ the glory of Sonship and this resulted
in their unity.So Christ gives to his disciples the glory of becoming the sons
of God (Jn.1:12;1Jn.3:1)." This glory, the adoption and gift of the
Spirit, makes it possible for Christians to be one as Father and Son are one.
Ants in a colony share the same mother, the same smell, the same communication;
Christ longs for his church to demonstrate the same oneness of will and spirit
he felt with the Father.
You
don't need to BE big to be part of something big. God loves each of us dearly,
and has a role for us. However little I am or can do, I can be part of God's
big plan to bless the world through Jesus. The Lord said (Luke 7:28) humanly
speaking there was no one ever born who was greater than John the Baptist;
"yet the person who is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than
he." Another time (Luke 9:48) he said, "Whoever welcomes this little
child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent
me.For he who is LEAST among you all - that person is the GREATEST."
Praise God, even little ants like you and me are important - perhaps MOST
necessary - in showing the world God's incredible love and kindness for all.
Let us pray.
Anniversaries are excellent opportunities to look back
and look ahead. The image that came to me for this occasion that of a World War
II cartoon by Bing Coughlin, from a book my father has. It shows an armoured
scout car with two soldiers' heads racing down a slope. Obviously it's the type
that had two drivers' positions, for one soldier is shouting to the other:
"Whaddaya mean, 'Look out for the tree!'? I thought YOU were
driving!!"
We
are a big church in the UCC, with over 700,000 members across the country.
Thamesview has been a very active church since its local consolidation in 1968,
when people from six different churches came together to form a new congregation.
It's very easy sometimes to feel unnecessary in a large organization, or to get
peeved about the way somebody else made a decision and sneak off to the
sidelines mumbling, "I'll let somebody else do the driving. They can
provide the leadership. Then if something goes wrong, it's THEIR fault!"
However
God challenges us not to slough off on the responsibility of steering. It
doesn't advance the Kingdom when we're hopping around as Israel danced back and
forth trying to blend together worship of Yahweh and the popular trendy worship
of the Baals. Jesus urges us not to imitate the Pharisees or the Sadducees, the
right wing or the left wing, but let Him be at the steering wheel of our life.
Then we won't become a wreck against the bush on either side of the ditch.
Around
the Blyth area, especially toward Wingham, you still come across Amish buggies
driving along the side of the road. They seem like an anomaly, an anachronism,
something badly out of place, from another time; the black buggy idles along on
the shoulder while cars whiz by on the pavement. That's probably what many
churches seem like to modern folk who might step in off the street: it's like
entering another time period. Quaint, but not life-changing. So moderns are
doing the "church thing" less and less. An Angus Reid poll taken last
month revealed that 77% (3/4) of Canadians still identify themselves with a
Christian church; 69% agree with the statement, "I feel that through the
life, death and resurrection of Jesus, God provided a way for the forgiveness
of my sins"; 67% agree religious faith is very important to their
day-to-day life; and 66% (2/3) agree that the Bible is the inspired word of
God, up slightly from previous years. Sounds encouraging. But the punch line is
that only 20% of Canadians attend weekly religious services. Should be 3 times
that much if they were putting feet to their faith! And for young people, ages
18-34, only 15% attend each week! Modern people, even the 77% who call
themselves Christian, are passing judgment on the relevance of church by not
attending.
Are
we bound for the ditch, or crashing into a tree? In an article in the January
"Bridge", Augie Meacham, London Conference Personnel Minister back in
the 70's, surmises: "Perhaps my age group has a plan (I hope
unconsciously). The plan is that when we leave this earth, we take the United
Church with us. There would be some members left but not many." Is that
what the future holds? Will the national church make it from its 75th birthday
to 100? What's wrong with the direction we're going?
As we
peer through the future's fog we can dimly see dangers to both the left and the
right. First the dangers to the left, which we can call something like
"progressive modernism". (I don't want to call it small-L liberal because
Christ's love has a liberality to it which drew people to him.) The United
Church has always been strong on social justice. A recent issue of
"Context" magazine published by World Vision about the residential
schools issue had the United Church come through looking fairly good compared
to other denominations. I applaud our ongoing stand against lotteries and
gambling. Some of you will remember the infamous grape boycott of years past.
Even on a local level - your 1993 historical booklet has a photo of the local
township council beside which my mother scribbled a note "We regret the
headless reeve!" (happens to be my uncle Don); but the United Church has
always attempted to cut politicians down to size!
As a
local church you have had a somewhat liberal, progressive vision for mission.
In the 70's you sponsored a refugee family from VietNam; in the 80's, Laotian
refugees, and the Adult Class helped sponsor African Michael Butera. You have
been very active in Canadian Foodgrains Bank projects and are now loaning Susan
to its national Board of Directors. Even the Hi-C were outreach minded: back in
1968 they held a 19-mile walkathon to Stratford to raise money for a foster
child. Makes my feet sore to think about it!
Yet
there are dangers in going too far to the left, even if it is a benevolent
progressive modernism. Fallen humans cannot build utopia. The heady optimistic
liberalism of the early 20th century resulted in the most deadly 100 years our
world has known. The danger in a "Mending the Earth" philosophy is
imagining we can do it ourselves; preoccupation with social justice can tempt
us to overlook Christ and forget God's version of the solution for the world's
problems, which starts with the Gospel. For example, anthem for the United
Church's 75th anniversary may have nice music but nowhere does it make any
reference to Jesus Christ. Instead it is love that "makes free" the
"precious planet". Similarly, the winning hymn for the 75th
anniversary has some very faulty theology. Supposedly the "Word made flesh
declared the truth of human worth"; the author urges us to "let
doctrine of a world made whole become the truth by which we're freed." Why
then would Peter at Pentecost urge the crowds to "Repent and be
baptized...in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins...Save
yourselves from this corrupt generation"? If "human worth" is
already a truth, who needs a Redeemer?
A
church that would contemplate jettisoning the 20 Articles in the Basis of Union
because it has trouble with phrases like "the only Mediator",
"justification" and "redemption" needs to contemplate the
timeless reality behind what Grant Mills wrote 30 years ago: "The church
is founded upon her faith in God as revealed by Jesus Christ. Though we may
change our ways of expressing our love, still we must so love the world that we
may continue to give in order that the world may be saved." Made whole
spiritually as well as other ways.
Now,
lest you peg me completely as a right-wing fanatic, let me hasten to add there
are dangers in steering too much to the right as well as to the left. The right
edge can be called conservatism, the preservation of tradition. The tendency in
this wing is to become reactionary, defensive, even negative or cynical in
response to "progressive" national church policies. Conservatives at
least since 1988 have in some instances developed a "run and hide"
attitude. The temptation is to ignore or deny theological drift. Or we hunker
in a fortress mentality behind the impenetrable armour of the good old Basis of
Union. It IS GOOD to preserve the timeless truth captured in the 20 Articles,
but as they're written their old-fashioned language makes them daunting if not
inaccessible, at least to young people. We do need to be able to express in
fresh ways the scriptural Reformation principles that summarize so beautifully
how a holy God reaches out to help fallen people through Jesus.
There
is danger in retaining old structures, formats, and hymns just because they
served well in the past. Remember, only 15% of Canadian young people attend
services weekly. Who wants to sit in a hard old pew and listen to music from a
hundred years ago when you could be on a comfortable couch at home playing a
video game, shaking the walls with a music video, taking a stroll with the bass
boost of a Discman, even trying out the latest virtual-reality arcade game?
Kids are growing up surrounded by pushbutton controls, they want something
that's interactive, involves them and gets them participating. the creativity
of the advertising and entertainment industry leaves church programming looking
pretty dull.
The
Christian teen today can go hear some big-name bands in a concert, buy the CD,
get the words and guitar chords off the internet, and (in some churches) be
singing the words off a big screen with computer projector the next week. The
introduction of new worship music and instruments has changed dramatically. Yet
in many churches drums and moving your hands or moving to the music while
singing are resisted. "Conservers" want to preserve worship just the
way it's always been - with the argument that it's us, not the youth, who are
paying the bills.
'Twas
ever thus. An item from the history of Roys' Church in 1872 noted: "First
organ purchased against will of older members." Yet if we don't adapt and
risk some accomodation to young folks' ways, we will take the church down with
us as Mr.Meacham warns.
The
Holy Spirit is expert in helping us learn to think outside the box. A small
church near us in Blyth has just purchased a former restaurant in order to have
a bigger worship space. They're looking forward to changing from their old oak
pews to chairs which will allow multiple uses of the facility. Could we ever
imagine a sanctuary like THIS being used as recreational or theatre space for
part of the week? It's hard, but we're being pushed to justify our existence in
serving the community and making better stewardship use of what we have.
In
1975 this congregation showed initiative in constructing a new CE wing. A
courageous and thoughtful move back then, but 25 years may mean it's time to
look again at structures and needs.
"Look
out for the tree!" You may need to correct your course to the right or the
left to avoid destruction. Where is God's way ahead? Elijah called the people
of Israel to stop dancing around, hopping back and forth between worship of
Abraham's God and worship of the fertility gods. "You can't have it both
ways," he insisted. "If Yahweh is God, follow him; but if Baal is
God, follow him." Yet the people said nothing. They suffered from inertia,
complacency. So Elijah devised a contest to let God's reality blaze forth.
Jesus'
time in Jerusalem ended after his controversy with the Sadducees (who were more
liberal, compromising with Rome) and the Pharisees (who were more conservative,
even unbearably rigid and picky about the Law). Jesus was neither left-wing nor
right-wing, and warned his disciples not to get stuck in either. The Pharisees
were closest to them, but Jesus didn't like the way they did everything for show.
Christ urged his disciples to practise what they preach; to not get puffed-up
with titles such as "rabbi" or "father" or
"leader". They were to remember they had one Father in heaven, one
Master or Leader, Christ Himself. As he said elsewhere, "I AM the Way, and
the Truth, and the Life." Don't get off-track to the right or left.
Jesus
then said a strange thing. After emphasizing himself as Master and Teacher, he
said, "The greatest among you will be your servant; for whoever exalts
himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." As
if that sums up his whole way: Jesus made himself a servant, humbling himself,
serving others' needs. Self-denial. The cross.
"Look
out for the tree!" It'll kill you. But didn't Peter call the cross a tree
in Acts 5:30? "The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead--whom you
had killed by hanging him on a tree." Hmm. In this sense, the tree is the
thing we need to look out for, to aim for: the person who dies to their own
desires and humbles themselves to become a servant like Christ, will be
exalted.
I was
shocked by the bluntness of Augie Meacham's article as he analyzed WHY his age
group was threatening to take the church with them to the grave. He said:
"My age group grew out of a time of great struggles. We lived through the
stock crash of the late twenties, the great depression of the 30's, and the 2nd
World War. during those years, we learned determination, sacrifice,
responsibility and "you get what you earn". We became the builders of
the late 40's and the 50's. We built churches, but we also built a country and
a future for our children. We failed to see, however, that the very virtues
that made us into builders were the seeds of the present decline of our church.
In those years of struggle, we came to admire our ability to exist on our own.
We were regular church goers, but our religious outlook revolved around a kind
of "moral responsibility". At dedication services, we said
"yes" to the minister's question, "Do you accept Jesus as your
Lord and Saviour?" but we didn't need a Saviour. We could handle life on
our own. We supported the church because we believed that it encouraged the
virtues that we had acquired through our own struggles. We were a
do-it-yourself generation but we had no Gospel."
Augie
finds this an exhilarating thought, not a gloomy one. "If we can do this
well without the Gospel," he asks, "what might we do if we turn it
around and break out of our self-sufficiency?" Of grandchildren who don't
know the Christian stories and who haven't heard the Good News from their
parents, Augie says, "We didn't realize that we needed it, and they won't
either UNLESS WE TELL THEM."
That's
what Jesus is telling us to do: practise what we preach, live it out before our
children, take off our masks and show how we need God to help us with our
struggles, "look out for the tree": be humble, serving, not a stuffed
shirt. As a baby boomer I confess I need this giving up of self-reliance just
as much as Meacham's generation. "Repent and be baptized...in the name of
Jesus Christ...And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit," Peter
cries out; "The promise is for you and your children and for all who are
far off." We need God's very being inside us, through the work of Christ; Pentecost
is the Holy Spirit making real in me who Jesus was. This makes religion real
and working, not just a pretend show.
What
might this mean for us as a church in the 21st century? In a way, we're at a
new frontier, we're pioneering again in a neo-pagan high-tech materialistic
culture - that's nevertheless seeking desperately for answers to deep religious
questions. From our Presbyterian ancestors we can reclaim an emphasis on the
sovereignty of God. We are NOT the be-all and end-all, as the 20th Century
showed in blazing colours. We need the Transcendent, someone beyond ourselves.
From
the Methodists, which were the main component making up Thamesview, we can
learn to give ministry back to the laity. Methodism relied on lay leaders of
what were called "class meetings" (now we'd call them small groups).
These class meetings met lots of other places than in church buildings. Now in
our own home we need to be teaching our children to pray and grow in the Word
on their own: they won't get it at public school like I did. The Methodist
classes were really a "meeting", face-to-face, with honest
accountability. We need to start to really MEET and encounter one another at
worship, not just stare at the talking head up front and the bald spot of Fred
Brown in front of us. Worship has to become participatory. An elderly friend
once remarked to me that this church showed its Methodist roots in that, unlike
a nearby church of Presbyterian background, you could call on any number of men
at a meeting who could stand and lead a prayer in public. That IS noteworthy.
This ability and connectedness with God is what seekers are looking for.
From
the Congregationalists, we can become more Bible-centred, training up our own
leadership to "get the Word out". Thamesview has a record already of
this, fostering for ordered ministry Ann Marie Allen, myself, and now Kenji
Marui. Congregationalists kept independent of big "mainline"
churches, seeking to develop their worship, constitution, and congregational
life on a Biblical model. Alongside supporting the Mission and Service Fund,
givers want to be involved more directly in projects. That's part of the appeal
of Foodgrains growing projects. This may mean starting our own local missions
projects; sponsoring Vacation Bible Schools, Sigma-C, CGIT, Messengers,
Explorers, and so on. The mission field in our midst. But such groups require
energetic, loving leaders to sacrifice their time occasionally; that's where we
need to "look out for the TREE!"
Will
our church survive? Are we like that armoured vehicle lumbering downhill bound
for disaster? It all depends whether we're letting Jesus guide us or slacking
off and letting another god be in charge. If we look out for the tree, admit
our need of the cross, humble ourselves and turn to Christ, there is help -
God's own Holy Spirit. But we've got to stop pretending. Let us pray.
Emily
has already laid a general groundwork for the attitude in which God invites us
to come in prayer. So I'd like to look at some practical questions people have
when they pray.
First,
WHY PRAY? If you realize God has made us to communicate with Him and share love
back and forth, the answer is obvious. Prayer isn't about a mailing list of
requests to Santa Claus, but RELATIONSHIP. And any relationship is almost a
living thing in itself, requiring things to grow and survive, especially
communication.
♢God desires our prayers. So much that it's actually a command in the
Bible.
"Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon
him while he is near; (Isaiah 55:6)
"Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock,
and the door will be opened for you. (Matthew 7:7) " The sacrifice of the
wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is his
delight. (Proverbs 15:8)
♢Prayer does change things. It actually works, people who keep a record
have been amazed at how God answered their prayers. Dwight Moody early on made
a list of 100 people he wanted to know the Lord. 96 were converted before he
died, the other four at his funeral. God answers prayer.
"Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you
shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. (Isaiah 58:9) Let us therefore approach the throne of
grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in
time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
♢Prayer is more effective than worrying.
Do not worry about anything, but in everything by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to
God. (Philippians 4:6)
Cast all your
anxiety on him, because he cares for you.
(1 Peter 5:7)
♢This is really the whole reason Jesus came: so we could approach God. We
have the access, why not use it?
for through
him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. (Ephesians 2:18)
in whom we
have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him. (Ephesians
3:12)
Next,
WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS? What's the fine print that's essential in order for
our prayers to "get through"?
♢Posture is irrelevant.
The Bible has examples of people praying standing up,
kneeling, falling on their face on the ground, looking up to heaven. But if you
consistently fall asleep while praying lying on your back in bed you might want
to try another position to help you stay focussed! (Mt.26:39,Mk.7:34)
♢The signature on the cheque is more important than what the rest of the
cheque looks like. Jesus urged us as his disciples to pray IN HIS NAME.
I will do
whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If
in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it. (John 14:13-14)
Until now you
have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your
joy may be complete. (John 16:24)
In other words, would Jesus sign this bill, this
cheque? Would he agree that this is important?
Another way of putting this is that our prayers need
to be "according to his will."
And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we
ask anything according to his will, he hears us. (1 John 5:14)
♢It helps a lot if you're "righteous" as the Bible describes
it, meaning "put right with God". Jesus obtained this for us at the
cross but we often need to confess our sins and secret motivations so God can
get completely on board with our request.
Therefore
confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be
healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. (James 5:16)
if my people
who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from
their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and
heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
♢Another condition for prayer is that it must be accompanied by faith. No
doubting allowed! Trust God is on your side.
Whatever you
ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive."
(Matthew 21:22)
my enemies
will retreat in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me. (Psalms
56:9)
We need to be whole-hearted about it, not
half-hearted.
When you
search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, (Jeremiah
29:13)
let us
approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts
sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
(Hebrews 10:22)
♢Don't forget you're not alone. Prayer is not an isolated enterprise,
even if you're in your inner room; we pray in partnership with the Holy Spirit.
God is spirit,
and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24)
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes
with sighs too deep for words. (Romans 8:26)
♢Spare the bafflegab and cut to the chase. Be direct and to the point.
You can even say nothing at all and be having a most
profound prayer. We have two ears and one mouth; much prayer can be listening,
while silent.
"Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted
among the nations, I am exalted in the earth." (Psalms 46:10)
What about rote prayers, like those memorized graces
at meals? Well, they're better than nothing at all, as long as they're sincere.
Better yet to have a short conversational style, thanking God in your own
words. He wants to hear YOU, not some poet of time past!
♢Leave room for God to move, and achieve something bigger than what
you're asking.
The CLASSIC example of "unanswered" prayer
is Lk.22:42 where Jesus prays in Gethsemane, "remove this cup from
me" - the cup of suffering on the cross for our sins. But Jesus knew more
than just his own life was at stake. So he allowed room for God's bigger plan
by adding, "not my will but yours be done." Our salvation is an
example of God overriding one individual's prayer for deliverance in order for
a much broader plan to succeed.
♢Be persistent. If it's really important, you won't give up easily.
Jesus told two stories of a persistent friend banging
on the door in the middle of the night, and a persistent widow who wouldn't
leave a judge alone, so we'd not give up too soon and lose heart. (Lk.11:8;
18:5,7)
♢Give credit where credit is due. Don't forget the first half of the
Lord's prayer (Mt.6:9,10) - the whole enterprise of creation is a hallowing or
honouring of God's name, glorifying Him for who He is. God's main goal in our
life is the advancement of His Kingdom, NOT our creature comfort.
♢Fasting underlines urgency, it highlights your prayer request as
ultra-urgent. Nehemiah (1:4), Daniel (9:3), Jesus (Mt.4:2), and the early
church (Acts 13:3) all fasted on occasion.
♢Use the "blank cheque" forms God has already provided in
Scripture - plead the promises. (Gen.32:9; Ps.119:49)
♢Don't lose sight of the "active ingredient": God's goodness,
not our deserving.
Incline your
ear, O my God, and hear...We do not present our supplication before you on the
ground of our righteousness, but on the ground of your great mercies. (Daniel
9:18)
A
question some may ask is, "Does God really hear my prayer?" Yes,
unless sin is blocking the way. God's power is available but sometimes our sin
can separate us from God; at times in the Old Testament he hid his face and
didn't hear. (Is.59:1,2) But if we humble ourselves, pray, seek Him, and turn
from wicked ways, he promises, "I will hear." (2 Chron.7:14)
"How
will I know if God does hear my prayer?" Even if you don't see the answer
right away, you may eventually. God's answers include "no",
"slow" (wait), "grow" (mature first), or "go"
(yes). After praying, leave it in His hands; His peace will guard your heart
even if you don't see a physical answer. (Phil.4:6,7)
Another
person asks, "Do I have time for, or do I really need prayer?" You
can be going 90 miles an hour, but if it's down the wrong road, you're no
further ahead. Prayer keeps us on the right track. Busy heroes of the Christian
faith have tended to set aside more time for prayer, not less. It's not
busy-ness but FRUITfulness that really matters. Check out God's plan for your
day first.
Another
question I've heard is, "Does prayer go beyond what most people think a
prayer is? Do you think God would really like to have a 'plain' conversation
with us without us telling him all our troubles - just to talk to him like the
friend he is?" Asking or "petition" is just one small aspect of
the Lord's Prayer. In Jesus' model, significant time is given to admiring the
Father, seeking to understand his Kingdom plan, self-examination for
forgiveness, anticipating being at home with God eternally. God wants to just
visit with us.
Call to me and I will answer you, and will
tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. (Jeremiah 33:3)
Listen! I am
standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will
come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. (Revelation 3:20)
Hang out with your holy friend a while. Let some of it
rub off on you.
Did
you know that 60 years ago last month, nearly 500,000 British and French troops
were stuck at Dunkirk while Hitler's army and air force bore down on them? The
situation seemed hopeless. The churches in England called for a National Day of
Prayer. King George VI declared it would be held May 26 1940.
What
followed was a miracle. Hitler's armoured divisions remained where they were
for weeks, just 15 miles away. And the English Channel remained calm while
336,000 men found their way to safety by scrambling aboard all kinds of little
boats and yachts. General Ironside wrote, "I still cannot understand how
it is that the [Germans] have allowed us to get [our troops] off in this
way." The Permanent Undersecretary at the Foreign Office called the
evacuation "marvelous" and "a miracle". Praise God, great
things happen when we pray; He delights in hearing and helping us.
Fathering
is "IN"! Being a Dad is not only one of the most rewarding
experiences in this world, it's necessary and much-needed. On this Father's Day
we can see that Fathering is "IN" because although too often it's
invisible, yet it is indispensable. And when we look at what God expects of
Fathers in Scripture and Jesus' teaching, we'll understand how vital it is for
dads to have involvement, offer instruction, and practise interest and
intercession.
The
first "in" of fathering is that, too often, it's INVISIBLE. Back in
pioneer days the family used to eat together, work together, sleep together on
the family farm. There were no cars, TVs, telephones. By nature of the setting
fathers and children had lots of time together - what else was there to do?
Father, mother, son, and daughter worked shoulder to shoulder in order to
survive. Today though we live in a fast-paced, affluent, interrupted society.
It's all too easy for fathers to be absent, distant, or preoccupied. The world
intrudes into family life: entertainment, sports, extracurricular opportunities
all intrude and take us away from each other. Father becomes INVISIBLE.
Professor
Max Lerner writes, "The 'vanishing father' is perhaps the central fact of the
changing American family structure today." David Blankenhorn in his book
"Fatherless America" states, "Tonight, about 40% of American
children will go to sleep in homes in which their fathers do not live. Before
they reach the age of 18, more than half of our nation's children are likely to
spend at least a significant portion of their childhoods living apart from
their father. Never before in this country have so many children been
voluntarily abandoned by their fathers. Never before have so many children
grown up without knowing what it means to have a father."
Yet
while fathers more and more are invisible, research continues to show that
fathering itself is INDISPENSABLE in a healthy society. Blankenhorn continues,
"Fatherlessness is the most harmful demographic trend of this generation.
It is the leading cause of declining child well-being in our society. It is
also the engine driving our most urgent social problems, from crime to
adolescent pregnancy to child sexual abuse to domestic violence against women.
Yet, despite its scale and social consequences, fatherlessness is a problem
that is frequently ignored or denied. It remains largely a problem with no
name."
Dr.James
Dobson, psychologist founder of Focus on the Family, says: "The western
world stands at a great crossroads in its history. Our very survival as a
people will depend on the presence or absence of masculine leadership in
millions of homes." Robert Bly reports, "The police chief of Detroit
remarked that the young men he arrests not only don't have any responsible
older man in the house, they have never met one. When you look at a gang,
you're looking...at young men who have no older men around them at all."
Numerous
studies show how indispensable fathers are. Dr.Loren Moshen analyzed US Census
figures and found the absence of a father to be a stronger factor than poverty
in contributing to juvenile delinquency. Yale scientists studied delinquency in
48 cultures around the world and found crime rates were highest among
children-adults who had been raised solely by women. Researchers at Johns
Hopkins University found that "young, white teenage girls living in
fatherless families...were 60% more likely to have premarital intercourse than
those living in 2-parent homes." It's not even that a dad has to be
physically absent; emotional distance is damaging, too. Dr.Armand Nicholi found
an emotionally OR physically absent father contributes to a child's (1) low
motivation for achievement; (2) inability to defer immediate gratification for
later rewards; (3) low self-esteem; and (4) susceptibility to group influence
and to juvenile delinquency.
So in
today's society, fathers too often are invisible, yet obviously they are
indispensable. When in selfishness and sin dads abandon or ignore their children,
the whole community feels it. What is God calling us to do about this problem?
Fathering involves much more than just the physical act of begetting children.
What does God's Word in Scripture and Jesus tell us about how to be better
fathers?
In
the Old Testament, the traditional leadership roles were prophet, priest, and
king. In Jesus these roles coalesced supremely for all time in one individual,
God's anointed Saviour, the image of the invisible God. We can use these roles
of prophet, priest, and king to understand better how God wants earthly fathers
to reflect their heavenly Father. Since Fathering is "IN", let's call
the kingly role INvolvement; the prophetic role, INstruction; and the priestly
role, INterest and INtercession.
First
the kingly role, INvolvement, or we might say, "IN your face". Who's
finally responsible for seeing that children honour their parents, as in the
Ten Commandments? In the Biblical view, the father in a family, not the mother,
is the one God holds ultimately responsible for family conduct. It's fathers
that Paul commands to direct and discipline children. Hebrews 12(5-11) draws a
direct parallel between a father's discipline of his children and OUR
discipline by God, "the Father of our spirits".
Guys,
you can't leave the sometimes unpleasant task of reward and punishment to your
wife. It's not fair to her, or your kids, and its abusing the kingly role of
being father in your family. But you can't let yourself become known as only a
disciplinarian, "The Enforcer". To maintain fairness and keep their
love and respect requires you to be INVOLVED with your kids, building them up
and encouraging them as well as punishing them when needed. Don't always just
be making withdrawals from the emotional bank account. Invest your time in
doing fun things with them, then the unpleasant matters will be easier for them
to take when they know you've proven to them you really do love them.
Being
involved with one's offspring, being "in their face", helps them know
they matter; they're significant; there are consequences for their actions;
your children will realize they're capable of making an impact on the world,
for good or ill.
Canadian
astronaut Chris Hadfield tells of the impact his father had on him in this
month's Reader's Digest. When Chris broke the harrows by getting too near a
fence post, he was angry and disappointed with himself because his father had
specifically warned him against it. Chris remembers, "I was shamefaced and
scared at having to admit that I'd blown it. He was mad, but he held his
tongue. 'We're going to have to fix this,' was all he said. We took the
implement back to the garage and welded it together again. And, typical of my
father, he used the opportunity to teach me the skills involved. Afterwards, he
put me right back on that tractor. He'd taught me that I could make a mistake
and fix it, that it's not the end of the world. And he taught me to have
confidence in my own abilities." The kingly role means we govern our
children with a servant attitude, being involved, helping them discover their
own significance and potential.
A
second role, instruction, comes from a dad's prophetic role in the family. A
prophet speaks on God's behalf to someone for their upbuilding. God said of
Abraham (Father of a multitude), "All nations on earth will be blessed
through him.For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing
what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has
promised him." (Gen.18:18f) God expected Abraham, rather than Sarah, to
direct his children to keep God's ways. THEN God could fulfill his promise of
blessing the world through him, a blessing that came to pass in forgiveness
through faith in Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Paul
in Ephesians 6 tells fathers not to provoke their children but to "bring
them up in the training and INstruction of the Lord". Fathering very much
involves the attempt to shape a child's mind, their outlook on the world,
giving them a knowledge of basic truth as God sees it - which is often quite
contrary to the messages kids hear in the media or from peers. Christian
fathering is a counter-cultural enterprise. After all the rain we've been
getting the past few weeks, you can see lots of examples of erosion around the
countryside, as soil has been washed away leaving gullies and scars in the
land. But there is a more serious type of erosion going on that you can't see
so directly: erosion of morals and ethics, our spiritual values. Russian-born
writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn says, "The west has been undergoing an
erosion and obscuring of high moral and ethical ideals.The spiritual axis of
life has grown dim." Fathers, shore up those moral dikes in your families!
Robert Bork in his book "Slouching toward Gomorrah" writes,
"With each new evidence of deterioration, we lament for a moment, and then
become accustomed to it."
As
fathers, our God-assigned role as prophets is to make known to our offspring
what God's expectations are, his great promises, how to interpret everyday and
global happenings from a Biblical viewpoint. God sent Jesus to "show us
the Father", Jesus is God's "logos" or making-known of himself
and his ways. What does instruction do for our kids? It provides security and
structure; kids want to know the ground rules. As parents we can help our
youngsters get started on creating order in their lives, as preparation to
being out on their own in a very big, sometimes crazy and chaotic, world. The
framework dads can set forth gives predictability if we're consistent. It's
lack of guidelines, and inconsistency that kids find exasperating.
Dads,
in this age your kids especially need YOU to teach them what it means to be a
man (and a woman, for your girls). There is much gender confusion out there. In
God's wisdom He has wired men and women differently, in such a way that we need
each other; a husband and wife complement each other so as to fulfill each
other in a unique way. So dads, be sure to instruct your sons what it means to
be a man, and teach your daughters what to look for in one.
Involvement;
instruction; the final role, that of family priest, entails INterest and
INtercession. In Exodus 28, God tells Moses how to make a breastpiece for the
High Priest. 12 precious stones, representing the 12 tribes of Israel, mounted
in such a way that they would be on his upper chest. Thus God says,
"Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons
of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing
memorial before the LORD." Get it? Being a priest was not about power, but
about bearing the ones you mediate for on
your heart before God. Show an INTEREST in your kids. Get out from
behind the newspaper, turn off the TV, tear yourself away from the computer,
free up some evenings to be around home. Listen to their problems, help with
their homework, find out their secret desires and wishes. Care for them, love
them, ask God to turn your heart (as a father) toward your children. Jane Hansen
writes, "Malachi 4:6 indicates that the blessing or cursing of an entire
nation rests upon the response of that nation's fathers to their
children...When a man begins to feel that it is 'safe' to be emotionally
vulnerable, he becomes able to provide that emotional safety to those around
him. The children become beneficiaries of their father's new-found
freedom...Children begin to sense the safety in their father's heart and his
emotional presence in their lives. As a result, they begin to respond in kind.
Automatically, though it may take awhile if the damage has been great, their
hearts will become 'turned to their fathers'." Gordon Dalbey adds,
"...Healing between fathers and children is...the essential prerequisite
to fulfilling God's purposes on earth.When fathers are reconciled with sons and
daughters, God's saving power is released among us; conversely, when fathers
and children remain at odds with one another, powers of destruction are
beckoned."
The
other main aspect of a priest besides showing INterest is making INTERCESSION.
The Old Testament priests offered regular sacrifice. Job,
"Mr.Righteous", sacrificed frequently for his kids even after they
became adults. Jesus our High Priest has made a sacrifice "once for
all"; now he lives to make intercession for believers. That's his
full-time job now, praying for us! Dad's, it's vital that we pray for our kids
regularly. That requires us to keep in touch with their needs, their concerns
and anxieties, their joys and victories, so that we can bring all this before
the Lord in prayer and thanksgiving.
It's
essential for our kids to see we fathers have a personal relationship with God
if religion is to be at all real for them. Keith Meyering, administrator for
Men's Life, reports that when the father is an active believer there is about a
75% likelihood that the children will also become active believers. But if only
the mother is a believer this likelihood is dramatically reduced to 15%. To be
an "active believer" means more than just church attendance: pray for
your kids and share what you learn from the Bible with them.
Our
gospel lesson featured a father interceding for his son, who had been plagued
by an evil spirit all his life. He had asked the disciples to drive it out, but
they couldn't. Jesus succeeded by a simple command. When the disciples asked
him later why they couldn't, Jesus said, "This kind can come out only by
prayer." By what? Prayer - intercession - a force more powerful than we
usually give credit.
But
before Jesus could heal the boy, he needed to deal with the father's casual
indifference. Picking up on the father's phrase, "IF you can do
anything," Jesus emphasized, "EVERYTHING is possible for him who
believes." Suddenly it registered with the boy's father: his non-committal
attitude toward God was part of the problem. He hadn't been seeking God
wholeheartedly, in faith. He exclaimed, "I do believe: help me overcome my
unbelief!" So dads, if we want any results for our intercessions for our
offspring when we're on our knees, we've got to be in earnest with the Lord,
not hiding anything, acknowledging our real need of Him in every area of our
life. Get to know God as your OWN heavenly Father through reading the Word and
prayer. That HAS to come before we can introduce our children to the one they
will be able to keep calling "Our Father" long after WE'RE gone.
To
sum up, then, remember: Fathering is "IN". With the Lord's help we
can be INvolved with our kids, INstructing them, INterested in them and
INterceding for them. The word "father" means "a source, a
founder, author." Through your actions you are forming the next
generation; God wants to help us do it in a healing way by turning our hearts
to our children. An anonymous poet has written:
"I saw tomorrow.
I saw tomorrow marching.
I saw tomorrow marching on little children's feet.
Within their forms and faces her prophecy now
complete.
I saw tomorrow look at me from little children's eyes
and thought, how carefully we would teach
if we were really wise."
Let us pray.
There
is one school in life many people attend at one time or another, even if they
never end up with any certificate or diploma. It's the "school of hard
knocks". In this fallen world misfortune and trouble happen to most people
from time to time. In this school of hard knocks some learn just to harden
themselves, and grumble about life being bitter. But God through Scripture
assures us it need not end that way. When we remain faithful and trust in what
Jesus did for us, going through hardship on our behalf so we could have a
permanent home with him, God helps soften the bitterness of our circumstances.
He can even bring blessing out of the hard times.
The
story of Ruth is set in a difficult situation. Famine has starved people. First
Ruth's father-in-law, then her husband and brother-in-law, all die. Back then
women were very dependent on men in order to earn a livelihood and hold title
to land. Ruth's situation seemed desperate. Her mother-in-law decided to go
back home to the land of Judah. Ruth insisted on going with her. So here she
was, stuck in a foreign country, with no husband, no job, and an aging
mother-in-law to support. Difficult circumstances. Yet God helped her survive
and eventually flourish where she found herself.
Isabel's
life was not an easy one, either. She was a dedicated farmwife all her life.
She worked hard in the barn, milking cows right along with Wellington. Besides
the farm work, there was all the obligation of raising a family and keeping
house. Added to all that, three times the Marks family lost a barn due to fire.
Such devastating losses! Once would be bad enough, but three times must have
seemed unbearable! Yet Isabel and family hung in there and pulled through. The
Lord was able to help them survive and cope in spite of the terrible
misfortune. Instead of bitterness, eventually there was blessing.
Along
with the Lord's provision, he leaves room for hard work. When Ruth went out to
glean in the barley fields, the other workers noted that she worked steadily
all day (2:7). She was not lazy or a slacker. Similarly, Isabel proved herself
tough and a hard worker. When the barn work was done, there was house work to
do. When the house work was caught up, she perhaps had time to take the family
to church or do some needlework. She hung in there with dedication. God speaks
of the blessedness of an ideal wife in Proverbs 31; so Isabel proved herself
worthy and adequate.
But
there's more to life than work. Ruth was a dedicated family person. She vowed
to stick by her widowed mother-in-law no matter what, pledging, "Where you
go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and
your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the
LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you
and me."
We
can see that same dedication in Isabel's life. She really loved her kids, and
especially the grandchildren. She always cared about what was happening in
their lives. Part of that caring and commitment was being in charge of the
youngsters, holding them accountable if they didn't come when called to dinner.
Too many families these days suffer because parents don't help their kids learn
to respect standards and guidelines. And I see that same dedication and caring
in the attention Wellington has given to Isabel over the past year and a half.
You were there for each other, inseparable. God blesses such faithfulness and
love.
The
Lord can turn things around when we co-operate, and bring blessing instead of
bitterness. Ruth eventually found another husband, and together they had a son,
a grandson whom Naomi could help care for. This was significant, for the boy
turned out to be King David's grandfather, and an ancestor of Jesus' earthly
parents. Isabel's family, too, has expanded; who can tell what her heritage
will be? She has already left an inheritance for them in her dedication,
responsibility, and hard work. That's on earth. The Lord has stored up
unspeakable joys in heaven for those who love him. As we trust in Jesus, who
suffered so much on the cross that we might be forgiven and share his eternal
life, we find that hard circumstances can bring benefit for us and others. May
it be true of Isabel as it was said to Ruth: "May the LORD repay you for
what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel,
under whose wings you have come to take refuge." (2:12) Amen.
A man
went into the video store. He was wearing some old running shoes, washed-out
jeans, green T-shirt, and a Pepsi ball cap. But a few minutes later when he
emerged, video in hand, you couldn't tell what he was wearing. From head to toe
he was covered with barnacles, little ocean creatures that have a hard shell
and feathery legs that wave around. When he got in his car he found he couldn't
get the seatbelt around, the barnacles were so thick.
A
middle-aged woman was one of the early birds at the garage sale that Saturday.
She was delighted to find an enormous selection of Harlequin romances, each
going at 25 cents each. She brought home two shopping bags full of them. Two
weeks later, when she went to go out her door, she found she couldn't get
through it for the barnacles that were covering her. She pushed and shoved but
couldn't do it. Finally she backed up and took a run at the door. There was a
spray of barnacles flying off in all directions as she fell through the doorway
and down the steps. But the barnacles were still so thick she kept rolling on
her side down the sidewalk.
It
was the last of the exams, and the Grade 11 boy was just wiped. He stared
blankly at the questions in front of him. He wasn't tired from studying, but
because he'd gotten waylaid playing a computer game for 3 hours the night
before. Looking around, he noticed the paper of the brainy girl just over and back
from him was in full view. The teacher in charge seemed preoccupied marking
other exams. He copied one answer. Then another. An hour later, waiting what he
thought was a discreet moment or two after the girl handed in her paper, the
boy squeezed out of his desk and started walking up to hand his in. Crunch,
crunch, crunch. Every step he took sounded like he was walking on eggshells. He
looked down and realized the barnacles had gotten him, they were waving madly
all over him and leaving a trail of broken shells with every pace.
The
attack of the barnacles...could it happen to you or me? Don't barnacles usually
live in the ocean and attach themselves to ships, forcing sailors to scrape
them off from time to time so the ship doesn't get weighed down and its
movement slowed? Maybe. "Marine engineers have spent much time
experimenting to find ways to prevent barnacles from attaching themselves to
ships and wharves." But there is a type of spiritual barnacle that attacks
Christians, called SIN. Jesus calls us to CLEAN OFF THE BARNACLES of evil, to
repent or turn away from wrongdoing. Christ and his disciples are on the
warpath against all kinds of evil or "unclean" spirits.
What
we're talking about is PURITY, being holy as God is and calls us to be holy. A
key verse is 2 Corinthians 7:1: Paul says, "Let us purify ourselves from
everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of
reverence for God."
George
Barna is a pollster in the States who keeps up on population trends as a
service to churches. At a seminar this past Monday in London, he said some
disturbing things. As a statistician he gets to know church people as we really
are, not as we think we are. Barna said the Christian faith itself still is
very appealing; as people look over the smorgasbord of religions available
today, Christianity does have the best image of any major faith group. Although
the churches are usually irrelevant, a seeker doesn't find them too offensive;
church just has a bland image. Barna says what's really killing the Kingdom is
Christians! Non-believers can't see any real difference between "us"
and "them". Barna surveyed committed Christians and unbelievers in
the general population. On 66 religious factors he found Christians were different
in only 9. Worse still, out of 65 lifestyle factors - cheating on income tax,
lying, and so on - he found there was a significant difference between
Christians and non-Christians in absolutely ZERO of the 65 factors. Not a one!
Yet Christians come across as much more judgmental than other people. We claim
accepting Jesus as Saviour will dramatically change a person's life, yet
outsiders don't see one whit of difference in so-called Christians.
William
Willimon, professor at Duke University, writes: "By my reckoning, I count
more people who have turned away from the Christian faith, turned away from
following Christ, not because of something they have against Jesus, but rather
from their repugnance at the state of Jesus' followers, the church. The worst
liability Jesus has are his own people! This situation ought to cause the
church to grieve." Percy Shelly said, "I could believe in Christ if
he did not drag along behind him that leprous bride of his, the church."
We're
not pure, we're not clear resemblances of Jesus, we're leprous - or is it
barnacles? You see, as a ship moves through the water, minding its own
business, barnacles are swimming around in the sea looking for some permanent
home to attach themselves to as a base of operation. So they cling to the ship
and start waving around their feathery legs to feed. Over time they develop a
hard, lime-like box as protection; this really hinders the ship when you get
thousands of barnacles. So for Christians, as we go about our daily routines,
we need to be vigilant against the noxious sins that pervade our environment.
The little temptations here and there that clamour for our attention become
ugly attachments that dishonour Christ.
Let's
talk about two types of sin-barnacles: attitudes, contaminations of our spirit;
and attractions, contaminations of our body or physical appetites.
"Attitude"
barnacles are sneaky, like the E coli in the water at Walkerton, because
they're invisible. You can't take a picture of a bad attitude. These are
assumptions, prejudices, or outlooks that balk at Jesus and make him out to be
less than what he is. That day at the synagogue in Mark 6, Jesus walked into a
whole pile of bad attitude. The hometown neighbours couldn't figure out where
he got such wisdom and wondrous works. They were prejudiced by familiarity,
they had known Jesus in the carpenter shop and just couldn't accept that he
might be anything else than a common tradesman. "'Where did this man get
these things? Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son?' And they took
offense at him." As a result of their skeptical lack of faith, Jesus
couldn't do miracles to help them.
Paul
the apostle warns against being yoked together with unbelievers. He's not
talking about avoiding them or having nothing to do with them - we HAVE to deal
with those we meet. But he's warning us not to get too closely allied with
someone who doesn't have the Lord at the centre of their worldview. Any other
organizing principle in life is going to be an idol, and idols end up being bad
news for those who follow them: they trick you at first into thinking you're
getting a good deal, but they wind up by sucking the life right out of you.
They take over. A wrong attitude, based on a false god, says: "I know
what's best for me; I don't need Christ or his leading." And it can even
work for a while, until you bump up against our limitations and the moral laws
on which God founded the universe.
Modernism
and postmodernism are the leading worldviews out there today. Modernism arose
in the 19th century with an almost religious dependence on reason and science.
Postmodernism in the late 20th century argued there is no absolute truth;
ethics is relative. Both modernism and postmodernism see humanity, not God, as
the final judge of what is real and can be known. This attitude infects much of
what we see and hear. 76% of non-Christians believe there is no such thing as
absolute truth; Barna discovered in the mainline churches, almost the same
amount, 71% of adults believe truth is not absolute, but dependson context!
What flows from this attitude? So...there's no such thing as right and wrong;
no such thing as sin, or judgment, or condemnation; nothing to be saved from.
So, what's the big deal about Jesus?? "And they took offense at him."
Ever
heard it said, "God helps those who help themselves"? 82% of
Americans believe that's a direct quote from Scripture - though it's not
biblical at all. This is the attitude of postmodernism, "everything in the
world revolves around me". Infectious, like a barnacle it will attach
itself to us unless we're alert enough to brush it away when dealing with
non-Christians.
The
new faith of choice is syncretism: a little bit of the Bible, a bit of New Age
"God is everything", a dash of reincarnation and reading our
horoscope just to be fashionable...we put together a "designer faith"
by cut and paste. Then get blown out of the water when tragedy happens, a
"significant other" disappears, and suddenly life doesn't make sense,
we find we're not big enough to hold it together. Until then, we become sloppy
about worship, sneaking off to golf in a Sunday that's sunny. Since when did
God go on holiday? We take "time off" from worship in the summer
rather than seizing the extra time to grow closer to the Lord and delve into
our faith. We turn to the press or to pulp with its self-centred insinuations,
when instead we could be savouring a biography of a famous Christian and
pumping up our spiritual passion. Beware the barnacles - especially in cottage
country!
Along
with the "attitude" barnacle, there's the "attraction"
variety. "Let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates BODY
and spirit," Paul urged. When Jesus sent the Twelve out as missionaries,
he commanded them to travel light, take the bare necessities, not two staffs or
coats which would have been seen as a luxury. Neither were they to house-hop
once in a town, moving from Mrs.Smith's to Mrs.Jones' because the buffet was
better. Our appetites as humans, the things that attract us, can get in the way
of the wonderful message we're to bring that Jesus helps and saves.
Something
would attract itself to the feet of the disciples in the dry Mediterranean
climate: dust from the street. And along with the dust, worthless interests and
pursuits that attract the population at large, but lead away from God.
Countless things attract us unconsciously to the ways of the world with its
glitter and appeal to our creaturely appetites. So Jesus told the missionaries
that when a town didn't accept them, they were to shake the dust off their feet
when they left, as a warning sign to them. Shake off the dust. Don't get
engrossed evein if it IS popular. Clean off the barnacles. Get on the road
again, "for Christ's sake".
George
Barna reported that when it comes to modern technology - DVDs, VCRs, computers,
cell phones, and the like - Christians own technology every bit as much as the
general population. So it's not surprising that Christians report just as much
exposure to and struggle with internet porn, questionable videos, and like
dangers.
How
then can we guard against hot-medium attractions that would cause us to stumble
in our walk with Christ? If you're travelling, call ahead when booking your
motel to block the X-rated channels so you're not even tempted. Arrange so your
wife or husband will know they can expect a phone call and visit after you
arrive, if you're travelling by yourself. Stock up for summer reading with the
latest titles from your church library or local Christian book store - maybe a
Veggie Tale video or two for the youngsters.
The
media are such hot technology these days that it's especially difficult for
young people to stay pure. Fashions tend to feature maximum exposure, not
what's modest. But there is a new fad that's in the right direction: more and
more young people are pledging to save themselves physically until marriage.
Abstinence is in. Not just because of all the diseases out there, but because
believing youth want to show God how much they respect the gift he gave that
can be so meaningful if reserved for a lifelong, one-on-one covenant
relationship. The most recent Focus on the Family magazine featured an article
about the "Purity Ring", which parents can give their teenage
daughters as an encouragement to save themselves for the right guy, in
marriage.
Michael
and Judith Hayes' daughter Annabelle mentioned her friend had received a purity
ring from her dad. So the Hayes' bought one for Annabelle's 13th birthday; it
was gold, engraved with tiny hearts and doves (some have a heart with a tiny
key). Michael, the dad, gave the ring to both Annabelle and her husband yet
unknown, with words of encouragement and trust. He comments: "A purity
ring is a symbol of chastity and faithfulness, not just to a future husband but
to the Lord. It is an enduring reminder that Jesus is always present, and
hopefully it prompts a young girl to ask what He would do in a given
situation." Annabelle, like her friend, planned upon getting married to
melt her ring to become part of her husband's wedding band. But years later,
Judith recalls, "As they were introduced as husband and wife, they both
stepped forward to greet us, and then it was their turn to give us a very
special gift. Annabelle gently slipped her purity ring to me and whispered,
'Please save this for us until we give birth to our first child.'"
It's
a lot of work to scrape hardened-on barnacles off the bottom of a boat. Much
easier not to let them get attached in the first place. Be on your guard
against all kinds of attitudes and attractions that would draw you away from
Christ, temptations that would drag you down if you let them get a hold.
Our
motivation here need not be legalism. It's more than just a matter of duty or
obedience. Paul says in our Corinthians passage, "Since we have these promises...let us purify
ourselves..." What promises? Look back to verses 16-18: "I will live
with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my
people...be separate, touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you...I will
be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord
Almighty." Wow! A holy God desires to be our constant companion, a dear
Father to us, receiving us as intimate offspring. Purity is worth it!
Mother
Teresa was a world-renowned nun who worked with the sick and dying of Calcutta.
An interviewer asked her, "Why are you so holy?" She replied,
"You sound as if holiness were abnormal. To be holy is normal. To be
anything else is abnormal."
Heed
the master: "Repent...travel light...shake the dust off...clean off the
barnacles." Purify yourself from contaminants, perfect holiness out of
reverence for God. He's worth it. Anything less is a real drag. Amen.
Ps.23; Lam.3:21-26,31-33; Rom.8:26,28,31-32,35,37-39; Mt.11:25-30;
Jn.14:1-6,18-19,27
We live in a consumer society in which
advertising draws us to become more focused on getting than on giving. So it is a real treat when we encounter
individuals who have with God's help learned how to be generous rather than
greedy. Such people, though rare,
remind us of the truth of what Jesus said, "It IS more blessed to give
than to receive." I understand Mary whose life we celebrate today was one
of these individuals who have discovered how to tap into God's supply to become
a real giver. I'm told she was always
giving, she "would give you anything." Her life reflected the Lord's
own generosity and caring.
Scripture speaks of God's gift of
hospitality for us. Psalm 23 pictures
God as a shepherd finding green pasture for his flock; God prepares a table for
us. David sang, "I shall dwell in the house
of the Lord forever." Jesus said there were many rooms in his Father's
house, and he was going to prepare a place for those who believe in him. God doesn't leave us desolate.
Mary showed this gift of hospitality: when
you went to her place, she always wanted to have you in and offer you something
to eat. The welcome sign was always
out. So she mirrored the Lord's
willingness to welcome us and make us at home with him eternally, when we
repent and turn to Him.
Scripture also frequently mentions God's
gift of love and caring. Lamentations 3 says the steadfast love of
the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; he has compassion
"according to the abundance of his steadfast love." Mary was very
close to her cousins, and seemed like a sister. She had friends while in London, and I
understand with Wallace's help she cared for her mother till she died. She wouldn't hurt anyone; she loved children
very much, and her nieces and nephews were her family. In these ways she passed on God's own
self-giving in love and caring.
God's Word also tells us He gives faith and
hope, especially through the gift and sacrificial death of His own Son Jesus. Romans 8 asks: He who did not spare His own
Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him?
Even in death we become more than conquerors. Jesus said, "All things have been
delivered to me by my Father;" and that empowered him in turn to give rest
to our souls. He told his disciples that in Him God had
given them a way to the Father, along with truth and life. "My peace I give to you," he said,
so our hearts need not be troubled or afraid.
Claiming these promises of God, Mary has
given us the example of her own faith and hope. She attended Sunday School and church, and I
understand read her Bible daily - so much so that it became old and tattered. As a pastor I would venture to observe that
you can often gauge a person's spiritual health by the dilapidation of their
copy of the Bible. Mary looked to
God's Word to give her resources to live by, a steady supply by which she found
strength to offer hospitality and love to others, along with hope for the future
which goes beyond the grave. For Mary
it was more than just a matter of a "faith" or being
"religious": the Almighty Himself became her friend. So she came to trust with Job that, "After
my awaking, God will raise me up; and in my body I shall see God. I myself shall see, and my eyes shall behold
the one who is my FRIEND and not a stranger." Thanks be to God! Amen.
What
is "significance"? We all want to feel important in some way, to
matter, to know our life has impact and makes a difference. We want our life to
count in the long run. This doesn't mean we need to be in the headlines or on
the news; most of all we want to be significant to God and those who love and
know us best. How can we discover this significance?
Recently
I was performing one of those highly significant tasks, up on the manse roof,
cleaning out the eavestrough. Maple keys had piled up in a few places, and in
one spot a clump of them had actually sprouted and started to grow. The little
saplings were a few inches tall, but their future prospects were dim as they
were growing in the shallow gutter.
The
next day I was reading in Isaiah 37 about Sennacherib, king of the Assyrian
empire. He'd really made it to the top in the world's eyes. Conquering much of
the known world with his many chariots, he thought he was pretty significant.
He even threatened Jerusalem and insulted Israel's God. Isaiah the prophet used
this vivid word picture to describe the nations he conquered: "They are
like plants in the field, like tender green shoots, like grass sprouting on the
roof, scorched before it grows up." He then warns Sennacherib that Yahweh,
Israel's Lord, planned and brought to pass these victories; and God would
humble the proud king who thought he was so significant.
Turning
to Psalm 129, I found the same expression as in Isaiah 37. Of those who hate
Jerusalem, the Psalmist prays, "May they be like grass on the roof, which
withers before it can grow; with it the reaper cannot fill his hands, nor the
one who gathers fill his arms." Those little maple trees in the
eavestrough would never grow tall or reproduce. They would have no fruit, no
offspring. We want our lives to bear fruit, to have something to show for our
existence, to be significant. The crops in the fields around us may be coming
along well but they are still in a vulnerable state right up to harvest, as
lack of rain or cloudburst of hail can damage the plants and hurt the yield. We
don't want that to happen in our lives, for them to turn out futile,
meaningless, fruitless.
Jesus
told the parable of the sower and the seed, which would be better called the
parable of the SOILS given that the seed is the same in all cases. In
Palestine, seeding was done by the broadcast method, so there were many hazards
which prevented seed from "taking off". Just as there are hazards in
life which can get in the way of us being fruitful Christians. The seed sown by
the path, carried off by the birds, could represent the person who hears the
gospel but their fallen nature with Satan's interference blocks them from
turning to God. Next there is the seed sown in rocky places where there isn't
much soil. These Christians are SHALLOW, they lack DEPTH. This person is only
concerned about their next meal, their next night out, living from paycheque to
paycheque in a cycle of varied amusement. They don't discipline themselves to
have a regular quiet time in the word and prayer, they ignore godly habits such
as going to church regularly or reading Christian literature. Their religion
may be a mile wide but only an inch deep. When the sun comes out and beats
down, when trouble or persecution develops, they wither quickly because their
roots aren't deep.
Although
public attitudes are changing, it's still fairly easy to be a Christian in
North America. Not so everywhere. Recently we heard a speaker with Mission
Yugoslavia who stated that this year, worldwide, 300,000 Christians would lose
their lives through persecution. That boat that sank in Indonesia with hundreds
of casualties was crowded with Christian refugees fleeing a village where
earlier Muslims had slain many. In Yugoslavia, there are people who risk their
lives to sow the word in neighbouring villages because of land mines left over
from the civil war. It takes a Christian with depth, not a shallow one, to step
out in faith in such circumstances. Here it is comparatively easy to share the
gospel, yet we shy away from it, and wonder why we don't see fruit.
Next
Jesus describes the seed sown among thorns. Here the soil is deep, but
cluttered with weed seeds; the Lord likens this to the word being choked by the
worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and desires for other
things. Now THIS sounds like North America: our economy is in full swing,
business is booming, advertising and our neighbours' affluence tempt us to buy
this and acquire that. This soil speaks of DESIRES competing in our lives, our
distractedness, our heart being caught in a tug-of-war with all the world has
to offer.
Finally
Jesus gets to the good soil: not shallow, but deep; not cluttered with thorns,
but set apart for one purpose, one desire -
devoted, single in focus. Here the word produces a yield, sometimes
moderate, sometimes a bumper crop. Here we find the fruit, the significant
output.
The
encounter between David and Goliath illustrates what makes for lasting
significance. Goliath, like King Sennacherib mentioned earlier, "had it
made" in human eyes. He had wealth, decked out in bronze from head to
foot. He had intelligence, in the form of technology on his side: there were no
blacksmiths in Israel, everybody took their farm implements to the Philistines
to get them sharpened. The Philistines were way ahead of the Israelites in
metal technology. We're told there were no swords or spears in the whole army
except for the ones King Saul and his son Jonathan had. (1Sam.13:22) Would YOU
want to fight the Philistines if you only had a pick and a flail? Goliath had
size and strength to his advantage, too, being over 9 feet tall and wielding a
spear the size of a 2x4. If you took a poll the day of the battle, most
onlookers would say Goliath had David beat hands-down in terms of significance.
Judging by his boasting, Goliath thought so, too. when he looked David over he
despised him and cursed him.
David
was significant in a different way than Goliath. Samuel describes him as
"a man after [God's] own heart" (1Sam.13:14). We might compare this
to the single DESIRE of the soil unpolluted by weed seeds. David wanted
whatever it was that God wanted; his heart was one with God, his desires
undistracted from God's will. Paul expands on this in Acts 13, quoting, "I
have found David...a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him
to do." DESIRING God, singleness of focus, getting in tune with what God
wants, prepares us to take our place in the significant thing God happens to be
doing at the moment. When David arrived at the battlefield he found the whole
Israelite army shaking in their boots at the thought of facing the Philistine
champion. David came, sized up the situation, realized God had prepared him for
the challenge, and stepped up to the plate. He wanted what God wanted, without
being overcome by reservations and self-protection.
This
desiring simply God's will shows through in David's humility, his lack of
self-consciousness in sharp contrast to Goliath's boasting. To King Saul he
refers to himself as "your servant". To Goliath he says he comes
"in the name of Yahweh", and "The Lord will hand you over to
me" - deflecting credit to God rather than drawing attention to himself.
He viewed himself as just one player in what God was doing at that time.
Along
with consecration of DESIRE, David shows DEPTH. Depth comes by "a long
obedience in the same direction". He tried putting on Saul's armour but
then took it off, saying he wasn't used to it. He turned down the best
technology that was available. Instead he chose his shepherd's staff and sling.
Those long months and years doing the "joe-boy" job of tending sheep
in the backwoods of Bethlehem had prepared him for this moment. He had faced
the lion and the bear, and rescued nothing more extraordinary than a lamb or
two. But this tedious training and faithfulness, the long hours of practise
slinging stones at sticks on the hillside, were what it took to give David the
depth and ability he needed to defeat Goliath.
Compare
it to the hours a good baseball pitcher has to practise, all that time in the
minor leagues and the bullpen before he ever gets onto the mound in a big game.
The never-ending investment of time and attention just to become God's best at
what you do. By the way, I used to think of the 5 smooth stones as small
pebbles, but they were more likely a little bigger than a baseball. A master
slinger could hurl one of these at speeds approaching 100 miles an hour. No
wonder it made a dent in Goliath! And did you ever wonder what happened to the
other four stones David didn't use that day? 2 Samuel 21 lists four other
giants from Gath, relatives of Goliath, who were killed by David's men before
the end of his life. Maybe David was planning ahead. Anyway, before he came on
the scene there were no giant-killers; by the end of David's life there were
several. He had a significant impact on others.
So in
Jesus' parable, and the contest between David and Goliath, desire and depth
make for significant fruit. Having a significant life entails finding out
what's on God's heart, and desiring that so exclusively that you funnel the
resources he's given you into the specific task to which he calls you.
Concentration of our heart's longings to focus us singly on what God wants,
depth to carry it out no matter what the obstacles may be. Is this so
surprising? Where can lasting significance come from but the Lord? Scripture
says that before God all the nations are only "a drop in a bucket",
regarded "as dust on the scales". "Surely the people are
grass.The grass withers and the flower falls, but the word of our God stands
forever." (Is.40:7,8,15)
The
gap between us tiny, temporary, fallen humans and such an awesome God would
seem daunting apart from his promises in Scripture, especially the New
Testament. Skim through Paul's letter to the Ephesians and you'll come away
with a glowing appreciation of how significant we can become in Christ.
Holiness of "Desire" entails getting in tune with God's agenda,
focusing on him, treasuring what he's doing in and through us and HAS ALREADY
done for us. Chapter 1 says God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in
Christ, he chose us to be holy and blameless "in his sight" (who
else's opinion really matters?). Believing in Jesus we're adopted as God's sons
and daughters, God has lavished on us the riches of his grace. Why? In order
that we might "be for the praise of his glory". That's where the real
significance at the core of the universe is at - being "for the praise of
his glory"; anything that serves to highlight God's glory by association
becomes infused with his shining beauty. The "new self" we can put on
is created to be LIKE GOD in true righteousness and holiness.(Eph.4:24)
Desiring to be like David a person "after God's own heart" opens us
to be shown by the Holy Spirit just how blessed and significant we already are
when we receive Christ. Paul urges, "Find out what pleases the Lord...do
not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." What's
significant is whatever is on God's mind, what GOD is desiring.
Ephesians
also hints at the need to develop DEPTH in our expression of Christianity - a
continued active obedience. "Be imitators of God as dearly loved children
and live a life of love just as Christ loved us..." "Live as children
of light, for the FRUIT of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness
and truth." (Eph.5:1,9) Hmmm - there's that word "fruit", like
what Jesus was getting at in his parable - 30, 60, a hundredfold. Christ has
given each one of us gifts to use, different gifts by which each part of the
body builds up the rest as it does its work. (Eph.4:7-16)
Men
in particular often fall into the trap of trying to find significance in their
work, their occupation. Then when they retire they're at a loss to find meaning
in their life; panicked, they feverishly scramble to find a hobby or die. Paul
doesn't glorify work as an end in itself; he just encourages us to do something
useful with our hands so we'll have something to share with those in need. But
Paul does give meaning to benevolent activity overall: "We are God's
workmanship," he says, "created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Eph.4:28; 2:10) Again -
significance involves discovering God's plan for me as an individual and
stepping into it.
What
is significance? Christian psychologist and counselor Larry Crabb summarizes it
this way. "Significance depends upon understanding who I am in Christ. I
will come to feel significant as I have an eternal impact on people around me
by ministering to them. If I fail in business, if my wife leaves me, if my
church rolls drop, if I work in a menial occupation, if I can afford only a
small house and one used car, I can still enjoy the thrilling significance of
belonging to the Ruler of the universe, who has a job for me to do. He has
equipped me for the job. As I mature by developing Christlike traits, I will
enter more and more fully into the significance of belonging to and serving the
Lord."
E
Stanley Jones tells of Admiral Sato, commander of the Japanese submarine fleet
at Pearl Harbour. Surely a significant figure in history! He really believed
the emperor was divine and carefully indoctrinated his naval officers in the
Naval Academy. When the war came to an end, his world fell to pieces - his
admiral's position gone, his income cut off so that he had to work on a farm
for his livelihood, and then the emperor announced that he was not divine - his
religion was gone. Like Sennacherib, like Goliath, like the shallow grain that
was scorched or those futile maples in the eavestrough, he discovered how
transitory and passing was worldly glory. He recalled, "My world turned
upside down." He became bad-tempered, lashing out at everybody and
everything. He contemplated suicide. A member of a church asked him to come to
the church and get a faith but he replied, "Oh, I have no time for
that."
But
one day in a prayer meeting in a home he saw something he had never seen before
- saw it in the faces of women who had suffered, had lost their husbands in the
war, and yet were poised and radiant. The visible fruit of their depth and
satisfaction of desire in Christ attracted him. "That is what I
want," he said to himself as the tears rained down his cheeks. His DESIRE
was right. He was baptized on Easter day. When asked if the vacuum within had
been filled, he smiled and put up 3 fingers in the sign, "Jesus is
Lord!" Lasting significance came, not in power or military achievement,
but in joining himself to Christ. He brings significance, meaning, and lasting
fruit in life even to the downcast. Let us pray.
"O give me a home where the buffalo roam,
where the deer and the antelope play;
where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
and the skies are not cloudy all day."
Discouraging
words – cloudy skies...the two seem to go together. When someone is critical of
us, it's as if a little cloud does follow us around, hanging over our head.
Thankfully, Christ calls us through the Holy Spirit to be ENcouragers rather
than DIScouragers. A fallen world and sceptical society may be hopeless and
discouraging; pride fosters a critical attitude which tempts us to run people
down. We fear ridicule, it's all too easy to spread rumours that can be
destructive. But God's gift of Himself and His resources enables us to be
positive encouragers of others, whether we're "home on the range" or
not.
William
Barclay writes: "One of the highest of human duties is the duty of
encouragement...It is easy to laugh at [others'] ideals; it is easy to pour
cold water on their enthusiasm; it is easy to discourage others. The world is
full of discouragers. We have a Christian duty to encourage one another. Many a
time a word of praise or thanks or appreciation or cheer has kept a [person] on
[their] feet. Blessed is the [person] who speaks such a word."
If
you thought my musical rendition of "Home on the Range" was pretty
awful, here's another incident. A little 9-year-old boy got tired of practising
the piano. His mother heard the great Paderewski was coming into town to do a
concert. She bought two tickets, one for herself and one for her boy. And she
dragged him along, sat him down by her, and began visiting with her friends. He
looked up on the platform and there was this giant, ebony black, Steinway
concert grand piano. The lid on the keyboard was lifted and the leather bench
was ready. He looked at this piano, popped his knuckles, and said to himself,
"Oh, man, I'd like to play that." So he slipped down the aisle,
walked across the front, up the steps, sat down, and started playing
"Chopsticks".
Well,
the people down front said, "Who...who is...?" "Quit!"
"Hey, kid, stop!" "Where's his mother?" Of course she was embarrassed
beyond words. The great Paderewski, who was back fixing his tie, heard what was
going on. So without the boy seeing him, he slipped out on the stage and came
in behind him, reached around and improvised a beautiful melody to go with
"Chopsticks". And he said to the boy, "Keep playing.Don't
quit.Don't stop."
When
Jesus told the disciples in John 14 that he was going away, he said he'd be
sending "another Counsellor" to be with them forever, the Holy
Spirit. The word "Counsellor" in Greek is "paraclete", one
called alongside to help. The image of Paderewski coming alongside the little
boy to help in his performance, encouraging him to keep on and showing what a
beautiful piece was made possible by their co-operation, is a picture of how
the Holy Spirit can be a Paraclete to us. One who comes alongside to help,
encouraging, strengthening, cheering us on with God's extra resources.
That's
just like Jesus; he referred to the Spirit as "another" paraclete,
implying HE had been one too. People wouldn't have hung around Christ so
willingly if he'd been mean-spirited, critical, making people feel inferior.
The proud Pharisees did that too much already! No, Jesus was encouraging,
helpful, going out of his way to serve people and help them perceive what God was
making possible for them through faith. As Isaiah predicted, the Messiah
comforted God's people: "He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them
close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young." (Is.40:11)
This
gift of encouraging is particularly passed on by Jesus through the Spirit to
the church in the gift of prophecy. Our first thought when the word
"prophecy" is mentioned may have to do with telling the future, but
that's a very narrow understanding of the word. As Paul defines it in 1
Corinthians 14, prophecy is "speaking to others for their strengthening,
encouragement (paraklesis) and comfort."
An
excellent example of encouragement in the New Testament is Barnabas. We first
meet him in Acts 4, selling his field and turning the proceeds over to the
apostles for distribution to the needy. Luke the author singles him out as a
generous giver, by contrast to the conniving Ananias and Sapphira. In Acts 11,
he is instrumental in delivering (probably as well as organizing) the proceeds
of a campaign for famine relief to the elders in Jerusalem from the church in
Antioch, about 300 miles to the north. Much later, Paul refers to Barnabas as
supporting himself in his work as a missionary, rather than relying on the
churches to provide his support. Thus the first mark of an encourager we see in
Barnabas, and right through his career, is that of generous giving.
Second,
Barnabas was an expert encourager verbally. His original name was
"Joseph", but others nicknamed him Bar-nabas, Aramaic for "Son
of encouragement". He lived and breathed it: if you could take
"encouragement" and put it in a walking talking form, you'd have
Barnabas. In Acts 11, Luke describes his arrival in Antioch as the official
representative from "head office" back in Jerusalem. Would he
"lower the boom" on these Gentiles who'd believed in Jesus without
being circumcised? No, we're told when he arrived and "saw the evidence of
the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged - [that's the 'paraclete' verb in
the Greek] - encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their
hearts." Luke can't help but add, "He was a good man, full of the
Holy Spirit and faith." Similarly in Acts 14, when Barnabas and Paul
revisit churches they'd planted earlier, Luke reports they were "strengthening
and encouraging them to remain true to the faith". We would say
"encouragement" was Barnabas' middle name. Was he effective?
Believers were first called "Christians" at that church in Antioch;
perhaps outsiders were struck by the way believers actually resembled their
leader Jesus Christ.
Barnabas
may still be encouraging us today as we read Scripture. The letter to the
Hebrews has been attributed to him from the time of Tertullian (200 AD). With
its emphasis on Jesus as our High Priest, and the examples of the heroes of
faith in chapter 11, it does sound like the type of book an encouraging Levite
might write.
Barnabas
was a generous giver; an encourager; and, finally, a gift "scout".
Here I mean the type of "talent scout" that comes from the big
leagues into the minors in hockey or baseball; this scout looks over the
players and sees which ones have potential and gifts for the professional
sport. In Acts 9, Paul was an obscure former Pharisee who'd assisted at the
stoning of Stephen, gone around arresting believers, then had a conversion
experience. When he showed up in Jerusalem, the Christians were afraid of him,
suspicious. They didn't believe he was a disciple; they probably thought he was
trying to infiltrate and spy them out. It was Barnabas who took Paul and
introduced him to the leaders, described his conversion, and vouched for him,
how he'd spoken out for the Lord in Damascus. If Barnabas hadn't stuck up for
Paul, putting his neck on the line for him, we might never have heard of Paul again.
As it was, when Paul started debating with the Jews and was in danger of being
killed, the elders quietly sidelined him by sending him home to Tarsus, way up
north.
But
Barnabas didn't forget Paul. When he saw what was happening in Antioch he
slipped over to Tarsus (about 90 miles) and brought Paul back. For about a year
Barnabas and Paul teamed up in prophesying and teaching. We won't know til
heaven how much Paul owed to Barnabas. Together they headed off on their first
missionary journey around the Mediterranean. Next thing you know, Paul is off
doing his own church-planting. So it was Barnabas who "spotted"
Paul's gifts and drew him into effective service, working alongside him then
releasing him for the task of the Kingdom.
You
may know that the gospel of Mark was written by a fellow named John Mark. Just
happened to be Barnabas' cousin! (Col.4:10) Barnabas and Paul brought Mark with
them after they took the famine relief money to Jerusalem. From Antioch they
set off together on the first missionary journey. Something happened that
caused Mark to throw in the towel after just a few stops and return to home
base. Later on, in Acts 15, we see Paul and Barnabas preparing to go back and
revisit these new churches. Barnabas wanted to take John Mark again, but Paul
was against it, probably viewing him as a quitter, a deserter, and unreliable.
But Barnabas had a big heart, and must have seen something worth developing in
the younger lad; he wanted to give him a second chance - so much so that he and
Paul actually split and went their separate ways. Though he was an encourager
and big-hearted, Barnabas knew some things are worth causing division over. Was
he right? Paul later in a letter referred favourably to Mark as a fellow
missionary, so it seems Barnabas' investment in him paid off. He was a gift
"scout", spotting gifts God gave people and finding opportunities for
them to exercise those talents for the Kingdom.
I
wonder what the results would have been if Paul and Mark had been left
sidelined as rejects, rather than encouraged by Barnabas to carry on. Mark
wrote the earliest gospel, which was probably copied extensively by Matthew and
Luke. Paul planted many churches and wrote the letters which make up a quarter
of the New Testament. It seems to have been Paul who brought Luke on board, who
in turn wrote his gospel and the book of Acts. Add to this the possibility that
Barnabas wrote Hebrews and - POOF! Take away Barnabas and there goes much of
the New Testament!
We
still have encouragers in the church today, believers showing the Holy Spirit's
"paraclesis" in generous giving, verbal encouragement, and calling
others' gifts into play. (Emily - Barnabas Sisters) The current edition of
Christian Reader tells the story of Evelyn Christenson, a 62-year-old Wisconsin
schoolteacher who donated a kidney to her brother Lyle. She gave a gift of life
because he wouldn't survive much longer on dialysis. It actually benefited her
too: when she had a car accident, her left side was injured, and doctors say if
she'd still had that kidney it would have ruptured in the accident and killed
her. By her organ donation she actually saved two lives, her brother's and her
own!
After
the surgery, Lyle heard the doctors wondering why Evelyn didn't have a left
kidney. He told them, "If you are looking for her left kidney, I have
it!" Then he went on to explain about the transplant surgery 3 years
earlier.
Evelyn
is also a verbal encourager. She writes, "Recently I've had the
opportunity to encourage a transplant donor by phone with my story."
We
can even be encouraged by those who don't seem to have much to be happy about.
A team of young couples went to serve in a short-term mission in a church in
Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. They saw incredibly poor
Christians singing at the top of their lungs, with a depth of joy that
challenged the visitors' faith. (Being a "paraclete" can have an
element of exhorting, urging, challenging as well as comforting.) The couples
wondered, "Is our faith simply a nice 'topping' on our materialistic
lifestyle?" Although they possessed much more, their faith was not nearly
as deep as that of the Haitians.
One
couple returned home, moved to a smaller apartment, sold some
"stuff", and taught a Sunday School class on "Living More Simply
that Others May Simply Live". They stopped subscribing to cable TV and
used the money they saved to support a foster child. Their direct encounter
with poor brothers and sisters forced them to re-evaluate their faith and their
lifestyle.
Join
the Barnabas club - be an encourager. Do you know some soul in need of
encouragement? A student off at school or away at a summer job...a young couple
up against it...a divorcee struggling to gain back self-acceptance...a
forgotten servant of God labouring in an obscure and difficult ministry...a
widow who needs your companionship...someone who tried something new and
failed? Encourage generously! Like Paderewski and that boy, you'll find that
with the Holy Spirit's help you can make beautiful music together, and have a
real impact in the world. Let's pray.
"The
trumpet sounds within-a my soul!" But wait a minute - this is not the
trumpet announcing Christ's return, but the trumpet of Jubilee, calling God's
people to a fresh start, a time of release for those trapped by debt, a time to
give the earth a break too.
In
1994 Pope John Paul II promulgated a decree about the coming of the third
millennium. He suggested the church should look on the year 2000 as a time to
adapt the Old Testament custom of Jubilee. The Pope described Jubilee as an
effort "meant to restore equality among all the children of Israel,
offering new possibilities to families which had lost their property and even
their personal freedom...The riches of creation were to be considered as a
common good of the whole of humanity...The Jubilee year was meant to restore
this social justice." Consequently, he said, "Christians will have to
raise their voice on behalf of all the poor of the world, proposing the Jubilee
as an appropriate time to give thought, among other things, to reducing
substantially, if not canceling outright, the international debt which
seriously threatens the future of many nations."
WHOA!
Not so fast! How did we get from an obscure Old Testament command to writing
off billions of dollars of cash? Well, like good Protestants, let's check out
the Scripture to see if it tallies with what this church authority says.
In
Leviticus 25 we do find that God commanded the 50th year to be set aside after
each 7th Sabbath year; a time to proclaim "liberty throughout the land to
all its inhabitants" as inscribed on the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia.
Trumpets were to be used to herald the beginning of this special year, much as
we might use a noisemaker on New Year's Eve. The "jubilee" as it was
called (from the word for trumpet) was to be the sound of kindness and release
sweeping the land. Significantly, it was to be announced on the Day of
Atonement - the annual celebration of God's forgiveness of the people for their
sins, redeeming them by the symbolic blood of a bull and a goat. God is the one
who arranges for people to be put right with him, it's not something they could
ever manage on their own. Priceless. So this holiest day in the Jewish year was
fittingly chosen as the time when trumpets sounded to call the
"haves" to take mercy and forgive the "have nots", as they
themselves had received everything and been released from guilt by the Lord.
What
specifically did Jubilee translate into? Verses 11-12 and 20-22 command a
Sabbath for the land: people weren't to sow or reap but just gather what the
land produced by itself without cultivation. Verses 13 and 28 order a
redistribution of property. The land had been divided up amongst the tribal
families by Joshua; reversion to the original allotments would guarantee each
tribe an enduring inheritance, so they didn't get "swallowed up" by
other tribes. Verses 41 and 54 require that those who happen to fall into
poverty and become slaves of foreigners are to be given their freedom. Verse 28
tells people to cancel the debts their countrymen owe them, when taken
alongside the routine Sabbath year condition of Deuteronomy 15:1-2. It says: "At
the end of every seven years you must cancel debts...Every creditor shall
cancel the loan he has made to his fellow Israelite." Radical! This isn't
the Harvard School of Business talking!
Our
own former moderator Anne Squire sums it up this way. "What Jubilee
intended to do was to provide an opportunity for a holistic renewal which would
restore community, hope and equality among the citizens. It was designed to
give another chance to those
families which had become so impoverished that they had lost not only their
land and their possessions but their liberty. Justice in Israel always was
primarily the protection of the poor and the weak. What Jubilee made possible
was a new beginning, an economic recovery for everyone in the land. Whatever
wrongs had accumulated in that 50-year period were to be rectified."
Why
does this challenge us so much? The principle of Jubilee strikes at our
cherished assumptions about ownership, what it means to hold property, to have
something BELONG to you. God made it clear: (23) "The land is MINE - you
are but aliens and my tenants." The Earth is granted rest for its own
sake, as something with its own independent relationship with God. The Lord
also asserts ownership rights over people, saying, (55) "The Israelites
belong to me as servants.They are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt.I am
the LORD your God." (Maybe God's way of underlining the seriousness of
what He's just said.) The Jubilee trumpet's sound smashes into the brouhaha of
our haggling and buying and selling, the noisy economic chorus of cash register
tills and stock markets, silencing all our greed and pride of ownership with
the announcement that we really OWN NOTHING: naked we came into this world,
naked we will depart. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, as once-rich Job
acknowledged. "All that we have is thine alone" - to be used for
God's purposes, not our own false security or reputation. We are here not to
take advantage of our neighbour by charging them interest or grinding them into
the poorhouse, but, out of our fear of God, to help them so they can continue
to live among us. (35-37)
"Ahh,
but that's Old Testament law," someone objects. "That's for the Jews,
not us - and it's questionable whether the year of Jubilee was ever actually
put into practice!" Well, let's see what the New Testament says. Here
comes Jesus onto the platform in Luke 4, announcing the grand scheme of his
mission - and it sounds a lot like Jubilee. "The Spirit of the Lord...has
anointed me to preach good news to the poor...to proclaim freedom for the
prisoners...to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's
favour." These verses he quotes from Isaiah 61 sound quite like the year
of Jubilee, don't they? And what about Matthew 6, this ultra-important Model Prayer
Christ teaches the disciples: "Forgive us our debts (what we owe) as we
forgive our (gulp) debtors" - those who owe US? Why didn't Matthew use a
less ambiguous word if he just meant MORAL shortfalls?
When
we come to Peter's question about forgiving someone in Matthew 18, Jesus again
turns to a language we understand: money. The debt the servant owes the king is
so astronomical, millions of dollars, it's obvious he could never pay it.
Somehow though his pitiful plight moves the king with compassion and he forgives
the whole amount - just writes it off. There would be a happy ending except
servant A goes out and starts to throttle servant B who owes him a few dollars.
The king is informed and sends servant A packing to the torture chamber, with a
rhetorical question echoing down the corridors of the dungeon after him:
"I canceled all that debt of
yours because you begged me to; shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow
servant just as I had on you???"
Jesus concludes with a potent warning, "This is how my heavenly Father
will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
Plainly,
Jesus calls us to release others from onerous obligations just as God has
forgiven us so much thanks to Christ's suffering for us at the cross. The
choice is clear. How would YOU like to be treated by God at judgment? Revering
God, even fearing God, frees our hearts from tinsel's trap to be generous and
share as Christ shared his heavenly blessings with us. Will we be owned by the
Lord, OR by what we imagine WE own?
So
credit the Pope with recalling us to Scriptural principles. The National
Council of Churches agreed and declared a "Jubilee Quadrennium" in
the four years before 2000. Our United Church Mission Study was set to the
Jubilee theme for 1998-2001. A working group called (here's a mouthful) the
"Canadian Ecumenical Jubilee Initiative" began preparing materials:
it includes our church, the
Anglicans, Christian Reformed, Mennonites, Lutherans, and Presbyterians. So
this is far from just another Catholic or United Church "social
justice" pet project.
The
CEJI has split the Jubilee theme into 3 parts: Release from Bondage,
Redistribution of Wealth, and Renewal of the Earth. Today I want to concentrate
on "Release from Bondage", which deals with cancelling debts and
freeing those enslaved. Before we get talking international finances -- just
how much is a trillion dollars -- a 1 with 12 zeroes after it? (take 50's)
Suppose we start laying out $50 bills at the rate of two a second. After one
minute we've put down $6000. After one hour, $360,000 - more money than most of
us could hope to accumulate in a lifetime. After one year, if we keep going
night and day at $100/second, we've laid out just over 3 billion dollars. Now
here's the trillion dollar question: how long will it take to reach a trillion
dollars? Answer: 317 years! That's a lot of money!
Now
we're ready for the sad saga of modern debt bondage. It all began back in the
70's when banks had quite a bit of surplus money floating around to deposit,
and fledgling governments in developing countries were eager for loans. Some
loans were even given knowingly to corrupt governments and dictators. Ordinary
people had little say in how the loans would be used. Sometimes the money
loaned went to buy weapons and build up military and police forces to suppress
those who questioned. Some money was siphoned off into the pockets of corrupt
officials. In the '80's, interest rates skyrocketed while prices for the export
goods of these poor nations fell dramatically. Unpaid interest accumulated
(remember that little clause about no interest?) and the loans became
unpayable. In 1980, the poorest nations owed just over half a trillion dollars
(U.S.); from '81-97, they received new loans of about 1.4 trillion, making a
total of about 2 trillion loaned. Yet in that same period, they paid over $2.9
trillion in interest and loan payments, and were left with an amount owing of
$2 trillion. If this horror story sounds like what happens when you don't keep
your credit card paid off, you're exactly right! The power of compounding
interest! So for a net loan of 2 trillion, our financial institutions are
expecting them to pay back 5 trillion, an outright profit on the loan of 3
trillion or 150%.
As a
result of this we get the modern farce known as "foreign aid". In
1996 the less developed countries received $58 billion in development
assistance. Sounds magnificent - until you compare it with the $245 billion
they paid to creditor nations. $1 for them, $4 for us; year after year. There
is now a huge and continuous net transfer of wealth from the poor nations to
the rich.
You
may have heard in the news recently that Prime Minister Chretien had a summit
with the other G8 leaders in Okinawa, Japan. He urged them to increase their
level of foreign aid by up to 10%, but was unsuccessful. His argument was not
at all altruistic: he reasoned that if we give them more money they'll become
better consumers of our product! Canada itself has a poor record here: our
current foreign aid givings of .26% of Gross Domestic Product are half what
they were in 1988. Last year the G8 leaders agreed to cancel $100 billion in
debt owed by 41 countries by the end of this year, but last week they turned
down a new plan that would accelerate this much-needed debt relief.
Is it
feasible to talk of cancelling Third World debt? Canada is currently owed $1.2
billion by the poorest nations; to absorb this would cost each Canadian only
$15/year for 3 years. That sounds manageable.
What
is the human cost of the debt? Slavery to sickness, ignorance, and futility. In
southern Uganda (home country of our Sunday School foster child Swaibu),
10-year-old Anna Asiimwe was been waiting for the opportunity to attend school
free-of-charge, because otherwise her parents can't afford to send her. Uganda
announced its intention to use the debt relief promised by its foreign
creditors to expand free primary schooling. But to date, Uganda is still
waiting for the promised relief.
In
Zambia, an 8-month-old baby named Lumba (which means "we are thankful [to
God]") became sick with malaria. The parents of the little boy began
desperately borrowing and begging, trying to collect enough money to buy
anti-malarial drugs from the nearest clinic. After two days they had collected
the money: $2 for life-saving treatment. They then spent two hours walking
through the bush to get to the clinic. But at the gates of the clinic, the
mother called to the father that their child had died. In recent years, Zambia
has spent 3 times as much servicing its foreign debt as it has spent on health
care. Health budgets have been slashed and "user fees" introduced at
a time when unemployment, poverty and poor health are on the increase.
Municipalities can't afford even the modest cost of spraying and fumigating to
control mosquitoes. Hospitals are obliged to sell their services in order to
recover costs, leading to a 2-tier system where only those who can pay receive
quality care.
These
are the human faces of the bondage of debt. It is frustrating. It is maddening.
It is greed's deathly trap, from which captives cry out for release.
What
can we do about it? The moral of the story is NOT to rush out and buy more bank
stock, shrewd as that may sound! Rather, consider carefully what you're banking
on. Is the "stuff" we run after and hold close really so necessary
compared to basics such as health and learning? Can we begin to live the
Jubilee right where we are? Start with releasing morally anyone you've had a
grudge against, who's "owed you one". We are the Lord's, redeemed by
the precious Son. God loves you, Jesus gave his life for you, our security is
in Him -- not in propping up the
shaky walls of our self-image by holding something against another person. Keep
short accounts.
Next,
practise the mercy of the forgiven servant in a tangible way. Jubilee
philosophy has been captured in the phrase, "a spirit of generosity in a
world of enough." Help someone less privileged so they can continue to
live, as Leviticus says. "Make do" and let others scramble to keep up
with the Joneses. Swell the shrinking ranks of volunteers; giving time often
brings its own reward. Besides our church's Mission & Service and World
Development & Relief Fund, there are plenty of organizations out there that
are active helping Thrid World countries. Billy Graham's son Franklin heads
Samaritan's Purse, which looked after the shoeboxes we sent at Christmas. Ralph
DeVries told us about the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Before my call to pastoral
ministry, Yvonne and I served with Canadian Blind Mission International which
some of you will be acquainted with. Compassion is another Christian
organization with a track record in child sponsorships.
And
since the debt crisis is an international problem, let's do what we can on a
national level to make a difference. Governments take notice of public outcry.
Many church-goers signed a petition calling for cancellation of unpayable debts
of the most impoverished nations; this petition was presented to the G8 leaders
in June 1999, and they did respond at least in intent. Let your MP know you're
concerned. Don't take my word for it, educate yourself as to the issues.
Christian discipleship is exciting because it's not something locked away from
the world but meant to engage every issue, every relationship we encounter in
life.
Thank
God that Jesus calls us to share with others the marvelous mercy we have found
in Him! A fresh start, what Jubilee is all about. Let us close with a prayer
written by Janet Morely of the relief agency Christian Aid.
"O
God, to whom we owe more than we can count: in our desire to control all that
will come to be, we hold your other children in the grip of debt which they
cannot repay -- and make them suffer now the poverty we dread. Do not hold us
to our debts, but unchain our fear, that we may release the other in an open
future of unbounded hope, through Christ our Saviour. Amen."
Do
you want to win? Do you want to be number 1, head of the line, top of the heap?
Have we got a show for you! That's exactly the attitude contestants were
supposed to have on the TV reality/game show called "Survivor" aired
this summer on CBS and Global. 16 castaways marooned themselves on an island
near Borneo which had plenty of rats and snakes, vying with each other to win
competitions and gruelling endurance contests. Week by week they were whittled
down, voted off the island by the others in a ritual banishment by tribal
council. The show was tremendously popular, smashing records for an off-season
series. It's estimated over 40 million people watched the finale, when Richard
Hatch won a million dollars and a car. Strolling to breakfast in French River
on August 24th, I saw the show got top front-page coverage in both the Toronto
Star and Toronto Sun newspapers - since when did TV game shows become the most
important news?? In our media-soaked world, the artificial is coming to seem
more "real" than the actual.
The
show had startling rules, based on a Darwinistic theme. The host said,
"Don't believe everything you hear. Be ready for anything. Watch your
back." Survival of the fittest. The conniving on the show demonstrates
what ethics deteriorates to in Darwinism. Richard Rorty at Stanford University
writes that keeping faith with Darwin means understanding that the human
species is not oriented "toward Truth", but only "toward its own
increased prosperity". Truth claims are just tools that "help us get
what we want".
The
show had amazing appeal. As the Thunder Bay Journal put it (front page news
again, August 20), "What was it about the show that kept viewers watching
all summer? What inspired the viewing parties with tropical drinks and fake
bugs in the guacamole dip? The heated weekly debate over who will be voted off
the island?" It noted, "One big attraction is the ritual punishment
of the tribal council vote. Watching someone banished is cruel fun." A
psychology professor explains, "People enjoy being mean.It's tough to
acknowledge, but it explains a lot of human behaviour.And we need relatively
harmless outlets for that." This professor is just saying what you could
have read in the Bible, humans are fallen, depraved, some get kicks out of
watching others' hardship. Is that what other top-rated TV shows will capitalize
on?
And
the show had disturbing morals. Early in August the London Free Press carried
an article about Gervase Peterson, a Survivor contestant who had just been
voted off the show. He said, "The object of the game wasn't, 'Come to this
island and win $100'; it was, 'Come and win $1 million.' That's life-changing
money. I went in thinking I'd do anything -- lie, cheat, or steal -- to win the
million." His comments equated the intelligence of women with the brain
power of cows. How rude! How he sold himself down the tube ethically just to
get a chance at the million -- willing to lie, cheat, or steal! Jesus warned in
Mark 8, "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit
his soul?" Even if Peterson had been the sole survivor at the finale, it
sounds like he would have sold his soul.
The
Lord Jesus teaches us, along with his disciples, how to be a "soul
survivor" - s-o-u-l. James and John one day tried some crafty manoeuvres
to get ahead of the other disciples in Jesus' little tribe. Trying to weasel
their way to the top, they asked if they could sit at his right and left when
he came in glory. Jesus points out THAT may be how the world works, but it's
not the way of him or his followers: (42) "You know that those who are
regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials
exercise authority over them." The New English Version translates this,
"Their great men make them feel the weight of authority". You get the
sense of burden, crushing, pressure from the top.
Christ
says emphatically, "Not so
with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your
servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all." One reason
Peterson lost popularity with the other contestants was his laziness, not doing
camp chores. He explained, "My plan was to get someone else to do the work
for me so I could save my energy to win the competitions." He wanted
somebody else to be his substitute when it came to getting the work done.
Christ's
attitude is the opposite - emptying himself, becoming a servant in our place.
Read verse 45, a very key verse in Mark's whole gospel: "For even the Son
of Man did not come to be served,
but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Christ is our
motivator, our model, supplying us with his own energy inside; we love, because
he first loved us.
Here's
a question for you: Which kind of world would YOU rather live in -- the world
of Survivor, where each week there's one less person, the attitude is
dog-eat-dog, there's a fundamental lack of trust and caring, where out of the
presumption of scarcity each one scrabbles together enough "just for
me"... Or would you prefer to live in the type of community Jesus
proposes, where people serve one another, lend a helping hand, sincerely care
out of a surplus of grace? Such a world is possible when we believe the gospel,
and accept that we are ransomed, God's Son gave his life for us.
Repeatedly
in the New Testament we find an attitude of GIVING out of God's surplus rather
than getting just to save myself. Look at Ephesians 1. (3) God "has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in
Christ". (4) God chose us, what in theology we call the doctrine of
election, God's vote was FOR us rather than to banish us "off the island".
We're holy and blameless in his sight, ADOPTED as his sons & daughters
through Christ, included -- not castaways. Verse 6 tells of the "glorious
grace which he has freely given us in the One he loves." No charge -
Christ paid it all! (7) "In him" (Christ, the total package) we HAVE
redemption, forgiveness, the RICHES of God's grace LAVISHED on us (can it get
any better?). (13) When we believed, we
were marked with a seal, the Holy Spirit, who is a DEPOSIT guaranteeing our
inheritance. We're never going to lose the treasures God has in store for us;
the Spirit is our "down payment", God's guarantee. Mr.Hatch will lose
the million dollars when he dies if not before; God's reward is REAL riches
which nothing can take away from us. His vote for us, including us in the
heavenly family when we believe in His Son, makes us true winners!
Watch
out for Darwinism. Beware talk of evolution and materialism. Not only is
Darwinism bad science: who can live with the resulting life attitudes? It's bad
science because some Darwinists have actually acknowledged their "prior
commitment to materialism", as Harvard geneticist Richard Lewontin puts
it. He explains, "We are forced by our a priori adherence to
material causes to create an apparatus of investigation and a set of concepts
that produce material explanations."
Today
it is common to hear prominent scientists scoff at the idea that life arose by
chance. Famous astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle compares it to lining up 1050
(ten with fifty zeroes after it) blind people, giving each one a scrambled
Rubik's Cube, and finding that they all solve the cube at the same moment.
Darwinism
is bad science, and I certainly wouldn't want to live in a world with the bad
ethics it sparks, like the Survivor TV show. Jesus has a better way than the
sneaky competitiveness that tempts even James and John. A world where we don't
lord it over, but find joy in serving. A world where people gladly make little
sacrifices for others, knowing how much they themselves have been blessed.
In
1982 Berkeley writer Anne Herbert coined a simple phrase: "Random acts of
kindness" (RAOK). The idea took off. In 1992, a book by that title
promoted this thought: "Imagine what would happen if there were an
outbreak of kindness in the world, if everybody did one kind thing on a daily
basis." It became an instant best-seller, spawning things like an annual
RAOK week: Participants are encouraged to do things like paying the toll of the
person on the road behind them, shovel their neighbour's driveway, offer flowers
to a co-worker with whom they normally clash. RAOK clubs hand gifts to
strangers on the subway and deliver "baskets of joy" to nursing home,
hospitals, and rehab centres. In schools, some principals now give deserving
students certificates saying, "Caught Ya Being Kind".
While
on holiday, we attended a church where some youth had been involved in a street
outreach in Grand Bend. These teens just went door to door doing acts of
kindness for the people who owned the businesses. Even cleaning washrooms. Or women
at a local church baked cookies and the youth offered them to passers-by free.
This all led to some amazing opportunities for sharing the gospel. Store owners
who'd had them clean their toilets would ask them, "Why are you doing
this? What's the catch?" And the youth would say, "We just want to
show God's love for you, no strings attached." Sheer grace.
So be
a Soul Survivor - not an only survivor, but an overcomer with real soul,
character unbesmirched by selfishness and greed. Kindness is catching. May the
Holy Spirit be our true treasure and help us honour Jesus, who is our ransom,
our head servant. Amen.
Psalm
90 asks: "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of
wisdom." What is "a heart of wisdom"? Wisdom is more than
knowing more than trivia, more than bits of fact that would win a game show.
Wisdom is about knowing and heeding the most important things.
Jean
was a student, a learner, a seeker of knowledge all her life. She received a
good education in a day when schools weren't so readily available: starting out
in Blyth, she had to go to Goderich to finish high school, then on elsewhere
for teacher's training. Then she became a trader in knowledge, a schoolteacher
in the Listowel/Wroxeter area.
The
next phase of her life, following marriage to Ray, involved the knowledge of
how to survive as a farmwife training up several children. When the kids were
old enough, she once again taught school for 8 more years.
Even
in later adult life, Jean remained a student in search of knowledge. She read
extensively. With Ray she travelled widely, and remembered what she saw; years
later she could describe some far-away spire in amazing detail as if she had
seen it just the day before. She held onto her knowledge as a precious
commodity.
Moving
to town enabled her to become more active in church groups. In 1962 she and Ray
were both on the building council for the new United Church (photo). At home, she
continued her search for knowledge by reading until her eyesight started to
fail her about 15 years ago. Two favourite topics were English history and
royalty.
Ah -
royalty: knowing the King is even better than knowing ABOUT kings. There are a
variety of levels of knowing God in Scripture. Psalm 90 pictures God as an
awesome Creator to be feared and revered. "Before the mountains were born
or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting
you are God...We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation.
You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your
presence." Knowing God too closely may have its drawback in God's
knowledge of OUR weaknesses and sins. The Psalmist concludes, "Who knows
the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due
you." Such a view might not make us want to get to know God too closely.
But
in the New Testament, God has drawn apart the curtain in sending Jesus, to show
Godself as He really is: not just to be revered or feared, but merciful and
loving. In Matthew 11 Jesus says, "No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to
reveal him." That's why Jesus came, to show us God so we may know him
truly.
Then
God's wonderful traits become a cause for rejoicing as he links himself to our
welfare. As Paul says in Romans 8: "We know that in all things God works
for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his
purpose." God's majestic design, his sovereign purpose, is aimed at our
good. That's reassuring to know.
In
John 14 Thomas asks, "How can we know the way?" Jesus replies,
"I am the way...Don't you know me...?Anyone who has seen me has seen the
Father." His promise to his followers is that we will see him again;
"Because I live, you will live also." His resurrection becomes our
hope.
In
his first epistle John adds, "We know that when he appears, we shall be
like him, for we shall see him as he is." Here we have what true wisdom, a
"heart of wisdom", is all about: coming to know Jesus better,
allowing God to work in our lives so we come to resemble His Son more closely
each day.
Jean
wasn't perfect, but she persevered in seeking to know God, the most important
aspect of knowing. I would visit her in the nursing home and she would be
trying to recall a certain verse of Scripture. She enjoyed receiving communion
and having me read a Bible passage to her. And she was apologetic for being
slightly stubborn with me at times.
What
is the most wonderful kind of knowing? Psalm 139 says: "O LORD, you have
searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive
my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar
with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
You hem me in--behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such
knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain." Knowing
God and being known by him intimately - that's where the real wisdom is at.
Praise God for His grace in Jesus Christ that welcomes us to know him even as
we are known by him.
"Where
there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in
part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. Now we see but a
poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in
part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." (1 Cor.13) Let
us pray.
The
Thresher's Reunion arrived in town this week. My first glimpse of it occurred
when I was going to the Post Office on Tuesday: a huge float truck turned the
corner carrying a Waterloo Boy, a large heavy impressive steam engine. I knew
it would be just one of many, rows and rows of antique tractors and equipment.
Altogether it becomes a big attraction, especially for people like my father
and brother who collect such things.
There's
a danger of finding something just as big, and impressive, but outdated on this
side of main street. I'm referring to our church. How can we, with God's help,
prevent the church from turning into an antique as well: something to be
admired or regarded as a curiosity, a quaint but outdated relic from bygone
days?
God's
Word suggests three emphases that can help us not turn into an exhibit for a
museum. People vs property; Grace, not legalistic self-righteousness; and Power
for transformed living, instead of rigid ritual.
People
vs property: While on holiday, we visited some friends in northern Ontario who
are frustrated at trying to keep alive their shrinking Anglican congregation.
Part of the problem is that this congregation is trying to maintain and utilize
three different church buildings in three townships. They've been rotating week
by week because none of the congregational groupings wants to let their
"favourite" local building go. What's the result? Less-ardent members
of the parish give up trying to figure out where the worship service is going
to be that week and stay home. Also, the small Sunday School isn't helped by
the rotation one bit: the teacher has to lug a huge Rubbermaid tote filled with
materials from place to place, and the children can't see last week's work up
on the wall. The property is a problem; die-hard supporters of the local
sanctuary have what's called an "edifice complex": they've forgotten
the church is not a building, it's people.
In
the second chapter of his gospel, Mark describes Jesus walking along beside the
lake, and a large crowd comes to him. Later he's having dinner in Levi's house,
again surrounded by people. Jesus did not squirrel himself away in a synagogue
or the Temple, but was out in the midst of people, talking to them, finding out
their needs, challenging them to live for God and follow him. To be disciples,
not pew-sitters.
So
the church's emphasis needs to be on PEOPLE not PROPERTY. Church is not a
performance to come watch, to observe like the thresher's display or gaze at
like an old stained-glass window; church is meant to be participated in, an
interaction between people and God that can happen anywhere, around a living
room as easily as within these four walls. God meets people where they're at.
A
second way the church can avoid the antique collector is by majoring in GRACE
not legalistic self-righteousness. Grace is what sets Christianity apart from
other religions.
Back
to our Anglican friends up north. Another point in the parish besides the first
three is in a small urban community. Our friend requested permission to use the
church building for a meeting of a community service group she belongs to. Some
days following the meeting, she found some members of the church had asked the
rector to reprimand her because 7 chairs were not put away following the
meeting! How picky - they should have been glad their building was getting some
use! Our friend's conclusion is that the members want their building to become,
in her words, an "empty white tomb".
Such
narrow-mindedness does not glorify God. For too many people, the word
"church" does not conjure up warm fuzzy associations because they
have slipped and been judged or condemned for it, sometimes by those who
themselves are obviously imperfect in some respect, at least in compassion.
Jesus
called Levi to become a follower, a disciple. Only problem in some people's
eyes was that Levi was a despised tax collector, a slimy job with doubtful
morals that required the collector to collaborate, in fact become an agent of,
the hated Romans who occupied Palestine. Bad enough that Jesus called Levi:
soon he was actually EATING in Levi's house with lots of Levi's friends. A very
motley crew from the Pharisees' point of view: other tax collectors and
so-called "sinners" - those who had been officially excommunicated
from the synagogue. In Eastern custom, to dine with someone signified
acceptance, association, identifying yourself in solidarity with that party.
The Pharisees took great pains to not have contact with persons of questionable
character: and here Jesus was welcoming them! He responded to their criticism
by saying he did not come to call the righteous, but sinners: after all it's
the sick who need health and a doctor.
In
your opinion, which is the church more like: a hall of fame for sports heroes,
or a hospital for the unwell? You can only visit a hall of fame, but you can
actually stay in a hospital if you need to. Christians are called to show forth
GRACE, not legalistic self-righteousness and judgmentalism. Paul described the
new covenant as not of the letter but the Spirit. The letter kills, he warned;
the ministry of law, carved on stone tablets, brought death. What attracted
Levi and friends so much was that Jesus showed grace and loving acceptance
toward those who'd failed to live perfect lives.
The
third factor that will save the church from rusty relicry is POWER FOR
TRANSFORMED LIVING, not rigid same-old static ritual. My father has been going
to pioneer & hobby shows for some time now. Used to be just having a
tractor parked there was enough. Now, though, he informs me, the "in"
thing is to have some equipment attached to your tractor, especially if it's
DOING something. For instance, a Baker fan, a threshing machine actually
threshing, splitting shingles, or even just a cultivator attached to the
hitch...the big draw is to have something happening, the power being utilized
to actually do work.
Is
anything HAPPENING at church, or do we just come and go through the same
motions Sunday by Sunday? Jesus did not leave Levi sitting at the tax
collector's booth. "Follow me," he commanded; and Levi got up and
followed. He left behind his unethical trade.
The
Pharisees prided themselves on their regular routine of fasting twice a week,
and couldn't understand why Jesus and his disciples were feasting with Levi on
what was probably a fast-day. Christ countered that a new piece of cloth pulls
away from the old when it shrinks, and new wine bursts stiff old wineskins; you
have to put new wine in new skins, or it'll be ruined. Jesus is implying that
God's power at work in the lives of people like Levi is dynamic, stretching,
transforming, you can't hem it in by stuffy old traditions that have lost their
meaning. It was fitting to feast that happy day rather than fast.
Have
you ever thought of yourself as a walking email? What's the message people get
by looking at you? Paul says the Corinthians are letters read by everybody,
written by the Spirit of the living God on tablets of human hearts. In Christ,
we hear the Lord speak to us, then live it out with his powerful help. The
Spirit gives life, Paul says, bringing righteousness and freedom that the Law
alone couldn't. Study well 2 Cor.3:18: "And we, who with unveiled faces
all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with
ever-increasing glory..." Jesus promises to give us power for changed
living, changes that will astound others as we come more and more to reflect
the Lord's own goodness, truth, and love.
Amy
Tracy was a lesbian and feminist activist. In her final year at college, she
took part in an abortion-rights march with hundreds of thousands of women past
the White House and Capitol in Washington DC. She recalls, "It turned out
to be one of the most significant days of my lie: it filled my soul with a sense
of purpose, and I decided to commit my life to women's rights." She rose
to one of the centres of the movement's power: press secretary for the National
Organization for Women (NOW). The Christians who opposed her at abortion-clinic
protests probably viewed her as hopelessly lost as the Pharisees viewed Levi
and his fellow "sinners". She was at the top of the movement,
appearing in the front lines of protest photographs. She says, "I had a
successful career, friends, respect, and a committed relationship with another
woman. My world was hostile to Christianity, and I despised Christians."
Yet she recalls, "My soul was never satisfied...There were times I felt a
profound sadness for something I could not identify." She was aware that "joy,
purity, and peace" were missing from her life, and she gradually became
aware of a profound hunger for God.
At
protests, Christians lived down to her low expectations, regarding her with
resentment and fear or glaring at her. Yet it was sometimes near Christians
that her hunger would grow most strong. She recalls, "I needed them to
reach out and touch me. I needed someone to see me as a real person in pain,
not just an abomination."
After
moving to Seattle, Amy found herself working for the state chapter of NOW. But
something was changing. She says, "I started to wrestle with what I saw in
the gay and lesbian community. I mentioned to my girlfriend that many of our
friends and fellow activists seemed to be as broken as I was, and she said that
was the result of societal persecution. I knew that wasn't the case. I began to
long for purity. I wanted to know what was right and wrong...I realized that I
had grown into a person I didn't respect. I was hard, burned out, and hateful.
my loathing of Christians expanded into a dislike of people in general."
Amy
spent a weekend with her girlfriend in San Francisco, trying to drown her
feelings. They partied hard, drinking and smoking pot, then spent hours at a
gay and lesbian dance club. When she came home, Amy sensed she'd hit bottom.
She wandered the streets a few days, saying in retrospect, "I know it's a
little weird, but I was looking for someone to tell me how to find God."
Eventually she attended a Sunday evening service at a church she found by its
big ad in the yellow pages with the word "Christian" in it. As the
pastor spoke, she recalls, "I learned that it was possible to have a
personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and that by placing my life in his
hands he would change me from the inside out. That's what I wanted." A few
weeks later she decided to publicly commit her life to Christ. "I knew
that if I went forward I would lose my job, my friends, my relationship, the
respect of others -- everything." A bit like Levi, leaving behind all his
livelihood at the tax booth.
That
God accepted her, Amy says, still seems unbelievable. But she believes God did
not see only a "God-hater" or hardened activist. He saw back to a
wounded teenage girl who at last was able to accept her Father's steadfast
love.
Months
later, happening across a speech on the radio about partial-birth abortion, all
at once she felt how abortion grieved God. She says, "It made me sad to
think that every day women were destroying people whom God loved. I repented
for the part I played." She wrote to Focus on the Family about how it
affected her, and ended up being employed there for the past 3 years. She
concludes: "My prayer is that Christians will be able to see those others
with compassion, not as enemies; as broken and in need of restoration by the only
healer of our souls, Jesus Christ.
"Nothing
compares to the freedom I have found in Jesus Christ.I used to think freedom
was loving who I wanted, smoking what I wanted, and living as I pleased. What I
discovered was that true freedom is doing what deep down inside you know you
ought to do. True freedom is found in the grace and love of Jesus."
(Source: Christian Reader, July/August 2000, pp.57-63)
The
church will never become an antique as long as God calls into its ranks people
like Amy in such amazing ways. Jesus' news is about people, not property;
grace, not legalistic self-righteousness; power for transformed living, not
stale ritual. May the Lord be pleased to help each of us change to better
reflect the grace, love, and freedom Amy found in Him. Let us pray.
Well,
the United Church has done it again. We're in the headlines. The latest edition
of Christianweek, a national newspaper out of Winnipeg, announces to the world:
"United Church Promotes Homosexual Concerns". It goes on to report
the decisions of General Council in August: to renounce the 1960 statement
calling homosexuality a sin; to say that "lesbian, gay, bisexual and
trans-gendered as well as heterosexual orientations are gifts of God"; to
"affirm lesbian and gay partnerships, recognize them in church
documentation and services of blessing, and actively work for their civil
recognition"; and to find new ways to encourage congregations to be
affirming.
Turning
to the editorial page, we find a cartoon of a man hanging out laundry, carrying
a laundry basket labeled the "United Church of Canada". Hanging on
the line is a character in a suit labelled "Scripture". The
cartoonist seems to be saying that our church has hung scripture "out to
dry". Reminds me of Jesus' criticism of the Pharisees in Mark 7: "You
have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your
own traditions! ...You nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed
down." (7:9,13)
The
accompanying editorial focuses on General Council's actions. It says,
"These may be wonderfully inclusive statements, but they bear little
resemblance to what the Bible has to say on the matter. Renowned German
theologian Wolfhart Pannenberg puts it well. 'If a church were to let itself be
pushed to the point where it ceased to treat homosexual activity as a departure
from the biblical norm, and recognized homosexual unions as a personal
partnership of love equivalent to marriage, such a church would stand no longer
on biblical ground but against the unequivocal witness of Scripture', he writes
in an important 1994 essay... 'A church which took such a step would thereby
have ceased to be one, holy, catholic, and apostolic,' concludes
Pannenberg."
The
editorial goes on to say how United Church decisions increasingly marginalize
it among its ecumenical partners. This summer, despite lobbying by
homosexual-rights activists, "The largest Presbyterian denomination in the
US voted to ban same-sex union ceremonies; Episcopalians in the US rejected a
resolution to 'support relationships of mutuality and fidelity other than
marriage'; and Methodists kept language declaring that 'homosexuality is
incompatible with Christian teaching."
So, who's
right? "What goes" in sexuality - are our sister churches all wrong?
To get in to this delicate topic, let's back up and look at the big picture:
A. THE MARVELOUS MYSTIQUE OF GOD'S DESIGN
What
was God's intention from the beginning? Genesis 1:27f says, "So God
created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and
female he created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful
and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it...'" People aren't like
potato chips, we come in only two varieties: male and female. These are
biologically different so we need a member of the opposite sex in order to
reproduce. Women have 2 "X" chromosomes, men have "XY"
chromosomes - in every single cell in their body! We are "hard-wired"
differently in crucial respects.
These
verses repeat the phrase, "in his image": humans have consciousness
and conscience, different from other orders of living organisms. We're able to
remember, love, create, imagine. "In God's image" can also refer to
intimate community: in the Trinity of Father-Son-Spirit, fellowship was
happening within God's own being before any universe or time existed. This is a
real mystery, how there can be different-ness and sense of other beings within
an embracing Oneness; but words fail us whenever we try to describe the
Trinity.
God
says in Genesis 2:18, "It is NOT good for man to be alone; I will make a
helper suitable for him." Somehow, there's going to be a team-mate for
Adam; someone to complement him, correspond helpfully. Animals don't fit the
bill (19,20). So God causes Adam to fall into a deep sleep, fashions a being
out of his "rib" or part of his side, and brings her to the man. Adam
exclaims, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she
shall be called Woman, for out of Man she was taken." In other words,
"Yes! Finally I've found what was missing - this is it! I find my
completeness, my wholeness, in you." In the marvel of marriage, something
mysterious comes together - as when you've assembled an entire jigsaw puzzle
but the last piece that fits plunk in the centre is missing; when you find it,
it's complete, whole, it "belongs" and ties everything together.
Verse 24 says when a man leaves his father and mother and cleaves (bonds, gets
epoxied) to his wife, the two become one flesh. There's a wonderful
irreversible amalgamation that affects our whole being.
Jesus
quotes these verses in Matthew 19 concerning divorce. He begins by reminding
people of God's original intention. The disciples respond by protesting that if
Jesus is going to take such a narrow view on the matter, it's better not to
marry. Whereupon the Lord makes some interesting comments on the celibate life.
Some are born eunuchs or made infertile by men (oriental despots used such folk
to guard their harems); but Jesus adds, "and others have renounced
marriage because of the kingdom of heaven.The one who can accept this should
accept it." Celibacy can be accepted as a gift, and make the person more
available to focus on pleasing the Lord, as Paul did, unhindered by family
concerns. Christ is saying, "It's OK to be single." You're no less
loved by God, in fact you may be more available for the unique task to which
He's called you. Christ's endorsement of celibacy runs counter to the lie of
fallen society which tends to make sex an idol and screams, "You MUST act
out your impulses or you're not a fulfilled person." Jesus models and
mentions that chastity (abstaining from immoral intercourse) is a normal,
healthy, God-pleasing state -- before marriage and outside of it.
So
that's the marvelous mystique of God's design, his original blueprint for
sexuality. But when the Enemy enters the picture, and Adam and Eve sin, we find
B. A WRENCH IN THE WORKS
God
told Adam plainly, "Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you
shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die." (Genesis
2:17) When they did eat of it, doubting God's Word and figuring they knew
better than God, something deep in our constitution got royally mucked up. This
action had radical negative consequences for humanity and creation. Paul says,
"Sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and
so death spread to all because all have sinned..." (Romans 5:12) He
describes creation now as being "subjected to frustration", in
"bondage to decay". (Rom.8:20) Our genes, instincts, impulses,
behaviours, and conditioning have been messed up. In Romans 1 he describes how
God's wrath and judgment have started to be revealed against human wickedness
and godlessness. Those who reject God by neither glorifying Him nor being
grateful have their thinking made futile and their hearts darkened. "God
gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the degrading of
their bodies among themselves..." (Romans 1:24) Then we find a description
of what happens when sex crosses the line: "God gave them up to degrading
passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the
same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed
with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and
received in their own persons the due penalty for their error." (Romans
1:26-27) The chapter closes with a catalogue of fallen human behaviours. Paul
notes, "They know God's decree, that those who practice such things
deserve to die--yet they not only do them but even applaud others who practice
them." (Romans 1:32) Approving of those who actually DO wrong things joins
a person in guilt along with the perpetrators.
The
Bible consistently condemns homosexuality. Leviticus 18:22 says, "You
shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination." In other
words, in God's eyes it's detestable, as when something turns our stomach and
we recoil saying, "That's DISGUSTING!" 20:13 is similar but adds that the offender must be put to
death: it's a capital offence.
The
New Testament offers a better solution. Death is called for, but it's death to
self in Christ so as to be made a new creature. When through faith we're
crucified with him, we're no longer slaves to sin; we're to reckon ourselves
dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Paul concludes, "Therefore,
do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their
passions. No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness,
but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to
life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness."
(Romans 6:12-13)
Christians
at Corinth lived day-to-day in a sea of immorality. But Paul didn't suggest
they be so inclusive as to go along with their culture. In 1 Cor.6:9-11 we
read: "Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of
God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes,
sodomites [(ie homosexuals)], thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers,
robbers--none of these will inherit the kingdom of God. And this is what some
of you used to be. But you were washed, you were
sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the
Spirit of our God."
That's
how Scripture describes the wrench that has been thrown into God's original
plan. And there is other truth that can be brought to this subject when we
debunk
C. MYTHS ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY
1. The myth that it is genetically or biologically
based: This is akin to saying being homosexual is like being blue-eyed or
brown-eyed, it's somehow in your chemical makeup. But people are not "born
gay". A 1991 study of identical twins had a major flaw in that all the twins
grew up together; there was not a control group of twins raised apart, which
would have isolated out other factors such as parental relationships and other
family dynamics. Only about half the identical twins studied were both
homosexual; if it was purely genetic, the correlation should have been 100%.
Another
argument against this myth is the fact that many psychologists are treating
homosexuals successfully today, "changing sexual orientation from
homosexual to heterosexual," says Charles Socarides, president of NARTH,
the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality. Stanton
Jones, professor of psychology at Wheaton College says, "Every study ever
performed in conversion for homosexual to heterosexual orientation has produced
some successes," ranging from 33-60%. Exodus International is the largest
homosexual-recovery organization in the world, and over the past 25 years, with
other such agencies, has helped thousands of men and women find healing and
grace. Thus if orientation can be changed, it's a myth to say homosexuals are
"born that way" as if it's something fixed and permanent.
So if
it's not from birth, how does homosexuality develop? Some factors are: early
sexual abuse or violation; cross-gendered identification; poor gender role
modeling; and peer degradation. Psychologist Elizabeth Moberly believes
homosexuality is often caused by early difficulty in family relationships,
especially with the same-sex parent. Separation from the parent through death
or divorce, or emotional distance because of work, alcohol, or other problems,
result in a deficit that causes the child to search for relationships
elsewhere. The need for relationship with a same-sex parent persists while the
child is developing physically, and that emotional need is interpreted as a
need for sex. Moberly adds, "Despite appearance, homosexuality has very
little to do with sex. It is about emotional woundedness."
For
example, John Paulk is a former homosexual who now works with Focus on the
Family. He says, "All my life I was tortured by the fact that I never felt
loved and accepted by my dad. My sense of masculine identity was developed by a
tight-knit relationship with my mother, so I searched for my father in the arms
of other men." When Paulk eventually overcame his homosexual desires, he
was able to receive true appropriate love from Christian men, married a former
lesbian, and they now have 2 children.
2. The myth that homosexuals constitute at least 10%
of the population: The 1-in-10 figure is from a 1948 report by Kinsey which has
been discredited because of his skewed research techniques. More recent data
puts it in the 1-4% range.
3. The myth that it's a healthy, normal lifestyle: 78%
of homosexuals have been treated for at least one STD. Though less than 4% of
the population, they account for one half of North America's cases of syphilis,
gonorrhea of the throat, and intestinal infections. Rates of suicide,
promiscuity, alcoholism, and drug abuse are extremely high in the homosexual
community. Researchers have found that only 9% of homosexual males had less
than 25 different sexual partners in their lifetime; 43% had more than 500
partners! Only 1% reported lifetime monogamous relationships. 43% of white male
homosexuals reported "cruising" for sexual contacts once a week or
more. German sociologist Dannecker, himself a self-professed homosexual,
bluntly declared the "faithful homosexual friendship" a myth.
4. The myth that society has already accepted
homosexual marriage: A Gallup Canada poll this past March found that although
43% of Canadians endorsed same-sex marriage, 48% were opposed.
5. The myth that homosexuality is the "sin of
sins": We must not single out homosexuality as if it were the worst
possible kind of sin. Pride is even more insidious! What is sin? 1 John 3:4
says "sin is lawlessness"; 5:17 - "all wrongdoing is sin".
Paul defines it this way: "Anything that does not come from faith is
sin." (Rom.14:23) Sin is whatever is outside God's will for us, whatever
is not pleasing to Him. Think of the lists in 1 Cor.6 or Rom.1: alongside
homosexual behaviour we find greed, gossip, arrogance...all lumped together.
Lest we become judgmental and heartless, we need to recall that "ALL have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." (Rom.3:23) Each one of us
has failed to follow God's best for us; we can't "single out"
homosexuality.
D. RESPONDING IN CHRIST'S GRACE AND TRUTH
So
how can we as Christians reach out and minister Christ's freedom and healing?
Elizabeth Moberly says churches should ask themselves whether they are
communities of healing and forgiveness, and whether they have the maturity to
respond to homosexuals without hostility. We need to guard against fearing
them, though she adds that disagreeing with homosexual behaviour is not "homophobia".
Moberly
said churches can help by being educated, discussing homosexuality in sermons,
putting books in the church library. They can set up support groups for those
who are struggling, as well as for parents and spouses. Lay counsellors can be
given training on how to counsel homosexuals. We can also help homosexuals
develop healthy appropriate relationships with friends of the same sex.
Focus
on the Family offers this guidance:
+Realize that at the core of the homosexual struggle, there is a
deep-seated sense of rejection.
+Ask the Lord to open a door of communication.
+Be vulnerable about your own personal struggles and temptations.
+Communicate acceptance - not rejection. Express love and commitment to
the person.
+Instill hope for change (1 Cor.6:11). Thousands of men and women have
overcome homosexuality and are able to lead celibate lives. Many continue in
the healing and marry and have families.
+Pray for them; love and commit to them.
It is
not love to just accept homosexual behaviour as if it's a lifestyle that can't
be changed. You don't ignore a person having a heart attack; the loving thing
is to call for emergency help. To love a homosexual means being willing to
encourage and support them in discovering Christ's healing, life-changing
power.
A
recovering lesbian named "Nancy" wrote a little booklet for
Inter-Varsity Press called "Homosexual Struggle". Her closing advice
is: "Pray for sensitivity to the people that God places around you. There
is a good chance you are in contact with someone with deep conflicts who is
longing for a compassionate ear. Pray for wisdom and understanding.
"Speak
the truth in love (Eph.4:15), just as Jesus did to the woman caught in adultery
(Jn.8:1-11). He spoke to her with compassion ('neither do I condemn you'), but
did not neglect to call sin sin ('do not sin again'). People who struggle with
their sexuality desperately need to know God's holy love.
"Believe
that God can and will change people's lives. Don't underestimate his power! A
friend once told me, 'Yours is not an easy problem.Yet it is not an insoluble
one.' Jesus says, 'With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things
are possible with God.' (Mk.10:27)" [endquote]
Can
we act on that? Then as a church we will make headlines of another sort! Amen.
Psalm 103:8-18 8; Isaiah 40; Matthew
6 25; 2 Cor. 2 14-16; John 11 21; John
12:1-3
In
scripture, human life is compared to a flower - over all too quickly. Just as a
hot dry wind dries up the grass, or a frost nips flowers in full bloom so they
wither and die, our own life is very brief and fleeting.
Today
we gather to remember the life of Marie Schleich. Even 73 years does not seem
long enough when you love someone. Marie will be sincerely missed by children,
grandchildren, and friends. She loved nature, especially flowers, birds, and
animals, so I thought it appropriate to recall scripture that drew a parallel
between our lives and that of growing things. Perhaps the Lord has yet a lesson
for us from her life.
Jesus
urged his listeners to "consider the lilies" - that they don't worry,
or get uptight about toil; they just simply are. they don't have to work their
fingers to the bone to look so pretty: God clothes them much more radiantly
than the wealthiest king. Jesus cautions us not to spend our life running after
accumulating material goods, but seek first his kingdom and righteousness.
Everything else then will fall into place when we have godly priorities.
Marie,
I understand, took time to "smell the roses". She loved flowers and
gardening. She had time for crafts, and family was her number one value rather
than fortune. She set time aside for prayer. She tended to be humble and sought
to avoid the limelight. Perhaps like the wildflowers Jesus saw in the fields,
she tended to blend into the landscape.
Yet
the flowers are not drab like plain grass; they share glorious colours with all
who see them. The fragrance of a rose can be nearly intoxicating. Out of the
life that has learned to rest in God comes a richness that spills over to bless
others, as a flower's aroms fills a room.
Mary
was so thankful that Jesus had raised her brother Lazarus from the dead that
she took a pint of expensive perfume and lavished it on Jesus. And "the
house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume".
Paul
was transformed by encounter with the risen Lord. He who once persecuted
believers, arresting them, now travelled far and wide despite all kinds of
dangers and imprisonment himself, just for the privilege of telling people the
good news about the resurrection. He said, "Through us [God] spreads
everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him." To those who were saved
from eternal perishing, the apostles seemed like "the fragrance of
life".
Similarly,
out of Marie's devotion and availability to God came an aroma of
lovingkindness. She gave generously of herself to those she met, helping others
throughout her life. She worked hard, and served so many over the decades. Even
after moving to the seniors building, she would help out by driving others to
places, and took part in the social club.
The
grass withers, the flower falls, its place remembers it no more. But God does
not forget people. We who believe in Christ trust we will one day see him
again, and those who have died in Him. The Lord does not forget the acts of
loving obedience we have carried out to spread his fragrance around. Scripture
offers this beautiful word picture which we are confident speaks of the Lord's
cherishing comfort, resurrection power, and reward for those like Marie who served
Him.
"See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power,
and his arm
rules for him.
See, his
reward is with him,
and his
recompense accompanies him.
He tends his
flock like a shepherd:
He gathers
the lambs in his arms
and carries
them close to his heart..."
Thanks
be to God! Amen.
How
can we know what God wants? Is it just something you feel at peace about
inside?
Amy
Grant has been a well-known Christian- and pop- music star. Earlier this year
she married country singer Vince Gill near Nashville. Only problem was, they
both had to dispose of existing marriages before it could happen. Amy Grant
said she recognized that God hates divorce, but she also realized a more
personal and freeing truth. A couple of years ago after undergoing what she
called "tons of marital counselling" she went to the pastors with
whom she had sought guidance and to her then-husband, singer/songwriter Gary Chapman,
and told them all, "I believe and trust that I've been released from this
[marriage]. And I say that knowing that even the Bible says the heart is
deceitful." She further explained how she knew this was God's will,
concluding, "To the best of my level of peace, I had a very settled,
unshakable feeling about the path that I was going to follow."
"A
very settled, unshakable feeling..." Is that how we know God's will? What
about Jesus' command that a person who just deliberately divorces their spouse
to marry another is committing adultery? (Mk.10:11f) If we're not to base our
decisions on feelings, what can we base them on? How can we know what the Lord
wants?
Christian
theology answers this question by talking about "natural revelation" and "Special Revelation".
Today I'd like to draw some wisdom from Article 2 of our United Church Basis of
Union, "Of Revelation." It begins, "We believe that God revealed
Himself in nature, in history, and in the heart of man." Natural
revelation has to do with what we can deduce about God from what we can see and
feel around us. Psalm 19 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the
skies proclaim the work of his hands." It makes sense that people might
guess there is Someone beyond themselves, a Creator who set the universe in
place, just by looking around and seeing nature's marvelous design and extent.
Paul wrote in Romans 1, "For since the creation of the world God's
invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly
seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without
excuse."
Article
2 also says, in addition to nature, God has revealed Himself in the heart of
man. People have conscience, whether they follow it or not; all societies make
rules of right and wrong to maintain order. In Romans 2 Paul said, "When
Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law,
they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they
show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their
consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even
defending them." Basic aspects of right and wrong are apparent even to
those who haven't had religious training.
We
don't break God's laws, they break us; for they are the invisible guidelines
written into the fabric of our being by our Creator. E Stanley Jones recalls a
surgeon said to a public audience: "If you don't come to God and surrender
to Him you will have to come to me and surrender to surgery. 75% of surgical cases
begin in functional disturbances and pass into structural disease. Then I get
them." Jones imagines a convention of bodies talking about the people who
inhabit them. A body stands up and says, "Oh my, the man who inhabits me
doesn't know how to live. He is full of fears, resentments, self-centredness
and guilts. He ties me in knots, and then doses me with all sorts of medicines
which have no relationship with what is wrong with me. There is nothing wrong
with me. He upsets my functioning. I wish he knew how to live." Many
people with medical problems won't be well unless they change their attitudes
toward life. God's laws and truth about relationships are written into our very
being, our nature. Our bodies are designed to function properly when we follow
the manufacturer's instructions!
Besides
natural revelation, there is SPECIAL REVELATION. Article 2 continues, "He
has been graciously pleased to make clearer revelation of Himself to men of God
who spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit..." (and further on)
"We receive the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, given by
inspiration of God, as containing the only infallible rule of faith and
life..." Here are some classic verses on God's act of inspiring the Bible.
2 Tim.3:16 "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness..." 2 Peter 1:21
"Prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God
as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." (like a hot-air balloon
being borne along with the breeze) Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is
living and active.Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to
dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and
attitudes of the heart." Alive, energetic, probing: the Holy Spirit by
scripture ferrets out our inmost thoughts and renders a verdict, a judgment,
relative to God's truth and ideals.
The
"Canon" (or yardstick) of 66 books of Scripture is a much-needed
benchmark in any discussion of knowing what God wants. Throughout the history
of the Church people have gotten off-track when they felt a spirit was
revealing new things to them that didn't conform to the Bible. Montanus was an
enthusiastic young Christian prophet in western Asia Minor around AD 172. Two
prophetesses joined him. They claimed to be mouthpieces of the Paraclete, the
"New Prophecy". They urged Christians to relish persecution; abandon
marriage in favour of celibacy, fast more, and eat food dry. They definitely
went overboard when they predicted the heavenly Jerusalem would descend in
their local city. If the Holy Spirit tells us something, it won't go against
Scripture.
But
we have yet to talk about the ULTIMATE UNVEILING by which we come to know what
God wants. Article 2 says, "In the fullness of time He has perfectly
revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, who is the brightness of
the Father's glory and the express image of his person." In John 3 Jesus
said to Nicodemus, "We speak of what we know, and we testify to what we
have seen..." Christianity is based on historical events which fulfilled
inspired recorded prophecy. The Gospel is about real events in time. After
reviewing the account as it was relayed to him, Paul admits that if we have
only hoped in Christ in this life -- if it's all a fairy tale -- we are to be
pitied more than anybody else. But because of eyewitnesses he'd talked to he
could assert, "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead."
(1Cor.15:19,20)
Jesus went on to say to Nicodemus that heavenly
things would be even harder for him to accept than earthly things. Who has been
there and come to tell about it? No one except God's "one and only"
Son. Jesus is unique, one-of-a-kind, our single opportunity in which God drew
back the curtain to show what He's really like. The "brightness of the
Father's glory."
And
what is the message God's trying to get across to us from the world of the
supernatural? Jesus reaches back into an Old Testament analogy to the time
Moses put a bronze serpent on a pole for the Israelites to look at and be
healed from the influx of poisonous snakes. In the same way, Jesus says,
"the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may
have eternal life." Why didn't Moses just keep the symbol down at ground
level? People wouldn't be able to see it and get healing. Why did God send
Jesus to earth, "lifting him up" or exposing him from obscurity in
heaven? So we could SEE the Saviour who'd been hidden in heaven, know the
wonderful news of the gospel, trust Jesus, and live with God forever.
Famous
verse 3:16, which you hopefully have in your memory bank already, outlines the
most important truths or facts in the universe, as far as we're concerned:
"God so loved the world..." True from the beginning of time, this was
God's immense and unconditional affection and commitment for good towards a
planet crawling with twisted, self-serving, rebellious wounded sinners. We'd
fallen far short of his original plan, but still God loved us.
"That
he gave his one and only Son..." No strings attached; he gave the one He
loved most dearly, His very precious Child, into our hands. God did not have
second thoughts and yank Jesus back to heaven just before he was nailed to the
cross, followed by nuking the world, though we deserved it. The most loving,
compassionate, kind and pure person who ever lived, but we condemned him
falsely and strung him up like a criminal worse than Paul Bernardo. "Take
that, God!"
"That
whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Uh - perish?
Where did that come from? Doesn't that mean be destroyed, eternal death,
Apollyon? But we thought we were managing very well on our own -- that is,
those of us who weren't starving in the Third World, getting beaten or cheated
on, drowning our loneliness in booze or drugs, chasing madly after
ever-diminishing pleasures, or coldly isolating ourselves by our pride and
resentment from ever really loving again. Perish?
Jesus
is saying it's important for us to know that at the bookend of our existence is
a final destination: eternal life with him, or eternal destruction.
"Perish" is not annihilation, but something far worse: unending
conscious suffering and separation from God, who is the source of light and
love. You don't want to go there! In case we missed it the first time, Jesus
repeats the options in verse 17: "For God did not send his Son into the
world to condemn the world, but
to save the world through
him." That's his name - Jesus, Yeshua, because he'd "save his people
from their sins" (Matt.1:21).
You
want a picture of what the world's really like? Just west of Thunder Bay my
family visited Kakabeka Falls last month. It's called the Niagara of the North:
the river plunges down, down, deep into a gorge, cascading over rocks and
sending mist all over the observation decks high above. Looking up and down
stream, the river flows on in undisturbed tranquility, a beautiful scene. But
right at the falls the roar is deafening; your eye is mesmerized by the
collision of water and unyielding rock.
Human
life is like floating along in the river just upstream from the falls. Looking
ahead from the level of the water you couldn't tell there was a thing up ahead.
That's the natural viewpoint. As you float along doing a backfloat, you notice
a sign over on the shore. It says, "Warning!" That's the first sign,
conscience and the created order. but you pay no heed. A little later there's a
second sign, bright orange: "Danger!" The sign of scripture. You
scratch your head and wonder, "That's funny, who'd write that there?"
Last is a sign in the shape of a cross over on the shore. For some reason a
rope is suspended out to the middle of the stream where you can reach it. At
the end of the rope is a life preserver that says, "Hold onto this or be
lost!" But you raise your head a bit, look downstream, and see nothing.
You could have grabbed the rope, swung in to shore, and been safe. But based on
your own information you can't see any danger, so choose to stay in the river
until suddenly at the brink you see the gorge opening below and it's too late.
How
can we know what God wants? Conscience and creation say, "Y'know, there
might be more to this than just a river." Scripture through the prophets
and apostles says, "There's definitely more to life than just this river."
Jesus on the cross cries out, "I love you! Take my hand and let me pull
you out of the river where you'll be safe!" But so many doubt the signs,
drift along ignoring God's message aimed at preserving them, and head straight
into the bottomless pit. "This is the verdict:" (v.19; the Final
Fact, the Big Decision in the Courtroom of the universe) "Light has come
into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds
were evil."
Allow
me for a moment to talk to your heart, not your head. I bury people all the
time. Most didn't know the gorge was just around the next bend in the river.
For all of us, there's a waterfall coming up fast! Let me say this bluntly:
some of you need to get out of the river before it's too late. You've been immersing
yourself in the things of the world, rather than the things of God. The Enemy
is sweeping you along in the current, hooked on your passions or pride.
Whatever your problem, your excuse, whatever has been holding you back, Jesus
can help. But you've got to trust him and believe in him with all your being.
Please, don't put it off; talk to me if you're not sure whether you're safe on
shore or still getting swept along. Jesus has been tempted as we are, but
didn't sin, so can sympathize with our weaknesses. At his throne we
"receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Heb.4:16)
For
the rest of you - are you just glad to be safe, or are you concerned about
those you know who are still being whisked along toward the falls? So many have
missed the warning signs and honestly are unaware of the destruction up ahead.
Are you praying for them? Sharing the good news with them? If you get
tongue-tied, are you inviting them along to events where they CAN hear what's
most important to know in our whole existence? This is urgent stuff.
Once
we commit to following Jesus, we do receive a wonderful new source of GUIDANCE
FOR TODAY. Jesus said the Spirit of truth would guide us into all truth, taking
what's his and making it known to us. (John 16:13,14) Marriage counselor John
Regier says when couples truly confess their wrongs to each other, absorb the
pain in forgiveness, and ask Jesus to heal the pain, often the Holy Spirit will
give a verse of scripture or picture in their mind as confirmation wholeness is
restored. One woman has even collected a whole binder of things God spoke to
her in prayer, which she wrote down. As a check against Montanism, just be
aware that the Holy Spirit doesn't contradict Himself: anything the Lord truly
tells you will be consistent with Scripture.
Another
test when wondering about God's guidance is to ask, "Is this something
Jesus might say or do?" WWJD - what would Jesus do? The Spirit takes from
what is Christ's and testifies to Him; true spiritual wisdom will accord with
Jesus' own loving, holy attitudes and actions.
Also,
you can bounce an idea or impulse off some godly friends whose discernment you
respect. Paul cleared his message with the leaders in Jerusalem (Galatians
2:2); he directed others in the church to weigh carefully what prophets spoke.
(1 Cor.14:29)
And
I'd like to close by emphasizing the role parents can play in instructing their
children to know what God wants. Deuteronomy 4 says: "Watch yourselves
closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them
slip from your heart as long as you live.Teach them to your children and to
their children after them." Later God urges parents to "Impress
[these commands] on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and
when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."
Josh
McDowell surveyed nearly 4,000 youths from 13 denominations. He found less than
10% demonstrate a consistent, cohesive belief in absolute truth. 40% think no
one can prove which religion is absolutely true. Nearly half base their moral
choices on feelings and emotions rather than on a clear standard of right and
wrong. We're raising a generation that decides on the basis of feelings rather
than truth - like the 70's slogan, "If it feels good, do it!"
It's
so vital to be forming children in the faith. Pray at meals and bedtime. Make
sure you have your own personal quiet time each day, then you'll have something
to share when you sit down for a meal together. What will you get if you let
the "Idiot Box" form your kids' values? Get a good Bible story
picture book to read from for young children. A new part of Focus on the Family
called "Heritage Builders" is producing resources especially for
families to use in developing faith; interesting and fun ways of passing on the
Christian worldview.
One
father, wanting his son to understand the deity of Christ, told him the story
of Jesus turning the water into wine at a wedding. The father explained,
"This was Christ's first miracle.Do you understand, son?" "Yes,
Daddy." "So what do we learn from this story?" Confidently, the
boy responded, "If you don't have enough wine, get down on your knees and
pray!"
He
didn't quite get the message Dad intended. But I'm sure his father was patient
with him - just as our Heavenly Father perseveres in revealing His wonderful
plan to us so that we might finally catch on. In nature, in Scripture, in Jesus
our Lord, God has been reaching out so we might truly know what He wants. His
love means saving power and LIFE for us - and that's not just an
"unshakeable feeling", but a fact! Amen.
Humans
are a hungry bunch. We're consumers. Not blessed with chlorophyll, we're designed
to eat other things in order to get strength to go on living. So our systems
are designed to get hungry on a regular basis.
But
we don't just get hungry physically; we are spiritual, emotional beings in
these bodies. So we find many desires that struggle for satisfaction besides
just the need for food. We crave popularity, good looks, the latest toys,
reputation, a comfy retirement fund, affection and intimacy. The hunger of our
soul is every bit as strong as the appetite of our stomach.
So as
we prepare to celebrate the Lord's Supper on this Worldwide Communion Sunday,
God's Word suggests we consider two things: our hunger or deadness apart from
Christ; and that Jesus is the "living bread" who alone can truly
satisfy our longings.
In
John 6, Jesus had fed the 5000 miraculously, and the crowd thought this was the
guy for them. Who needs to work when you can just manufacture food out of thin
air? They wanted to make Jesus king by force, and he knew it (6:15); he also
knew that wasn't the Father's plan for him. So when they somewhat pathetically
go chasing him around the lake, he confronts them saying that they're not after
him for valid spiritual reasons but because he filled their bellies. In 6:27 He
commands: "Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to
eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you." Which type of food will
we pursue - that which perishes and rots, or the kind that nourishes us for
eternity? There's more to life than just bringing home the paycheque and then
spending it, over and over. Don't waste away your life exerting yourself for
the things that can't really satisfy your inner being, that "God-shaped
vacuum" inside.
Later
in 6:53 Jesus puts it more plainly: "I tell you the truth, unless you eat
the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you." No life. Zippo.
You're dead meat. Spiritually speaking, you're road-kill. Yuck! Who wants that!
In
the course of routine visiting on my previous pastoral charge in northern
Ontario, I was invited for supper by one of the families in the congregation.
As I sat down at the table, they said with a smile, "Hope you don't mind
eating road-kill!" The fellow as it turns out was on the Fire Department
and First Response team. They were often called out to traffic accidents.
Occasionally these accidents were caused by moose or deer crossing the road. So
this man always took a hunting knife with him to a call because often he got to
carve up the carcass (of the animal, that is) and take it home for his freezer.
So I have to admit that yes, I have eaten road-kill, and actually quite enjoyed
it.
But
the type that you usually see splattered across the pavement is not that
appetizing. Yet Jesus says, unless we draw nourishment from Him, that's what
we're like: "You have no life in you." And you see this on the scale
of society when you start looking around. We call ourselves consumers, but
equally we could be called wasters, a culture of corruption. Often a
municipality's biggest headache is what to do with its waste. Wendell Berry in
the States writes: "Close inspection of our countryside would reveal,
strewn over it from one end to the other, thousands of derelict and worthless
automobiles, house trailers, refrigerators, stoves, freezers, washing machines,
and dryers, as well as thousands of unregulated dumps in hollows and sink
holes, on stream banks and roadsides, filled not only with 'disposable'
containers but also with broken toasters, television sets, toys of all kinds,
furniture, lamps, stereos, radios, scales, coffee makers, mixers, blenders,
corn poppers, hair dryers, and microwave ovens...The truth is that we
Americans, all of us, have become a kind of human trash, living our lives in
the midst of a ubiquitous damned mess of which we are at once the victims and
the perpetrators."
What's
that - "a kind of human trash"? Isn't that rather harsh? But if you
start looking around relationship-wise, you see similar eyesores, a trail of
pain caused by our insatiable hungers and selfishness. Over there, a broken
marriage. In that corner, a lonely deserted senior. Further along, a teenager
in a class at school acting out stress from an unhappy home life. Here and
there, a face set in a concrete mask trying to squelch the pain of past hurts
and let-downs. No life. Road kill of the non-material kind.
I've
always had a passing interest in Sigmund Freud because I was born 100 years to
the day after him. What was this famous psychiatrist's diagnosis of the human
condition? Despite his great insights into the human mind, Freud died at the
age of 83, a bitter and disillusioned old man who proved unable to sustain his
friendships. He wrote in 1918, "I have found little that is good about
human beings on the whole.In my experience most of them are trash..."
Jesus'
and Freud's sobering estimation is borne out when we consider the Hebrews in
Exodus 16. Despite their recent release from slavery and harsh labour in Egypt,
the whole community grumbles to Moses (16:2), "If only we had died by the
LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we
wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire
assembly to death." They value being fed more than freedom itself.
God
does a wonderful thing and provides manna for them each day. Yet even then
they're not satisfied with "enough". We read (19f), "Moses said
to them, 'No one is to keep any of it until morning.' However, some of them
paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full
of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them." They didn't
trust that God was going to come through again the next day; they clung to the
extras and hoarded, seeking to provide their own security even when God forbade
it.
Another
test came at the Sabbath. God gave them enough for two days' worth and
prevented it from going bad, so they could rest on the Sabbath as he commanded.
Yet still that wasn't good enough for some. Verse 27: "Nevertheless, some
of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none.
Then the LORD said to Moses, 'How long will you refuse to keep my commands and
my instructions?'" The people were greedy, dissatisfied, and rebelled
against God's sufficient plan. In over 3400 years, human nature hasn't changed.
We are ever-hungry, seek counterfeits and substitutes instead of God's will.
Consequently we wind up spiritually as dead meat, road kill; there is "no
life" in us.
To
our lostness, our yearning, our relational groaning for nourishment and
healing, God offers living bread in Jesus Christ. Let's turn now and talk about
something good to eat: bread. Fresh bread. Even the words kind of roll off the
tongue and start your mouth watering. What's the best kind of bread you've ever
had?
When
we lived in the outskirts of Brazzaville, the capital city of People's Republic
of Congo, one of the perks that partly made up for the isolation and insects
was the twice-weekly delivery of fresh bread from the downtown bakery. There
was a depot up our road, so on the way home from the Blind Institute at the end
of the day I would stop in and pick up half a dozen long narrow French loaves
of golden-brown white bread, so fresh it was still warm from the ovens. Did it
ever taste good! Only drawback was, next day it went hard, stale, and starchy
quite fast.
Now
in my experience there are 3 categories of bread: in ascending order -
store-bought, breadmaker, and oven-baked. Breadmaker is better than
store-bought, especially when you come down to the kitchen first thing in the
morning and smell it as it's finished baking. But nothing compares to Yvonne's
oven-baked bread. It's delectable warm from the oven with a slab of butter on
it (we've been known to go through a whole loaf right then!); yet days later it
still has its unique body and nourishment nothing can compare with.
Jesus
as "the bread of life" is the "best stuff". We're talking
more than bread here. Real estate agents say if you really want to sell a
place, arrange to have the aroma of fresh-baked bread greet those who come to
view it. This isn't just ordinary bread we're talking about; this is bread that
would sell a house! And more!
To
the crowd pursuing him, Jesus says he is the "true bread from heaven"
(32), "My flesh is real food" (55). Jesus, not Coke, is the
"real thing" that truly satisfies. He alone in the Holy Spirit can
actually minister to those deep-down desires for meaning, love, and safety
inside each one of us. Verse 35: "Jesus declared, 'I am the bread of
life.He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will
never be thirsty.'" That's his money-back guarantee on the outside of the
bread bag.
The
phrase "bread of life" can mean both that it has life in itself -
it's alive, as if it could hop from the shelf into the grocery cart; and that
it gives life to others. We put yeast in bread so it will rise up. Jesus offers
to raise us up at the last day: (40) "For my Father's will is that
everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and
I will raise him up at the last day." The Bread that's alive will raise us
to never-ending life in better bodies, transferring its own
"aliveness" to us after death.
What
do we have to do to receive all this? Go to baker's school for years to learn
how to master the art of bread-making? No; how do you come to benefit from the
goodness inside a loaf of bread? You take it and eat it! Salvation (as
Christianity understands it) is a gift to be received, not earned or laboured
for by degrees. (27) "The Son of Man will GIVE you [food that endures to
eternal life]." The crowd asked what they had to DO to do the work God
requires; Jesus replied that the only "work" required is "to
believe in the one he has sent". (29) We receive the Saviour by faith,
pure and simple. The verb tense can be rendered, "keep on believing"
- an ongoing attitude of putting your trust in Jesus, resting on his promise.
God
is such a giver. To the Hebrews
he gave deliverance from slavery, rest on the Sabbath, double bread especially
the day before so they didn't have to go out and work on the seventh day. He
said, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you." God's not stingy,
but generous. "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who
gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he
needed." God's will is for everyone who relies on him to have enough, to
not be in need. He wants to satisfy us in Jesus, physically, emotionally,
spiritually.
This
is the "secret" in the Master Bread-maker's recipe. Jesus' attitude
was different from our fallen human mindset. He was "living bread"
because as he said, (38) "I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me...[that is] that I
shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last
day." Christ wasn't focused on his own improvement, but serving others,
connecting us with God's gracious plan to save us. He looked upward, not inward. He was
"alive" bread because he drew from the Father's ever-nurturing
supply. Catch this from verse 57: "Just as the living Father sent me and I
live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of
me." He drew his own strength from another source, so had a surplus to
pass on to us. He wasn't operating from a deficit, as we do when we focus on
our problems and past injuries. In communion, as we take the bread and receive
Jesus spiritually, we draw on his investment in us at the cross, then go out
with something to share with the world. No longer trash, but a treasure,
because we know how much he valued us and was prepared to sacrifice for us.
We've
been talking about eating a lot. What's the most memorable meal you've ever
had? William Willimon asked people in a workshop on the sacraments that once.
They told of memories of meals in fancy French restaurants in Toronto, a great
little bistro they discovered on a trip to San Francisco, an elaborate
10-course extravaganza in an expensive hotel in New York. Then one man said,
"The best meal I ever had was in World War II, the morning after a night
of terrible battle. I staggered up over a hill and saw a woman from the Red
Cross in a little trailer in a muddy field. I staggered through the muck to her
trailer. She was handing out stale doughnuts and cold coffee. When she handed
me mine, she smiled. After the night I had suffered, in that place, at that
time, I'd have to say that was about the best meal I ever had."
What
made that so special? It wasn't the food itself - the doughnut was stale, the
coffee cold. What was it then? There was an awareness of the desperate need of
the soldiers. The trouble the Red Cross staff had gone through to get the
trailer there through the mud. Most of all, the grace with which the food was
given - the loving smile that accompanied it. So with communion: the bread and
juice may not appear all that special, but it's the One offering it, the pain
and trouble Jesus has gone through so our sins could be forgiven, the love with
which he invites us to refresh ourselves in Him - it's the Living Bread that
makes this bread special.
In
Congo, the bread was great when fresh, but the cheese was not. It was a white
soft greasy type flown in from France. My Canadian innards longed for some
cheese like what we had back home. One day we got a special parcel in the mail
from my parents. We opened it excitedly, and there, wrapped in saran wrap, a
little runny from flying thousands of miles and then sitting at the post office
in the tropical heat, were some slices of good ol' Canadian cheddar cheese.
What made that package so special? Not the article itself - today you'd
probably turn up your nose at it. But that cheese represented a loving,
thoughtful extended family who put themselves out to satisfy our deeper
yearnings.
This
is not just ordinary bread and juice. There is someone Very Special behind this
meal. Someone who loves you deeply, gave his life in your place to bring you to
His Heavenly Father and a caring extended spiritual family. Someone who will
give you healing and strength day by day, and raise you up at the last. We
celebrate and receive Him - Jesus - God's bread who gives life to the world.
Amen.
What
is the message behind the event of Thanksgiving? It's quite possible to take
the wrong meaning from something.
On
December 17 1903, Orville & Wilbur Wright were able to keep their
hand-built airplane in the air for nearly a minute. This was a moment that
changed history! In their excitement they immediately sent a telegram to their
sister back in Ohio. It read: "First sustained flight today in 59 seconds.
Hope to be home for Christmas." Their sister was so excited by the news
that she took the telegram to the editor of the local newspaper. But the next
morning, to her surprise, the big bold headline read: "Popular Bicycle
Merchants to be Home for Holidays!" Somebody at the newspaper office
failed to see the significance of the telegram in aviation history. They missed
the point.
We
too miss the point at Thanksgiving if we just get a warm fuzzy glow as we push
our stuffed bodies away from the table. Anybody can feel positive and thankful
when they're well fed and things are peaceful. Jesus calls us to Thanksgiving
on another level. The "rat race" pursues material pleasure and
physical satisfaction. But the Lord opens the way for us to show gratitude for
his grace whether circumstances are good or
bad.
Let's
search for the real message Jesus is getting at in Matthew 6. Four times in
this passage he urges us, "Do not worry...don't be anxious." Some
might pounce on this as meaning simply, "Don't worry...be happy." But
this is trite, a platitude, even irresponsible.
It
might seem Jesus is advising us not to work. He points out that the birds don't
sow or reap or store in barns, yet God feeds them. Likewise, the lilies don't
labour or spin, yet God clothes them even more beautifully than King Solomon.
So what can we get from this? A "hippy" Jesus, sitting around all day
smelling the flowers?
I can
just see some of you going in to your employer on Tuesday and saying,
"Pastor told me Sunday I don't have to work anymore. Jesus wants us to be
free as the birds and flowers, not harvesting or labouring. God's going to look
after me, so don't count on me to do any more work. I'll just sit here and read
my Bible." Would your employer be impressed? Would your family be
impressed when there was no more paycheque? Would God be impressed? Maybe you
might have a second thought when you read Proverbs 10:4: "Lazy hands make
a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. Or 20:4: "A sluggard does not
plow in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing."
In
the New Testament, Paul picks up the thought writing to the Thessalonians. It
seems they were so eager for the Lord's return they were whiling away the time.
Some were idle and busybodies. Paul said, "In the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is
idle...we gave you this rule: 'If a man will not work, he shall not eat.'"
(2 Thess.3:6,10) Can't get more blunt than that!
It's
the height of irresponsibility to think Jesus is saying don't work. We're
missing the point. Neither does it help those who are going through tough times
to mouth the platitude, "Don't worry...be happy." It doesn't wash.
What then is the Lord getting at?
Jesus
is calling us to re-focus our priorities. To many in the world, the "rat
race" is what's important - keeping up with the Joneses. Maintaining a
certain image; keeping up appearances. Christ summarizes this mindset with the
phrases, (31f) "`What shall we eat?' `What shall we drink?' `What shall we
wear?'...the pagans run after all these things..." Run after - chase - the
rat race. There are more important things in life, to Jesus' heart. (25) "Is
not life more important than food, and the body more important than
clothes?" He's saying, YOU are more valuable than birds or flowers, even
if your faith is small; (30) you have a Heavenly Father who knows your needs
and cares about you personally. Jesus isn't wanting us to become IRresponsible,
but rather to TAKE responsibility for those things that really matter: God's
agenda, what's valuable in God's eyes rather than in mortal eyes. The four
"don't worry's" all lead up to verse 33, the thing we need most of
all to be concerned about: "But seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
Refocus
on God's Kingdom and righteousness as priorities. How do you find out what
God's Kingdom or Program or plan for your life is? Put down the Sears
catalogue, pick up your Bible, and pray for God to show you what's most
important. Get involved in church groups with other people who are devoting
their time to the Lord's projects. Read current Christian material to balance
the news and other hype pumped into your home. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you
sort through your heart's real values. God said through Jeremiah, (9:23f)
"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his
strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast
about this: that he understands
and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and
righteousness on earth, for in these I delight."
Here's
a test for you. Bob Buford is a successful television executive. Some years ago
he had a yearly appointment with a management consultant who advises business
professionals. He listened to Bob talk for a while then said, "I can only
help you if you sort out one thing for me." He took a piece of paper and
drew a box in the middle of it. "There are 2 goals competing within you.
One is to be a success in business and make lots of profit, which you've been
doing; we'll let a dollar sign represent that. The other goal is your life as a
Christian, being fruitful for Jesus' Kingdom. We'll represent that by a cross.
This box stands for your main goal in life. I want you to decide which thing
you're going to put in the box, a dollar sign or a cross. Only then can I help
you plan your career."
After
some heart-searching, Bob Buford put a cross in the box. Since then, he has
swung into non-profit work sponsoring leadership development for Christian
churches and agencies. But he had to choose first of all whether his goal was
going to be God or mammon.
"Seek
first His kingdom and his righteousness..." What does it mean to make
righteousness a priority? The basic meaning is "straightness", action
which conforms to a norm. For relational beings like us, then, righteousness
has to do with conforming to the requirements of the relationship, both to
people and God. We're obliged to help the poor and needy, and to respond when
others have an understandable reason to call upon us. Concerning God,
righteousness implies a correct relationship to God's will as expressed by the
covenant He's made with us. Of course, by the Bible's standards, "All our
righteous acts are like filthy rags" (Is.64:6). The best person here
(viewed by God on their own merits) is way off the mark and has fallen far
short of God's plan for his or her life. By believing in Jesus, we receive
God's righteousness, are forgiven all our sin, and given a true relationship
with God. Now when the Father looks at us, He doesn't see that ugliness of past
selfish deeds any more: He sees us as having the same beautiful moral righteousness
as Jesus, we are "in Christ", washed by his blood. By the Holy
Spirit's leading, this external righteousness imputed to us through the cross
gets "worked into" us, finding expression in transformed behaviour,
new affections, and godly deeds... a life that in a new way conforms to God's
will - and so is "righteous". Pursue that; seek that first; run after
righteousness, Jesus urges.
So
instead of the rat race, we can have GRATITUDE for GRACE. Be thankful not so
much for the turkey on the rack in the oven or the whipped cream on the pumpkin
pie, but that Jesus took a whipping in your place and got strung out on a rack
on account of your sin. This grace is still ours, still the number one treasure
in our life even when hard times come our way and material comforts can't be
found.
In
Joel's time, about 800 BC, a locust swarm had ravaged the land. Pastures were
bare, fruit trees had had the bark stripped right off them. For an agricultural
economy like Judah, it spelled disaster. You can almost hear the moaning of the
cattle as they look for grass in vain. God seems to be using the hardship to
get the people's attention; Joel sees the devastation by the insects as a
forecast of God's awful day of judgment. When God has their attention, He calls
them to turn to Him: (2:12f) "Return to me with all your heart, with
fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return
to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and
abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity." God urged them
to treasure his own characteristics, his love and faithfulness, more than their
farm produce. The Lord gives them a glowing picture of greening pastures and
vats overflowing with new wine and oil, promising to repay them for the years
the locusts have eaten. But it is a promise, words they will have to trust
until it comes true. He asks them to trust that He can work wonders for them.
"Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and
that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed."
Last
year was a bumper crop year for corn in this part of southern Ontario. This
year will likely be different. With all the rain and cool temperatures, crops
are not faring so well. The corn is affected by stalk rot and prematurely
dying. Some farmers had portions of their beans flooded out. A lot of the wheat
was moldy. This won't help struggling farmers meet their bank payments.
The
weather has caused other problems for people. Flooded basements, soggy carpets,
lots of insurance calls. Time, bother, and headache. Life brings other hassles.
Joel faced locusts; this past week a wasp trying to get into the house stung a
member of our family, resulting in an eye swollen shut for several days.
Besides that, the flu has been going around. And we call this Thanksgiving?
When
we focus on God's priorities rather than earthly comfort, it doesn't seem so
bad. His grace is sufficient for the thorns we must face. (2 Cor.12:9)
Appreciating God's character and goals gives us character and gumption to cope
with struggles. Faced with upcoming devastation by an imminent Babylonian
invasion, Habakkuk testified (Hab.3:17f), "Though the fig tree does not
bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the
fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in
the stalls, yet I will rejoice in
the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior."
Earlier
in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned his followers there would be tough
times ahead due to persecution. Yet even then they could find encouragement in
their Father's reward. (5:11f) "Blessed are you when people insult you,
persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven..." Knowing
God's behind us when we pursue His plans helps us be thankful even there is no
earthly reason.
I'd
like to close with a story about grace. Called "Baby Erik and the Old
Man", it was forwarded by email to us, originally from the website
"daily-blessings.com". Though it's set more towards Christmastime, I
feel it can help us to a better Thanksgiving.
--------------------
We
were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high
chair and noticed everyone was quietly eating and talking. Suddenly, Erik
squealed with glee and said, "Hi there." He pounded his fat baby
hands on the highchair tray. His eyes were wide with excitement and his mouth
was bared in a toothless grin. He wriggled and giggled with merriment. I looked
round and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man with a tattered rag of
a coat; dirty, greasy and worn. His pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast
and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was
uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his
nose was so varicose it looked like a road map. We were too far from him to
smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists.
"Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster," the man said
to Erik. My husband and I exchanged looks,
"What do we do?" Erik continued to laugh and answer "Hi,
hi there." Everyone in the
restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was
creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby.
Our
meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, "Do ya know
patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo."
Nobody thought the old man was cute; he was obviously drunk. My husband and I
were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running
through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated
with his cute comments.
We
finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay
the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised
between me and the door. "Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks
to me or Erik," I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back
trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik
leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's "pick-me-up"
position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to
the man's. Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated
their love relationship.
Erik
in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the
man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes
closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands -- full of
grime, pain, and hard labor -- gently, so gently, cradled my baby's bottom and
stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a
time. I stood awestruck. The old man
rocked and cradled Erik in his arms for a moment, and then his eyes opened and
set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, "You take care
of this baby." Somehow I managed, "I will," from a throat that
contained a stone. He pried Erik from his chest-unwillingly, longingly, as
though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, "God bless
you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift." I said nothing more than a
muttered thanks.
With
Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying
and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, "My God, my God,
forgive me." I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the
innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw
a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was
blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking -- "Are you
willing to share your son for a moment?" -- when He shared His for all
eternity. The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, "To enter the
Kingdom of God, we must become as little children."
--------------------
Wow!
What grace is in that story. See the birds; consider the lilies; see the
innocent baby; consider the bum in rags. That was how objectionable we must
have seemed to a perfect, holy God. Yet He reached out to us in sinless Jesus
and draws us to Himself when we respond in faith. Give up the chase today; let
the rat race carry on without you. Your heavenly Father knows your need, and
has worked wonders for you. Choose Jesus -- and the rest will be given to you
as well. Let us pray.
Times
change...that's why a wave of nostalgia sweeps over a person when you revisit
old familiar haunts. It's good to be back here: this church and town hold
significant memories for me, having grown up in the neighbourhood. Why, it's 36
years ago now since I first stood in this very place and sang a boy's solo in
the Mitchell Music Festival. "The moo cow moo has a tail like rope, and it's
ravelled up where it grows." During
my growing-up years I groomed and led a 4H calf in the calf club competition at
Mitchell Fair - I seem to recall one Blythe Lannin was a leader. Ern Harley
taught me vocal music at Upper Thames (I was in the first grade 8 class there)
and on the side gave me some lessons on the big bass viol. Sorry, I've opted
for a smaller version since then, the guitar!
After
graduating from MDHS, I spent several years away from here, going to
agricultural college then a 2-year stint in Africa as a missionary but then
felt God's call to the pastorate, to "work for the food that endures"
in connection with God's Word rather than simply feeding people "by bread
alone". I came back to Main Street as a Staff Associate, now with a growing
family, from 84-86 during my seminary years. Those I taught in Confirmation
Class are now raising their own children. I still have fond memories of my time
here, and especially my Lay Training Committee who helped me get started on the
right foot in ministry with lots of moral support.
Anniversary
Sunday is a time to stop and look back; to get our noses out of the
week-to-week routine of church life for a moment, and regain perspective. Are
we headed in the right direction? Do we remember our original mission? Just
what are we doing this all for, anyway? And what changes do we need to make to
stay relevant to society yet faithful to Christian tradition? Times change;
people change; need we change our tune with the changing times?
Yes,
we do. To some degree. Jesus kept on rocking the boat in his day, and I don't
mean in storms on Lake Galilee. He regularly challenged the tradition-bound
religious establishment. In Mark 2 we find him astonishing the teachers of the
law by forgiving a paralytic, which they thought blasphemous. Later in the same
chapter he is criticized for not fasting along with John's disciples and the
Pharisees. Again, he rejects criticism from the Pharisees for picking heads of
grain on the Sabbath. When Jesus heals a man with a shriveled hand on the
Sabbath, this ticks off the Pharisees so much they begin to plot with the
Herodians how they might kill him. (3:6)
The
next run-in occurs in the passage we read today from Mark 7. The religious
vigilantes get on Jesus' back saying, "Why don't your disciples live
according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with
'unclean' hands?" Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah to suggest that the
"traditions" they hold so precious are "but rules taught by men."
Jesus was not recommending poor sanitation, just that not everything needs to
be turned into a big ceremony for the sake of thinking yourself more religious.
"Their hearts are far from me; they worship me in vain," God said.
Our Lord was stressing that inward attitude is far more important than outward
show. It's not a matter of whether you use Palmolive or Sunlight detergent on
your salad bowl, but whether you've let God wash your soul til it shines.
Churches
do need to keep re-examining the practices they have come to accept over the
years. Not every tradition is sacrosanct; innovations can bring new life to
worship and outreach. Martin Luther and the Wesleys adapted common street-songs
of the day to be used in worship. While preserving our most meaningful old
hymns, we do need to change archaic tunes in this regard, or our culture will
"tune us out". A hundred years ago the big debate in Presbyterian
churches was whether organs should be allowed. Nowadays the debate is whether
to allow drums in the sanctuary; big money is spent on laptops, LCD projectors,
screens and sound equipment rather than investing in new pipe organs.
Here
at Main Street you have already begun a contemporary service alongside a more
traditional one. Churches experiment nowadays with worship bands in lieu of
choirs, relaxed ushering and order rather than formal. Our own church in Blyth
shared summer services with the Church of God, where each Sunday people are
welcome to stand and share a prayer request or testimony of what God's been
doing in their lives. We tried this recently in our own Thanksgiving service,
and it was a very meaningful part of the worship. Several in our congregation
are enthusiastic about our locally-manufactured songbook (yes, it's copyright
legal) which has many contemporary praise songs, mostly from the late 90's. As
we enter the 21st century, many of these changes are good for us.
But
God does not advise us to change our tune completely, even if times do change.
We run the risk of distorting our tune to the point that we abandon our songwriter
and central theme, our main melody. Jesus told his critics, "You have let go of the commands of God and are
holding on to the traditions of men...You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in
order to observe your own traditions!" (7:8f) And in case they still
didn't get it he said a third time (7:13): "You nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have
handed down."
The
language we use in the Christian church does need to change so that culture
does not take offence unnecessarily. English as a spoken tongue has changed
greatly since 1611, so fewer churches today use the King James version of the
Bible. (though I admit Psalms 23 and 121 somehow don't have the same
"ring" in any other version!) If Jesus had been born the same year as
me he would quite possibly say "It's what comes out of a person that
defiles" rather than "What comes out of a man is what makes him
unclean" (7:20 NRSV vs.NIV), and Paul would probably address his letters
to "Brothers and sisters" rather than just "Brothers" as in
the Greek custom of the day. References to God are more complex. We do need to
be sensitive when talking with people for whom male imagery for God might carry
mixed messages due to past abuse, or if we imply in any way that to be male is
superior, which is untrue (Gal.3:28). But for me, continuing Jesus' and the
Bible's tradition of calling God "Father" and using male pronouns
helps keep God personal, rather
than morphing the Trinity into some kind of divine neutered "IT".
At
the same time, we need to run the risk of being politically incorrect in
today's society by not denying the uniqueness of gender. Though neither is
superior or more valuable, God did create us "XX" or "XY"
in every cell of our body for a reason. This has to do with different roles or
functions. We understand from Scripture that God will primarily hold the man in
a family responsible; he is called to take up his role as "sacrificial
leader" to his wife, family priest, the one God expects to train up his
children in the "nurture and admonition" of the Lord. Dads, you can't
farm this job out to anyone, not your wife or the Sunday School. God's looking
to you to teach the next generation how to have a daily walk with Him and
develop a Christian worldview, counter to "the tube".
Society
tries to get the church to change its tune to what makes it comfortable. That
would be to nullify God's word, to set it aside and accept human traditions
instead, which Jesus warns against. Then the church would have nothing to say
to culture; it would lose God's redemptive message. We see this doctrinal
"creep" in the decisions of our highest church court over the last
dozen years concerning our most powerful human drive, that of sexuality. In
1988 the verdict about who could become a member was specifically
"orientation", not necessarily sexual action. In August General
Council went much further, deciding to bless homosexual
"partnerships" and renounce its 1960 position that homosexuality is a
sin. At stake is not just our healing outreach toward 2-4% of the population,
but more important, whether we will be Scriptural in our approach to any moral
issue. The enemy's ploy is to get us to doubt God's word; the serpent hisses,
"Did God REALLY SAY...?" (Gen.3:3) The trick is to get us thinking we
know better than our Creator.
Politically
incorrect as it may be, according to Jesus certain things are still right or
wrong. Certain behaviours are not "gifts" in the diversity of
creation, but sinful actions. As he said, "Out of people's hearts come evil
thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed...All these evils
come from inside and make a person `unclean.'" (7:21-23) He calls his
disciples to a higher standard, God's intention. And that is where the tune of
Scripture comes in, like a piano tuner's A440 tuning fork. God's written
word in Scripture, interpreted by the Holy Spirit in the love and righteousness
of Jesus, is our central reference point. As Paul wrote to Timothy,
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking,
correcting and training in righteousness..." (3:16)
Time
passes. Keith, our second child of 4, is now in his final year of high school.
Recently he wrote to the moderator sharing his disagreement with General
Council's actions. He writes of a classmate in high school who noted the
previous moderator's unorthodox comments about Christ and concluded, "Why
should he become a Christian if the church was not even sure of what they
believe". Keith comments, "The outside world, especially young
people, are constantly examining Christians and the church for any sign of
hypocrisy or incongruity to support their beliefs that Christianity is
false." They are watching whether we get off-tune.
At a
2-week conference on Christian worldview in Alberta this past summer, Keith and
others went into the streets to find out just what people do believe today. He
writes: "I was shocked to come to the realization how many people had
never seemed to actually think about it before, or were completely unsure of
what to say in answering the deeper questions in life. The youth were particularly ignorant. They have been fed a diet of lies from the
media; no longer do they trust science for their answers, and they are
convinced that the church is synonymous with the word hypocrisy. Their lack of hope to ever find truth was
obvious when my friend and I asked one youth, 'What gives you meaning in life?'
His answer: 'My bike.' This is the sad state to which it has come, that youth
are despairing to ever find an answer to the fundamental questions of
life. Yet," (Keith adds) "I
believe that Christianity has hope to offer them, the substance in the Word of
God to explain or give a reason for every question they could ask. But in order to hand out this life-giving
Word, we as the Body of Christ must come together, united, and believe and act
on what it says in every aspect of life."
Recently
a young couple told me how concerned they are to find the best church home for
their future children. They foresee that as the years go on, to be a Christian
will become more and more counter-cultural at school, and they want a church
family that will affirm the Biblical worldview they present at home...a church
which reassures their children that, relative to the Christian mainstream
through the centuries, they're "normal" - however "weird"
they may be in the world's eyes. Paul prophesied that "everyone who wants
to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted"; yet, as we read
earlier, the time is coming when church folk "will not put up with sound
doctrine" but "gather around them a great number of teachers to say
what their itching ears want to hear.They will turn their ears away from the
truth and turn aside to myths." (3:12;4:3f) This couple doesn't want that
kind of church for their kids!
Changing
times...shall we change our tune? Yes, in non-critical areas like worship
music, style, or Bible version; No, in essential areas such as God's personhood
and His call to moral purity. What IS our "theme song" again? What
tune is going to help us keep on track and not get derailed into ceremonious
washing of hands, pots, and pans? Jesus said, "It is what comes out of a
person that defiles...it is from within, from the human heart, that evil
intentions come..." God's concern is that we wash our hearts, not just our
hands. SIN is the central human problem. All over the planet, people's felt
hurts indicate deeper guilt resulting from sinful thoughts and behaviour, their
own, and others. If sin is the problem, what is the cure? 2Tim.3:15: "The
holy Scriptures...are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." SIN/SAVE...now
we're getting close. What was the angel's tune at Jesus' birth? What was it the
heavenly messenger told Joseph? "You are to give him the name Jesus, because
he will SAVE his people from their SINS." That's it! The church's theme
song! The angel's theme at his birth becomes our tune through the centuries.
Jesus saves us from our sins.
And
if you doubt that, listen to Jesus' own "swan song" at the Last Supper.
Matthew records that Jesus lifted the cup and said, "This is my blood of
the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."
Our tune in a nutshell, or rather, a cupful.
One
church that sings a lot of new tunes is the Brooklyn Tabernacle. 25 years ago
it had a congregation of 20; today, more than 6,000. It's home to the
Grammy-award winning Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. Its pastor Jim Cymbala writes:
"One of our soloists recently went to sing in a church and was told in
advance, 'We want to ask you not to sing any song that mentions the blood of
Christ. People feel uncomfortable with that, and our goal here is to be
user-friendly.'"
The
pastor comments, "The message of the cross will always be foolishness to
some, a stumbling block to others. But if our attention is on the market
reaction, we move away from the power of the gospel. This fearfulness to talk
about the blood of Christ is an overreaction. Worse than that, it borders on
heresy, distorting and deflating the power of the Good News.
"What
has become of standing unashamed for the gospel of Christ? No one is smarter
than God. When he says to do his work in his way, we can be assured that he
will produce his results for his glory. We don't need to get 'creative' on him.
God knows exactly what we need to do and expects us to trust and obey him in
childlike simplicity."
Whatever
the time, whatever changes come, may our Lord Jesus help us to keep singing his
tune. The song of his marvelous loving sacrifice that saves and washes us from
our uncleanness. Any other tune is off key! Let us pray.
Control
is something that, once you have it, you don't want to lose it.
The
federal liberals have been getting ready for an election. Their popularity is
at a peak, the polls are the highest they've been in 7 years. Premier Brian
Tobin of Newfoundland has agreed to resign in order to become minister of
industry in the federal cabinet. And Finance Minister Paul Martin has revealed
some economic election "goodies", including tax cuts and ideas on how
to use a projected surplus of $17 billion. This pre-election maneuvering
shouldn't surprise us in a democracy: any ruling party likes to stay in power.
It's fun being in control.
And
it can be terrifying when you're out of control. This summer coming back from
our camping trip in Manitoba, it rained heavily most of the way from the border
to Lake Superior. My front tires had been getting pretty worn. Several times I
was shocked to feel the steering no longer seem connected: we were hydroplaning
on a thin layer of water, out of control at full speed. Scary! Since then I've
junked those tires and am now ready for anything with snow tires that have lots
of tread on the front of the minivan.
Much
of our life is "beyond our control", if we will admit it. Health, for
example. We can do things to promote our health, but we can't control it. At a
funeral this week, Don Vair spoke of a man who one day received a clean bill of
health from his doctor, but later that same day, died from a heart attack. The
services we depend on such as hydro, water, and other utilities are beyond our
control, as tragedies like Walkerton and the ice storm have shown. And who can
pretend to be in control of all one's relationships, obligations, or
interruptions? We can't control how our words or body language will be
interpreted by another person. Have you ever had a day where you didn't
accomplish a single thing of what you set out to do? There's a popular saying
in evangelistic booklets, "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your
life." Someone has revised that to say, "God loves you and EVERYBODY
ELSE has a plan for your life." Some days, it sure seems like it.
"Help!" we cry, "things are out of control! It's too much - I'm
going crazy!"
At
such moments, God's assurance to us in Scripture is that HE is in control.
Article 3 of our United Church Basis of Union - "Of the Divine
Purpose", one of the shortest articles, just one sentence - packs a punch
when it puts it this way: "We believe that the eternal, wise, holy and
loving purpose of God so embraces all events that, while the freedom of man is
not taken away, nor is God the author of sin, yet in His providence He makes
all things work together in the fulfillment of His sovereign design and the
manifestation of His glory."
Let's
take that apart, phrase by phrase. "We believe that the eternal, wise,
holy and loving purpose of God so embraces all events..." God has an
overarching purpose for us, His creatures. First question in our United Church
catechism is, "What is it that gives meaning to our life?" (answer)
"It is God's high purpose that gives meaning to our life." God
has a reason, an objective, a purpose for us to be here. Ephesians 1:11 says we
were "predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in
conformity with the purpose of
his will..."
Article
3 goes on to say, "the freedom of man is not taken away, nor is God the
author of sin..." Here we run up smack against a mystery: how God's
sovereignty co-exists alongside human freedom. We're not puppets on strings.
That would take away our responsibility so that we could blame everything on
other forces. But part of our being created in God's image is having freedom of
choice. Being free to not choose the forbidden fruit was a means by which we
could show our love for our Creator.
God
is not a monster in disguise, arbitrarily hurling thunderbolts and getting
jollies out of watching mere mortals dance and suffer. That's more of a Greek
notion. James says, (1:13f) "When tempted, no one should say, "God is
tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;
but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and
enticed." We are free, evil is not God's doing; how this is true alongside
God's sovereign control is a mystery.
Chuck
Swindoll warns us against trying to "unscrew the inscrutable" when it
comes to the mystery of God's sovereignty. In the Living Insights Study Bible
he notes: "This has to do with the plan of God. Certainly God is in
control of all things; yet, even though He is perfectly holy, sin is alive and
thriving in this world. God permits it; He allows it. Without being
contaminated by sin, our holy God is working out His plan. If you want to
engage in a futile study, try to reconcile those inescapable realities.
Seriously, quit trying to reconcile them! Accept the reality of His
sovereignty, His power and authority over all things; take that reality by
faith!"
The
last part of Article 3 says: "in His providence He makes all things work
together in the fulfillment of His sovereign design and the manifestation of
His glory." Providence comes from the words meaning "to see
ahead"; foresight, making provision before the fact. Somehow, no matter
what happens, God is able to make good come out of human foolishness and
misery. As counsellor John Regier put it, "God doesn't waste pain."
The trials that we go through strengthen us to be able to help others who are
going through similar trials. Paul said in Romans 8:28 (which is well worth
memorizing): "We know that in all things God works for the good of those
who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." This side of
heaven we only see the knots and loose threads of the tapestry; in heaven we
shall come to understand how God worked the silver and gold threads of our
hardships together into a beautiful work of art. God loves his children, those
who trust in His Son; his purpose is to grow us into Jesus' likeness. We are "heirs
of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order
that we may also share in his glory." God's goal is not to produce our
comfort, but His character in us.
It is
a "sovereign design": God is our sovereign, our "despot"
(the literal Greek word the believers use in Acts 4:24). Despite everything
that happens, in the end somehow it's going to "all come out in the
wash" for the manifestation, the showing of his glory, the beauty of His
character, the radiance of God's attributes and qualities. Paul bursts out in
praise in his letter to the Romans (11:36), "For from him and through him
and to him are all things.To him be the glory forever! Amen."
For
an example of God's sovereign control applied in an encouraging way to
Christians in need, take a look at Acts 4. First we see the PROBLEM: Peter and
John are in trouble. The "powers that be" had warned them not to
speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. The Sanhedrin was serious: next
time we see the apostles jailed and flogged. These were the rulers who recently
had crucified the Master. Though Peter and John courageously said they had to
obey God rather than human authority, inwardly they must have been shaken, and
no doubt shared their apprehension with the other believers.
After
the PROBLEM, the believers turn to PRAYER (24). Prayer should be our first
response instead of our last resort. They praise God's sovereignty, and recall
a Psalm which seems to fit - the kings of the earth and rulers gathering
together against God's forces. Their PRAYER is aided by God's promises in
Scripture.
Next
they acknowledge God's marvelous PLAN - He is in control! And if you want an
illustration of God making good come from evil, what better example could you
pick than the rigged trial and execution of the most sinless person who ever
lived? Yet God took that horrible crime and managed to bring eternal life for
multitudes from it. (27-28) "Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together
with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against
your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and
will" (literally, your "hand" and your "plan")
"had decided beforehand should happen." It was fore-ordained,
predestined. It's not that God decreed the villains should do this (their will
was free), but that they did what God had decreed should be done. His counsel
was guiding events behind the scenes so Old Testament prophecy from centuries
before would be fulfilled with astonishing accuracy.
Only
after that groundwork do we come to their actual PETITION (29f): they ask God
to help them speak with "great boldness" and to perform healings and
miraculous signs. They're not backing down - they're ready to go for broke.
They see their problem, their need, not as an obstacle but as giving God room
to work. Their own resources are inadequate; God's are not.
The
response gets really exciting. We see the Lord's POWER AND PROVISION (31-33):
the room is shaken, possibly by a divinely-timed earth tremor. Filled with the
Holy Spirit, they speak the word of God boldly. "Let's go get 'em!"
is their attitude; all the fear that was there before is shaken off. And
suddenly they discover their earthly resources are broadened because they don't
hold tightly to their individual possessions any more. They become "one in
heart and mind", sharing everything. All those thousands of Jews from
abroad that had become Christians at Pentecost needed to be instructed, and
housed; the church discovered by God's empowerment it was equal to this great
emergency. God's power and provision were at their full disposal
when they carried out His PLAN.
Who's
in control? God is. And if God's in control, there are some important
corollaries, things we can be sure of as a result of that.
First,
if God is in control...I don't need to be afraid any more, since I'm trusting
Him. Lately I've been reading through the beginning of Psalms and noting how
God gives the writer reassurance despite an abundance of enemies. People are
out to get him, but: (Ps.9:7-10) "The LORD reigns forever; he has
established his throne for judgment. He
will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with
justice. The LORD is a refuge for the
oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never
forsaken those who seek you." Again, in chapter 10 we read (16-18):
"The LORD is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his
land. You hear, O LORD, the desire of
the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the
fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may
terrify no more." If God's in control, I don't need to be afraid any more,
because I'm trusting in Him.
Second
corollary: If God's in control, I'm NOT -- and that's a good thing. Deep down
inside the fallen part of each one of us is a little being who wants to be
Fuhrer and make life intolerable for everybody else. The temptation is bad
enough being a pastor in a congregation; I can't imagine what it would be like
to be Prime Minister, or President of the States. "Power corrupts; and
absolute power corrupts absolutely." This is why we all need to be
accountable to somebody (even General Council), lest we get carried away and
start abusing the power entrusted to us. Jim Jones headed a church which went
to British Guyana and ended up destroying many lives. Proverbs 16:18 says,
"Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall."
If God's in control, I'm NOT, and that's a good thing.
Last,
If God's really in control...we'd better start praying more! It's the
believers' response in the same breath in Acts 4:24: "When they heard
this" (the threat, the problem) "they raised their voices together in
prayer to God." What - no committee meetings? No polls? No fundraising
drives? No pickets of Sanhedrin headquarters? Nope; their first inclination was
to pray. They knew where they needed to turn for real help.
Control...what
if becoming Canada's ruling party were too small a thing? How'd you like to be
Emperor of the Known World back in 565 BC? Not just a country, but groups of
countries are at your beck and call. Your architectural works are classed among
the seven wonders of the world. Quite a head trip, huh? Everything you could
possibly want is right at your fingertips, because everyone's under your thumb!
But
an amazing thing happened to Nebuchadnezzar. God warned him in a dream that he
would be set aside for a period just as a tree is cut down. A year after Daniel
interpreted the dream, it came true. The world's greatest, most powerful man,
learned that God is sovereign. I'd like to close today with Chuck Swindoll's
comments on Daniel 4.
"In
great arrogance the king lived as though he needed no one else. Full of
conceit, he strutted around the kingdom with his thumbs under his suspenders,
saying, 'How great I am. How wonderful I am. Look at this kingdom I've built.
What a magnificent person I have become. Everybody, together, say it with me
again and again: Nebuchadnezzar...' Then, very suddenly, he lost his mind. This
once-powerful and arrogant king was reduced to a wild beast, living out in the
field day and night. What a terrible, insane existence! I can't fully explain
my next statement. I can only tell you it's often been proven true: For some people
it takes a temporary period of insanity to come to the end of themselves and to
find God. That's the way it was with Nebuchadnezzar. Not all breakdowns are the
end of a person's life. Sometimes they are the beginning, which means we should
perhaps call them break-UPS. One day the Nebuchadnezzar-beast paused in the
middle of his grazing and looked up toward heaven. A shaft of light broke
through the darkened mind; his sanity was restored, and he proceeded to praise,
exalt, honour and glorify Almighty God. He discovered God, and he found a new
way to interpret his world. Not unlike the lost son who at last came to his
senses (Luke 15:17), Nebuchadnezzar saw EVERYTHING with new eyes...including
his own need for the Lord God.
"When
you take hold of the knowledge of God and begin to see that He is in charge,
you won't panic every time you read the newspaper. You won't give up hope
because an earthquake somewhere sent buildings toppling. You won't live in fear
of terrorism or possible disease. In fact, you'll be able to sing your way
through the front page, the business section, the editorial page...even the
sports page! Why? Because you know the God who is in control of all things.
"People
have this weird idea that God is gingerly sitting on the edge of heaven going,
'Ooh! Oh, no! How am I going to handle all this? HELLLPPPP!' My friend, that's
NOT the God of the Scriptures. That isn't the living God who holds everything
in His hands. He may be invisible, but He is most assuredly in touch. You may
not be able to see Him or hear Him, but He is in control of everything. Yes,
EVERYTHING! And that includes you - and your circumstances. That includes all
of life...past, present, future...
"So
take heart: Things aren't out of hand! Our God is in control. He can handle it.
And what's more, he can handle you. He knows you thoroughly...He even knows the
number of the hairs on your head (Matt.10:30). He's got everything wired! He's
got it all together! He is the sovereign God of the universe and He's never
once lost control. He strengthens and He sustains His people. Those who know
their God operate in such a context of confidence that they can face WHATEVER
may come their way."
Let
us pray.
"...Do
not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand
years, and a thousand years are like a day." (2 Pet.3:8) For us mortals,
though, time is precious. We don't have all eternity at our disposal like the Lord
does (not in this earthly life, anyway). With the change back to standard time
last night we had an "extra" hour at our disposal. What did you do
with your hour? Did you stay up later, stay in bed longer, or get up earlier?
Maybe you used that extra hour to read a book, watch a show, or visit on the
phone with a friend. What we do with our time reveals what's truly important to
us in life.
Time
and money are both valuable; "stewardship" has to do with how we
manage what God's entrusted to us. This week I'd like to focus on stewardship
of time, our life and the gift of our abilities, how "love"
translates into what we do. In two weeks we'll look at stewardship of financial
resources.
Money
is run after by humans, but there's something that's much more valuable to God
than our money. The teacher of the law said to Jesus, "To love him with all your heart, with all
your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as
yourself is more important than
all burnt offerings and sacrifices." (Mk.12:33) God doesn't need our money
-- all the wealth of the world is at his disposal; God wants US! Our love, to
make him priority and precious in our life. Stewardship of our time and life
begins with looking at this "greatest commandment" and understanding
how it relates to various aspects of our life.
"Love
the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
mind and with all your strength.’ ...‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is
no commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:30-31) What does it mean to
love God in these ways? This past week I had to replace an element in the
electric water heater at the manse. Keeping hot in our devotion to God can be
compared to what's needed to have hot water.
First,
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart." The "heart"
refers to our affections, emotions, appetites, passions. We love God with our
capacity to want and feel.
The
Bible contrasts the "heart of stone" with the "heart of
flesh" (Ezek.36:26). Our fallen nature is such that we are "born with
the bents", our heart is warped and injured as we grow so that our
capacity to love gets seriously damaged. This is like the burnt-out
water-heater element that won't work any more. It may be short-circuiting and
throwing the breaker, it can't operate the way it was designed to.
Paul
writes in Romans 3, "All have turned away, they have together become
worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." (Romans 3:12)
This is quoting Psalm 14, which uses the word "corrupt" - kaput,
spoiled, junk like the faulty element. So are we apart from God's restoration.
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." (Romans
3:23) Before we can love as we were designed to do, we need the Lord's healing
touch.
How
do you get that? When our water heater went on the blink, I called a local
plumber on the phone. His advice was great to have! He knew water heaters and
was able to tell me exactly what to look for and what to do about it in terms
of getting a replacement part. You can tell such a person has had a lot to do
with the subject over the years; he offered expert advice. Like God, this
helper remained invisible, but the counsel was wise, and even free!
So
when we become aware of our heart's need, we can call out to God for help.
Romans 10 says, "For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile— the
same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for,
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans
10:12-13) Loving God with our heart has a lot to do with prayer. If you love
someone, you will want to talk and share with them, spend time privately
together. Love doesn't have to say much; just BEING with the other person can
bring joy to a lover. So the first step to a powerful connection with God
begins with prayer.
I
called around and found the new element was available at a store in Wingham.
Keith was driving in to Madill anyway, so I asked my son to pick it up for me
that afternoon. Since it was for the manse, we arranged for it to be billed to
the Church. Now, if you want to push the analogy a bit: God the Father sent the
Son, Jesus, to obtain this new "heart" for us. Our sins were charged
to Christ's account, so our new "being" comes completely free - he
paid it all. That's what the Incarnation and Crucifixion were all about.
Second,
"Love God with all your soul." The soul is the centre of our desires,
aversions, our will, commitments and priorities. It's the part of you that
makes decisions and actually commits to a person or a course of action.
At
the top of the water heater is a little red button where the wires from the
electrical panel enter the heater. It's called the "E.C.O." or Energy
Cut Off. If something goes wrong and the water overheats, this little switch
throws a breaker which cuts off the power. In order to reset the breaker I had
to "just push the red button". This was the determining action which
would restore power to the element after I installed the new one.
It is
our soul which "pushes the button" of commitment to Christ - or an
idol. John 1:12 says, "To all who received him, who believed in his name,
he gave the power to become children of God..." (NRSV) Jesus gives POWER
when we make the decision to receive and trust in him. The little red button on
the heater says "reset": salvation requires us to reset our
attitudes, our beliefs, our values, to let God be God and Jesus take control as
our Lord.
In
the parlour downstairs is the painting of Jesus knocking at the door of our
heart. The verse says, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If
anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and
he with me. (Revelation 3:20) But you've got to open the door, an action of
trust. Jesus said in John 5:24, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my
word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned;
he has crossed over from death to life." (John 5:24) The decision to
believe the Good News is an act of loving God with our soul; in his eyes we
have already "crossed over", made connection with his eternal Spirit;
death then causes us nothing to fear. The button has been pushed, the power
flows through your system.
If
loving God with our heart involves prayer, loving God with our soul involves
our decisions about our actions. The decision what to do with the extra hour
revealed something about your priorities. What would a look at your calendar,
your datebook, your daily time log show about your commitments? Do you make
Jesus and his mission a priority in your personal scheduling? Create some space
for daily devotions, for small group fellowship, for renewing retreats. In our
busy culture, we're always being forced to make choices about how to spend our
time. Dare to be different, to become great in soul, to put time with God first
on your agenda. He'll transform your character if you give him opportunity. Go
ahead - push the button.
Third,
"Love God with all your mind" - your thoughts, understanding,
imagination...what informs you and makes impressions in your brain.
The
most "logical" part of a water heater is the thermostat. It's a
little black box that's pressed up against the side of the water tank. It
measures the temperature of the water compared to the setting on the dial and
makes or breaks the circuit supplying power to the heating element. So our mind
is always absorbing information about our world around us, providing us with
raw material to use in making decisions. The manually-set dial and water
temperature form the frame of reference for a thermostat; what we take into our
mind forms the frame of reference we use
to create a meaningful worldview and make plans.
What's
your dial setting? For the Christian, God's Word is our permanent frame of
reference. Paul advised Timothy, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is
useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness..."(2 Timothy 3:16) The Biblical worldview is quite
different from that of a culture which ignores God. "Do not conform any
longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is— his good,
pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2) Through the media, what other
people say, and the enemy's intrusive suggestions, we will always be tempted to
conduct ourselves according to the world's standard rather than God's standard.
In
two weeks we will be privileged to hear from Kirk Durston, a very sharp
debater/lecturer with the New Scholars Society. I emailed him sharing my
disappointment with the national church's unbiblical decisions about sexuality.
He responded: "I have noticed a trend among post modern religious people
who hold to a form of Christianity. To wit: How we interpret the Scriptures
must be consistent with the current moral intuitions of our society. Therefore,
if the Bible appears to be saying something that offends the current moral
sensibilities of society, then surely we have misinterpreted the Scriptures.
The solution is to 're-examine' the offending passages and come up with an
interpretation that is not offensive to current secular thinking.
"There
is a fundamental problem with this approach; it makes the current moral
intuitions of society the presiding authority over Scripture. In other words,
it is Scripture that must conform to society, not society to the Scripture. To
me, this is sheer human arrogance and pride."
If we
love God with our mind, we will apply ourselves to learn God's viewpoint on
moral issues. Many Christians get deceived by the enemy's messages because they
haven't developed the habit of daily Bible reading. The apostle Peter urged,
"Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may
grow up in your salvation.." (1 Peter 2:2) The "milk" he's
referring to has to do with the "living and enduring word of God"
mentioned just a few verses earlier. Soaking our mind periodically in Scripture
is SO important for spiritual growth. You've heard of the old computer
programming principle GIGO: "Garbage in - garbage out"? It applies as
well to the processor on top of our shoulders. Be familiar with God's thoughts
so you can spot the flaws in the world's very vivid messages, whether on video
or elsewhere. Love God with your mind, your thoughts, your imagination.
Fourth,
"Love God with all your strength." God created us body-soul units,
not just floating spirits. Jesus calls us to love the Father with our physical
nature - our force, power, ability.
In
our 40-gallon water heater, there are two heating elements, designed to work in
tandem: first the top element, then the bottom kicks in. I'm told you can
manage for a short time with just the top element: you'll get 10 gallons of hot
water, then that's it. Lukewarm...cold. The effectiveness of the heater is
really limited when both elements aren't working together. To me, that's like
people who are "Sunday" Christians: they're not serving God with
their whole strength, and "cool off" by Monday.
Jesus
warned the church of Laodicea that their coolness bothered him. "I know
your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or
the other! So, because you are lukewarm—
neither hot nor cold— I am about to spit you out of my mouth." (Revelation
3:15-16) Literally, he'd "vomit" them up - like a tepid cup of tea.
Staying
"hot" in our relationship with God involves loving him with our
strength, our abilities, our personal and spiritual gifts. They're given us to
be used. Paul told the church at Rome, "We have different gifts, according
to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is ...encouraging, let him encourage; if
it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is
leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it
cheerfully." (Romans 12:6-8) Did you catch something there YOU can do? He
adds, "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." (Romans
12:11) Our "zeal" is coupled with "serving". The word
"fervor" literally means "to boil with heat" (as for
water). Being hot for God means our zeal, our eagerness to please Him, keeps us
"boiling" in a spiritual sense.
There
are all kinds of ways the gift of your strength, your abilities, can be used in
showing love for God, in church and out of it. When our annual meeting rolls
around, we will be needing dedicated elders and other leaders to replace those
who've completed their term, especially in view of big decisions to be made. We
need Sunday School teachers and helpers; caring folk for our visitation team to
shut-ins and nursing homes; very practical help such as catering for funerals.
Another
way to love God with your "strength" is by fasting, in conjunction
with prayer. Occasional fasting, if you're able, tells God He's at least as
important to you as regular meals. A very physical form of love.
Last,
Jesus added, "Love your neighbour as yourself." The water heater,
once it's warmed up, seeks an outlet, it has something to GIVE. When we love
God, we come to share his concern, his desire to bless others in our world who
so desperately need Him. Then if our neighbour has a real need, our attitude is
no longer, "What is the least I can get away with?" but instead we
seek to discover the joy of helping with another's need.
Sometimes
things get in the way of loving our neighbour. In the water heater, I needed to
scoop pounds of lime deposits away from the bottom of the tank. These were
piling up and interfering with water circulation and heating. The parallel in
our personal relations is the "crud" that results from hurts,
betrayals, gossiping, and other sins. A key aspect of loving others is
forgiveness. Jesus said immediately following the Lord's Prayer, "...if
you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your
trespasses." (Matthew 6:15 NRSV) Don't let grudges build up. Forgive as
God in Christ has forgiven you. (That's an order!) Even a quote in the Reader's
Digest says: "Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other
person to die."
The
job of a heater is to pass on its heat. Pure love, hot love, loses oneself in
benefitting the beloved. Dale Galloway tells this story:
Little
Chad was a shy, quiet young fellow. One day he came home and told his mother
he'd like to make a valentine for everyone in his class. Her heart sank. She
thought, "I wish he wouldn't do that!" because she had watched the
children when they walked home from school. Her Chad was always behind them.
They laughed and hung on to each other and talked to each other. But Chad was
never included. Nevertheless, she decided she would go along with her son. So
she purchased the paper and glue and crayons. For 3 whole weeks, night after
night, Chad painstakingly made 35 valentines.
Valentine's
Day dawned and Chad was beside himself with excitement! He carefully stacked
them up, put them in a bag, and bolted out the door. His mom decided to bake
him his favourite cookies and serve them up warm and nice with a cool glass of
milk when he came home from school. She just knew he'd be disappointed; maybe
that would ease the pain a little. It hurt her to think that he wouldn't get
many valentines -- maybe none at all.
That
afternoon she had the cookies and milk out on the table. When she heard the
children outside she looked out the window. Sure enough, here they came,
laughing and having the best time. And, as always, there was Chad in the rear.
He walked a little faster than usual. She fully expected him to burst into
tears as soon as he got inside. His arms were empty, she noticed, and when the
door opened she choked back the tears.
"Mommy
has some warm cookies and milk for you." But he hardly heard her words. He
just marched right on by, his face aglow, and all he could say was: "Not a
one...not a one." Her heart sank. And then he added, "I didn't forget
a one, not a single one!"
Let
us pray.
Remembrance
Day has become somewhat of a puzzle to the younger generation. Veterans of the
two World Wars and the Korean War are becoming fewer. Uniforms coupled with
berets are increasingly unfamiliar; unlike many countries in the world, we're
not used to seeing soldiers on the streets. Canada has been blessed to have
known nothing but peace for half a century.
Yet
war still goes on around the world. In various areas, rival armed groups clash
and fight it out, sometimes monitored by our own Peacekeepers. In our country,
though, there is a war of a different sort: a war against sin and evil.
One
zone of conflict is that of moral sin. One of the tragedies of war in the past
has been the abuse with which women and children are treated. This results in
loss of dignity and respect, and unspeakable loathsome crimes. One Canadian
phenomenon with similar effects is internet pornography, called the "crack
cocaine" of the porn world. You don't have to go looking for it: it finds
you. This past week I was searching on the internet for software for a scanner.
I clicked a likely-looking link, it had the scanner's company's name and
appeared to be a sure thing. But within seconds the address changed and 3 or 4
windows offering pornography popped open: I was glad I had the
"images" option turned off. Porn has advanced to the point that it
throws itself in your face, you don't have to go near a smut shop. That same
day I heard a radio feature which advocated "streaking" as a way to
get a thrill. The forces of immorality are running rampant in our culture -- to
the detriment of dignity and respect particularly of women and children.
Another
enemy that seeks to invade us is called prejudice. War feeds on prejudice
toward those who are different: troops and propaganda experts quickly coin
slang terms for other races. But our materialistic, appearance-oriented culture
also breeds prejudice against our own neighbours who are "different"
in any way. We may feel awkward when approached by someone who is handicapped;
we find ourselves getting frustrated when talking with someone who is a little
"slow" or who doesn't pick up on the subtle signals we send
indicating it's time for the conversation to end. There may be a hesitancy to
get involved with people who are struggling financially, or out of work. We
unconsciously avoid or look down on those who aren't dressed fashionably. There
have been grumbles against those who wear turbans, or natives, or Quebeckers,
or immigrants... It's still prejudice -- not far from the disdain the Nazis fed
against the Jews, or that soldiers show towards conquered civilians.
The
Lord Jesus warned his disciples against needless prejudice. They said to him
one day, "We saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to
stop, because he was not one of us." (Mark 9:38) ONE OF US - a key phrase
when we want to discriminate: the "us" versus "them"
mentality. However Jesus' attitude is that someone participating in the cause
will hardly be able to say anything bad about him; so, "Whoever is not
against us is for us." Stop being so picky about someone not fitting in
the same category as you; look at their purpose, their goals, not externals. It
is our common cause in serving God and being about Kingdom business that's
important, not whether we walk or talk or say "Aymen" instead of
"Ahmen". Even such a small act as giving a cup of water in Jesus'
name will have its reward in God's eyes. Do we think we're big shots because
we're called Jesus' followers? He affectionately uses the term "little
ones" for those who believe in Him - we're "microns" yet
important to God, so needn't puff ourselves up comparing ourselves to others.
The
Lord goes on to teach the disciples what they DO need to be against: not an
ally in another denomination, but SIN. With characteristic exaggeration for
effect he states, "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off!" Same
for our foot, or our eye: "Cut it off! Pluck it out!" Better to enter
God's realm of eternal life with one hand, foot, or eye than to be thrown into
hell with a complete set. Jesus is not advocating that we actually dismember
ourselves, but that we be that RADICAL in fighting sin and evil in our lives.
THAT's what we need to fight against, not other people who simply are
different.
Friends,
we have a choice of two ultimate destinations: heaven or hell. The best God can
prepare for those he loves, OR the everlasting hole imaged in Scripture as
something between a compost pit and garbage incinerator. Every attitude we
foster, every action we take, tends to one of those two ultimate locations.
When we believe in Jesus Christ and commit to following him, he saves us from
being drawn to the wrong destiny. Yet he calls us to and strengthens us for a
daily discipline of taking up our cross, choosing good, not yielding to the
temptation of the enemy.
How
can we have true peace? How can we bring an end to war in our relationships and
our community? Jesus advised, "Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace
with each other." What's that mean -- "have salt in yourselves"?
Go gorge at Goderich? No; turn to the Saviour and allow the Holy Spirit to
transform you in a godly way. Be different for heaven's sake. Let Christ's
redemption at the cross flush you of old resentments, bitterness, grudges -
savour the flavour of forgiveness. In ancient times, salt was valuable as a
preservative because they didn't have refrigeration; it kept things from going
bad. How are you going to seek God's help in keeping your heart, your thoughts,
your attitudes from going "off" and starting to smell? The Lord's
power is available to assist you in sanitizing your choice of words, your
impulses, the channels you watch, the impression you make on others. Fight back
the enemy invasion; "have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each
other." Your home, your workplace, your social network will be different
for it.
The
servicemen and women who fought in the wars give us an example of just how far
we can go in opposing evil, how ready we can be (with God's help) to lay down
our life in resisting sin and oppression. My father was a "D-Day
Dodger" (that's a GOOD thing) - one of the 93,000 Canadians who landed on
Sicily beginning in 1943 and fought their way up through Italy. They were in
Europe nearly a year before the Normandy invasion ever happened. A new movie,
"A War of Their Own", has just been made about it. Some 6,000
Canadians died in that effort and are buried over there.
My
uncle flew a Mosquito airplane as a night fighter in France. In January 1945
his plane had engine problems and crashed upon landing on a snowy runway. This
week we remember and honour such troops who made the ultimate sacrifice to
protect our freedoms, such as the right to meet in public as a Christian
church. Would they be proud of the way we live today? What election issues
would they deem vital?
There
is a book in the Old Testament about a remarkable woman who lived in Persia
about 460 BC. She was a Jew, and a fighter: not a guerilla in fatigues, but a
queen in the most beautiful garments. Yet she risked all that wealth and her
own life to save her people. You see, one of the leaders named Haman was
plotting to destroy the Jews. Hitler wasn't the first to try that! Haman even
paid the king royally for the opportunity. Esther's uncle found out about the
plot and urged her to approach the king and beg for mercy.
One
small problem: the law was such that anyone who approached the king without
being summoned would automatically be put to death -- unless the king held out
his sceptre and spared the person's life. What's more, the king hadn't bothered
to ask to see Esther for a whole month. And the previous queen had been deposed
for daring to disobey the king's wishes.
Esther's
uncle urged her nevertheless to try, saying, "Who knows but that you have
come to royal position for such a time as this?" He sensed God had
elevated Esther to that title in order to save the Jews. And he knew the stakes
were serious if Esther didn't intervene.
Esther
responded like a hero. She asked her uncle to gather the Jews who were in the
capital and fast for her, as she and her maids would, too. Then, she said,
"When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the
law. And if I perish, I perish."
Wow!
What nerve! What faith! She was ready to die for the cause even if God didn't
spare her (though He did). Some things really are worth risking ALL for. The
war against sin is such a cause; don't be ambushed! Like the Canadians who
served and who gave their lives in the wars, like Queen Esther who risked her
life to save others - have salt in yourself; join with others in the cause of
Christ who are not "against us" but "for us"; be radical in
resisting sin by your daily actions and attitudes. Then, in Christ's grace, we
will truly be at peace with each other.
"What
would you give for Jesus?" We're used to people asking what others would
give for articles like watches, yard sale items, or maybe a used car or piece
of farm machinery. But when it's asked about the Saviour of the World -- that
question's in a whole different category. How we answer is going to say a lot
about how much we value God Himself.
"What
would you give for Jesus?" Well, if it were a watch we would check to see
if it were running, whether it had date, alarm, stopwatch and other features.
What does Jesus offer in return for what we might give?
First,
Jesus offers RIGHTEOUSNESS TO REPLACE OUR WRONGS. One day a man ran up to the
Lord. Had it been today, he might have driven up in a RAV4 or PT Cruiser. As he
got out, you would notice the designer labels on his clothes, hot off the rack
from the finest stores. He'd have a pager on his belt, a cell phone in his
pocket, and a Palm Pilot in one hand to make notes -- all the latest expensive
technological doo-dads. This young man seems to have been born with a silver
spoon in his mouth. He's probably just finished a course at some exclusive
college prior to taking a post in his family's large corporation. You can
almost smell "money".
Anyway,
he stops humbly enough on his knees before Jesus and asks, "Good teacher,
what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus reminds him, "No one
is good -- except God alone." We've all fallen short of God's best for our
lives. No one can earn their way to heaven by good works - to God, our deeds
are like a slap in the face, an insult, apart from faith.
To
assist us in recognizing our shortcomings and minimize the damage, God gave us
righteous commands to restrain the wrongdoing. Jesus reminds the fellow of the
Ten Commandments; the man insists he has kept all these since he was a boy. Yet
he's unfulfilled, there must be something more than legalistic keeping of
rules.
In
this vacuum, Jesus offers righteousness
to replace our wrongs. Paul wrote in Romans 5 (1,2), "Since we have
been justified through faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained
access by faith into this grace in which we now stand." The word
"justify" means to "make righteous", "set right",
hence the connectedness, "peace with God" through faith in Jesus. In
our heart of hearts we know worldly goods don't make us matter; what's important
is whether we OURSELVES matter to someone, especially God our Creator and
Judge. Nothing we can attain by purchase or effort can gain that, only trusting
what God has already done for us through the blood of His Son. Jesus offers
righteousness, peace with God.
Second,
Jesus offers eternal life to eclipse our
passing treasures. The man was looking for eternal life, as so many are
seeking in our society today. Jesus told him he could have treasure in heaven.
How? What was the one most crucial block to faith for this man? What was the
idol he'd need to let go of in order to reach out to God? In this fellow's
case, the stumbling block was wealth. Jesus said, "One thing you lack: go,
sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in
heaven." WOW! What a step - what a commitment! This is not required for
every person in order to become a Christian, but Jesus identified this as the
one stronghold in the guy's life that was holding him back from a relationship
with God. If he could free himself OF his possessions, then he would be free
FOR God, and discipleship.
Possessions
can be very deceitful - we say we
own them, but often they own us.
We call it "real property" and "real estate", but when the
New World comes it will all pass away. And even in human terms, as Jesus said,
"A person's life does not consist in the abundance of their
possessions." We don't expect someone's Royal Doulton figurines to come
marching in the door at their funeral, or their antique Rolls Royce to drive up
into the procession all by itself en route to the cemetery. Things get passed
on, they're not part of us.
On a
Habitat for Humanity work team, volunteers from all walks of life were working
together to build houses for the poor. Someone recognized one man as a former
president of a major corporation. He explained, "One day, I went to the
office and saw everything in proper perspective. My heart skipped a beat. I
realized that any day, I could keel over dead. And what did it all mean? I
wanted this job because I wanted power, I wanted influence. And yet, I felt
powerless, trapped. I simply walked away from it. I cut a deal with the company
and my salary plunged 80% in the first year. And yet, I have never regretted a
moment of it. I feel better than I have felt in years. Now I've got time to
give some of my life to somebody else. You see, it feels good to be free."
Jesus offers eternal life, a totally 'nother quality of life that goes on with
God beyond death, when we can wriggle our hands free from our passing treasures.
Third,
Jesus offers LOVE IN PLACE OF OUR WOES. Note verse 21: "Jesus looked at
him and loved him." Could the man see in the glistening of Jesus' eyes,
the warmth of his gaze, how much Christ's heart yearned for them to be in
relationship? A few verses later Jesus would be inviting the man, "Come,
follow me." Jesus truly loved him. But what did the man end up with? (22)
"The man's face fell.He went away sad, because he had great wealth."
Because he clung to his wealth, he remained woeful, sad, dejected. Jesus had
offered him a never-ending love in place of his riches and associated cares.
We
live in a culture that expects people to be willing to put up with many woes
and headaches in the competition to be materially "successful". This
culture sometimes has difficulty understanding how "religious" values
can be worth much sacrifice. In the Heaven's Gate suicides in California,
people ended their lives for a false god and a false faith. A reporter seemed
either outraged or bemused that someone in contemporary America would still die
for religion. One pastor commented, "A curious thing in my congregation is
that almost nobody has given his or her life for religion. And yet, in the past
year, I've had a half-dozen people either die or come near death with heart
attacks, high blood pressure, and other diseases brought on by stress related
to work. In our society, you are considered crazy if you give your life for
your faith, but you are considered normal if you drop dead for a dollar!" -- Which would we rather, the woes of wealth,
or Jesus' love?
Fourth,
Jesus offers ABUNDANCE IN PLACE OF OUR SELFISHNESS. Skipping down to verse 29,
the Lord responds to Peter, "I tell you the truth, no one who has left
home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me
and the gospel will fail to receive a
hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters,
mothers, children and fields--and with them, persecutions) and in the age to
come, eternal life." Did you catch that? What does Jesus offer if we're
able to pry open our fingers and release our hoarded goods? A hundred times as
much! This was the experience of the early church: because nobody claimed
anything they had as their own, it was available to anyone who was in need. If you
were without lodging, you could call on any one of a hundred different homes
where your fellow believers would be happy to put you up. It happens when
Christ's followers grasp his values and sense of common covenant. When your
heart becomes rightly disposed to your goods, you start to recognize them as
resources in God's Kingdom - you just happen to be the steward of them at the
moment.
Jesus offers abundance in place of our selfishness.
Oh --
did you catch a word Jesus slipped in there? "Persecutions." On this
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, the question "What
will you GIVE for Jesus?" has more fearsome overtones for believers in
nations facing trials for their faith. Statistician David Barrett estimates
about 165,000 Christians will die because of their faith in Jesus this year.
Would you give your LIFE for Jesus?
In
Indonesia, radical Muslims have called for a jihad or "holy war"
against the Christian community. Muslims associated with the Indonesian
military have killed thousands of Christians, burning and looting homes,
destroying churches, and sending hundreds of thousands of people fleeing for
their lives.
In
Vietnam, a man was imprisoned 9 days for organizing a summer Bible school for
children in his home. On July 1, police and militia in one city went to a
church under construction and used hammers to demolish it. On August 20, while
a house church was meeting, local security police burst in, took everyone to
the police station, and confiscated Bibles and hymnbooks. They beat those who
refused to sign a police report forbidding them to meet for worship. What if
that happened here? Can you imagine - being taken to the police station, and
you either sign not to worship or you get beaten? "What would you GIVE for
Jesus?"
Here's
what another brother in Christ is willing to give. Pastor Wuille Marcelino Ruiz
spent over five years at a maximum security prison in Cuba, where he was in
solitary confinement up to 23.5 hours a day. All that time, he says, "I
can truly say that the Lord never abandoned me, and I've honestly told him,
'Lord, here I am.Do with me as you please.'" Are you ready to give THAT --
your whole being?
So
let's review what Jesus offers. Righteousness to replace our wrongs. Eternal
life to eclipse our passing treasures. Love in place of our woes. Abundance
instead of our selfishness.
But
you don't even need to take my word for it. Let's hear what the enemies of
Christianity have to say about it. Here are the charges the Communist
government in Vietnam makes about past Christian activity in that country:
"The method of propagating was that the missionaries went right to the
people, lived with the people and spoke the language of the people, taught them
Christian hymns, brought them the Ten Commandments of the Lord, used
word-of-mouth effectively, helped people in need in a timely manner, taught
people to do good deeds, opposed the vices (because those who follow the
Christian religion don't consume alcoholic drinks, don't smoke tobacco, don't
beat their wives and don't do other evil things, are frugal in wedding
ceremonies, avoid backward customs, and happily do all things in
community)." There now -- does that sound like a dangerous religion to
you? Or rather a good offer? And that's an official Communist document!
Our
brothers and sisters in Christ in many countries are suffering for their
Saviour. They would be delighted to have the privileges we take for granted.
Let's pray for their relief -- and that by the tears and voices of martyrs God
would help us to consider more seriously the question, "What would YOU
give for Jesus?"
Let
us pray.
The
imagery of a stream occurs repeatedly in Scripture; perhaps this speaks to us
of the outflow of God's love from His being to ours, a never-ending stream. The
garden of Eden was found amongst 4 rivers. In the New Jerusalem in the Book of
Revelation, a river of life flows forth from God's throne down the middle of
the city's main street. Psalm 46 speaks of "A river whose streams make
glad the city of God": ancient Jerusalem did not have a river, so the
author must be referring symbolically to God's sustaining and refreshing
blessings. Jesus said, "Whoever believes in me...streams of living water
will flow from within him," meaning his gift of the Holy Spirit. And Psalm
23 refers to the "still waters" by which God restores our soul,
through quiet faith in Jesus.
Bill's
life was much involved with streams. He loved to fish, so probably spent many a
pleasant hour by a stream or pond. He really enjoyed the out-of-doors, the
refreshing and rejuvenation of being out in God's creation. Bill served on the
Maitland Valley Conservation Authority for 28 years, so this watershed with its
streams and tributaries was very much on his consciousness.
And I
detect that there was a stream of another kind in Bill's life. Beneath a
sometimes gruff exterior, a stream of kindness bore mercies out to others in
need. He was honest and generous, especially around Christmas time, helping
others out without them knowing who was responsible -- kind of a "hidden
Santa Claus". The stream of God's own never-ending love and kindness found
an outlet through Bill.
Besides
mentioning streams and the flowing-out of God's resources to us, Scripture also
describes God as a conserver. God is "a very present help in
trouble", holding things together when the world seems to be falling apart
around us. The Shepherd's rod and staff give cofmort even when passing through
the valley of the shadow of death. In the New Testament, Paul writes that God
gives each seed a body as he has chosen, and the same is true for human souls
beyond the grave: if there is a physical body, there will also be a spiritual
body. For Christians, Jesus is our fore-runner, our first-fruit: the glorified
body he received at resurrection is our hope as well. God provides an eternal
home to house the life which we see temporarily laid to rest at a funeral.
Jesus
explained, "This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose
nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day. For this
is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him
should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." Jesus
is our Saviour, our Conserver: not because any works of ours could ever be good
enough that we deserve eternity with Him, but simply because we confess our
wrongs and trust wholly in what He did for us at the cross. He made
propitiation, payment, for our sins; God's conserving of our body and soul in
the Kingdom is purely an act of grace, free and unearned.
Bill
was a conserver in his care for the environment around town. He nurtured along
baby trees with fertilizer. He conserved order by serving on council. He had
quite a memory, so was able to recall stories of past events, and kept in touch
with many friends. So he knew how to conserve relationships as well. Bill read
widely, conserving facts and knowledge, which made him a great
conversationalist, with a store of many things to draw from and relate. Poetry
and music were also loves of Bill's: these were another form of
"conserving". In rhyme and song we rehearse and process over again
life's happening, savouring the meaning.
Jesus
said, "All that the Father gives me will come to me; and he who comes to
me I will not cast out." Beside Bill's casket, it gives us comfort to know
that the stream of the Father's love does not end in this life; when we die
trusting in the name of Jesus Christ, He will conserve us in caring
relationship for eternity. For that, we thank God. Let us pray.
It's
no fun being sick. Just a couple of weeks ago I felt so poorly I wondered
whether I should conduct the worship service. An infection caused me to have
the shivers and shakes, and triggered other weird effects in my body. It was a
very humbling time; I felt very useless around home, eager just to crawl into
bed. Thankfully a visit to the doctor (who actually asked to pray with me) and
some medication helped clear up the problem, by God's grace.
We
need healing for our bodies when they're invaded. Scripture also shows that
healing for our souls is important: getting our moral disease cleared up needs
to go along with physical healing. Jesus has the power to do amazing things,
forgiving our sin and giving wholeness to our bodies as our need may be.
There
have been people in this country hurting over the past decades for reasons
other than sickness. The Healing Fund was set up by the United Church in 1994
in response to the pain felt by survivors of the residential school system in
Canada. What does healing mean for these people? What payment or transaction is
needed for there to be wholeness and reconciliation? Meanwhile, the
institutional church is threatened by the cost of damages arising from
residential school claims. The United Church is facing some 500 claims. The
Anglican Church may be threatened with bankruptcy. Its Cariboo Diocese, 17
parishes in the interior of British Columbia, is ceasing to exist because
lawsuits have depleted finances to the point of bankruptcy. It may be that even
the church buildings in the parishes will have to be sold to pay debts. Former Minister
of Indian Affairs Jane Steward said earlier this year, "The churches have
got to feel pain." Bud Smith, legal counsel to Cariboo Diocese says,
"The pain Jane Stewart asked us to suffer is real." How can we find
healing for this type of pain? Are we to be paralyzed by lawsuits?
Let's
hear the guidance Scripture offers for spiritual and physical healing. One day
Jesus was surrounded by ministry. In fact, he was held captive by it. There
were so many people gathered around the house Jesus was in that there was no
room left, not even outside the door. Suddenly there was a noise above their
heads. Jesus and the disciples looked up and dodged bits of falling plaster and
roofing tile. Four men lowered a paralyzed man on a mat - right through the
ceiling! First observation about healing: SINCERELY SEEK THE LORD'S HELP. The
paralyzed man didn't just lie about waiting until Jesus just maybe, perhaps,
someday walked by that street. He actively pursued God's help, enlisting four
others to physically carry him to the Master. And they weren't deterred by the
crowd. They did everything in their power to get to Jesus - even if it meant
"raising the roof". The falling plaster must have brought a smile as
well as perhaps a shake of the head to our Lord, for it spoke of the group's
determination, faith, and perseverance in seeking his help.
Perhaps
the most important section on healing in the church in the New Testament is
found in James 5. Verse 14 directs, "Is any one of you sick? He should
call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the
name of the Lord." God expects us to make the effort to call others to
help in the healing process. God does work through the normal procedures of
medicine and surgery and doctors' advice. But don't forget the power of prayer:
we are a team, we need to be able to call on others with our prayer requests of
any kind. So sincerely seek the Lord's help, even if it means asking your
fellow believers to "carry you on the mat" (so to speak) in prayer.
Second,
CONFESS YOUR INNER SICKNESS. When Jesus saw the faith of the group, he said to
the paralyzed man, "Your sins are forgiven." Instantly jaws dropped
open all over the place. The teachers of the law were shocked because this
seemed like blasphemy: they thought only God could forgive sins. But I imagine
the jaws of the guys on the roof dropped open too: "Uh, Lord, that's not
the reason we're here. We brought this guy because he's, er, paralyzed - not so
you could forgive his sins!" But Jesus insisted on dealing with the
spiritual side first. He came to save the whole person, body soul and spirit,
not just our physical side. His statement implies that healing of our sickened
moral condition is at least as important as healing of our physical ailments.
What good would it be to heal the paralysis if the man just got up and ran to
do something that distanced him from God?
James
5:16 says, "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each
other so that you may be healed." Note the order - confess sins first,
then pray for healing. Often our physical problems are results of inner stress
and dysfunction, wrong priorities or values. God's waiting to make us whole
from the inside out.
Third,
ABANDON YOURSELF TO THE SON'S AUTHORITY. James writes confidently (15),
"And the prayer offered in faith will
make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up." It is a
prayer in FAITH, trusting, relaxing into the Father's embrace; the resurrection
power of Jesus the risen Son is available to heal and restore.
Back
to the scene in the crowded room with the paralytic. We begin to see why Jesus
addressed the sin issue first. When he told the man to get up, take his mat and
go home, it was visible proof or indication of the invisible but just as
valuable action of forgiving the man's sins. He told the skeptical teachers of
the law, the reason he said it was (10) "that you may know that the Son of
Man has authority on earth to
forgive sins..." The power for healing does not come from the magnitude of
our faith, but from our utter reliance on the Son's earth-moving power and
authority. He is able. So abandon yourself to the Son's authority.
Fourth,
LEAVE THE OUTCOME WITH OUR MERCIFUL GOD. The paralyzed man was healed, the
crowd was amazed and praised God. We need to also be ready to praise God when
the physical symptoms are not taken away. WE know on faith at least the
spiritual cleansing has already happened, based on Jesus' sacrifice for us at
the cross. We live in a fallen world and God does not prevent his children from
ever suffering on this planet. Note the context of James' writing on healing:
(5:10,11) "As an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the
prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed
those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen
what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and
mercy." Job suffered a long time from boils, head to foot, before he was
healed. He glorified God IN his pain by refusing to curse his maker. Sometimes
God calls us to persevere in our suffering and bring him honour by our patience
even if we're not healed. Even if we're suffering physically, we can still
thank God for his mercy on our souls for our moral failings. "God is good
-- all the time." Our short-term pain does not change the eternal fact
that "The Lord is FULL of compassion and mercy." He may just be
asking us to wait a while before we see it manifested.
So,
when we want healing, the Bible suggests: (1) sincerely seek the Lord's help;
(2) confess your inner sickness; (3) abandon yourself to the Son's authority;
and (4) leave the outcome with our merciful God.
What
can we take from this to the subject of the damage caused by Residential
Schools to first nations people, and this financial objective called the
Healing Fund? First, a few background facts. The United Church partnered with
the federal government in operating schools on reserves from 1849-1969. The
closest one to us was in Mount Elgin, Ontario; the other 12 were out west. About
100,000 native students were involved. The government's policy was one of
assimilation. Egerton Ryerson, Chief Superintendent of Education in Upper
Canada and a father of Canadian Methodism, said in 1847: "Their education
must consist not merely of the training of the mind, but of a weaning from the
habits and feelings of their ancestors, and the acquirement of the language,
arts and customs of civilized life." DC Scott was Deputy Superintendent-
General for Indian Affairs (1913-32). He said, "Our objective is to
continue until there is not a single Indian in Canada that has not been
absorbed into the body politic."
They
probably meant well. But in the execution of the plan, children were removed
from their homes for months at a time, forbidden to speak their mother tongue,
cut off from siblings, and alienated from their culture to the point that they
had serious questions of identity and purpose in life. When British Methodists
arrived in 1840 as chaplains to the Hudson's Bay Company and missionaries to
the Indians, they adapted to their hosts' way of life rather than imposing
their own. Some missionaries and their families virtually lost their ability to
speak English as they made their homes in Native communities - an approach to
mission like Jesus incarnating himself as a lowly servant. That was not the
approach in the residential schools, which sought to impose European dress,
culture, and language.
George
Erasmus, co-Chairman of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Affairs, summarizes
its findings: "Most of the stories we are hearing are negative, 99% of
them. Inevitably, we are told about the loss of culture, the loss of language,
the loss of parenting skills, the agony of being separated from family, from
community - even in the same residential school as other family members they
were separated from their family members - the many, many years of being away
from home, the return home, the alienation, the need to reintegrate into the
community, the pain that people have experienced themselves, the way it was
passed down...It's a very painful experience that we have been hearing."
Another
source says, "Stories are raw with hurtful memories: the forced separation
from parents at a young age (one woman described how at 11 years of age she
tried to comfort the 5- and 6-year-old girls in her dormitory who would cry
themselves to sleep night after night); punishment for speaking their own
language or engaging in Native customs at the school; constant hunger (a woman
described how she learned to be a thief at residential schools through stealing
food from the kitchen to try to quell the hunger pangs); and derogatory remarks
about Native people, their customs and beliefs (one man described the
experience as 'learning to be ashamed that I was an Indian'). The abuse was
cultural, physical, spiritual, and emotional."
Reading
the stories of survivors from the schools, you cannot avoid detecting an
overall spirit of MEANNESS: being locked in a room all day with no toilet;
strappings that left huge welts for crimes like passing notes or talking to the
opposite sex; punishments for no real legitimate cause; all in the context of
chronic government underfunding, bland repetitive insufficient diet, teacher
shortages due to high turnover, and deadly epidemics. Indian Affairs reported
that the mortality rate for the pupils at the File Hills school in Saskatchewan
was 68% in 1907. Quarantines were enforced sometimes even when there wasn't an
epidemic in order to prevent the parents from visiting their children.
So
besides the obvious cases of sexual or physical abuse, there is the whole issue
of "cultural loss". A huge number of claims argue that separating
Native children from their families and communities, stripping them of their
language and culture, and subjecting them to poor living conditions and
second-rate education was negligent, a breach of trust and a breach of duty.
Lawsuits allege residential schools involved a forcible transfer of children
from one group to another, with the purpose of destroying that group - one of 5
genocidal acts identified in the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
Where
this whole issue hits home for me is the matter of state intrusion and
interruption of parents raising their own children in their customs and
worldview. Constance Deiter quotes her mother: "The most terrible result
of my residential school experience was they took away my ability to hold my
children. They took that from me, the ability to hold my children." Chief
Starblanket wrote a letter to the Governor General saying, "In the treaty
we made then, the government promised to make a school for every band of
Indians on their own reserve, but instead, little children are torn from their
mothers' arms or homes by the police or government agents, and taken sometimes
hundreds of miles away to large schools, perhaps to take sick and die when
their family can not see them. The little ants which live in the earth love
their young ones, and wish to have them in their homes. Surely us red man are
not smaller than those ants."
The
pain is very real - not just for survivors of the schools themselves, but for
their children too, who find themselves with parents who don't know how to
parent because they were taken away from home at a young age, don't know their
story because they didn't hear the tales of the elders. It is paralyzing. Are
we perhaps called like the paralytic's four allies to carry our ailing Native
neighbours some distance, perhaps even take radical measures so they can be
made whole? Healing began with Jesus forgiving the paralyzed man his sins.
James urges us to confess our sins and pray for one another so we may be
healed. Have we confessed our own sinful attitudes toward other races,
including Natives? What are our stereotypes? Do we automatically paint all
natives with the same brush if we know of a few imperfect ones? Is going back
on our word in a treaty much different from stealing a car? Let's be just and
gracious, not prejudiced - remembering how much the Lord has forgiven us.
The
goal the United Church set for the Healing Fund was a million dollars. To the
end of October 1.16 million dollars has been received. Only 2 conferences have
not achieved their goals: Montreal & Ottawa is $1000 short of their
$65,000; but London Conference (that's us!) is $22,000 short of our $100,000
goal. We stand out conspicuously.
What
are some examples of projects the Healing Fund is used for? At the beginning of
October, the Healing Fund Council approved 22 projects out of 37 proposals, for
a total funding of nearly $300,000. Some of the bigger ones: $27,300, (Truro
NS) "To assist survivors of the Shubenacadie Residential School in their
healing by way of holding Healing Circles and community gatherings...public
education regarding the history of the school and long-term effects on the
survivors, and the intergenerational impact on families..."
$20,000
(Hazelton BC) "To provide an integration of the Gitxsan Language and
Culture through the use of 'live' resource people, the elders. Elders will demonstrate
the use of the language, and audiotapes, videos, books, etc.will be developed
for future use. Instilling pride in one's self, community, identity,
accomplishments and contributions will all be part of the objectives for
participants."
$15,000
(Native Women's Shelter of Montreal) "To support programs that integrate
traditional ceremonies with counselling to address the healing needs of
Aboriginal women and children in crisis. Services offered address physical,
mental, emotional and spiritual abuse, and seek to interrupt the
inter-generational trauma stemming from the residential school system."
We
cannot heal emotional or spiritual wounds by throwing money at them. We cannot
walk the residential school survivors' path for them; native people themselves
need to ask the Lord's forgiveness for their own faults and the faults of those
who injured them, lest they be trapped in bitterness and a spirit of revenge.
Nor does it seem to me that reconciliation will be advanced by forcing churches
to sell their property and buildings to pay hefty lawsuits.
Yet
the Healing Fund may be one way in which we can help bear the corner of a load,
like the four men who brought the paralytic to Jesus. It is in part a
confession of our involvement as a church in a prejudiced, prison-like, and
poorly run system. "The Lord is full of compassion and mercy": may we
sincerely seek God's help on behalf of those in need of any kind of healing,
whomever they may be.
An
old rabbi once asked his pupils how they could tell when the night had ended
and the day had begun. One student asked, "Could it be when you can see an
animal in the distance and tell whether it's a sheep or a dog?"
"No," answered the rabbi.
Another
asked, "Is it when you can look at a tree in the distance and tell whether
it's a fig tree or a peach tree?" Again the rabbi answered,
"No." The pupils demanded, "Then when is it?"
"It
is when you can look on the face of any woman or man and see that it is your
sister or brother. Because if you cannot see this, it is still night." (On
Frequent Journeys, ed.Rebekah Chevalier, UCPH 1997)
Let
us pray. Dear God, heal our vision; help us to see. May the eyes of our heart
be enlightened, as Paul prayed for the Ephesians. As Isaiah bids us, may we not
"hide ourselves from our kin". Heeding the Golden Rule, help us to
avoid doing to a sister or brother what is hateful to us. "That is the
entire Law, all the rest is commentary." In your infinite power, God,
create in us a disarmed heart! Grant healing to us, healing to our native
neighbours, reconciliation where we have erected barriers. In the name of
Jesus, who broke down the dividing wall of hostility and brings true peace.
Amen.
We
live by God's grace in a web of relationships. To be alive in this society is
to be involved in covenants of one form or another. Basically, a covenant is an
agreement or arrangement or contract or "deal" concerning how we will
interact with one another. A covenant is usually based on some form of promise
or payment. Covenants are means by which we give ourselves to somebody or
something, expectations we agree others can place on us and we on them.
The
core covenant of society is marriage, in which a man and woman pledge
themselves to each other in forming a new independent family unit. In order to
have a place to live, they enter a covenant with a landlord to rent an
apartment or an owner to buy a house, often at the same time entering a
covenant with the bank to obtain a mortgage. Children may covenant to belong to
a Scout or Guide group by memorizing and repeating a Promise and Law. Federal
candidates covenant with us, making certain promises in order to be elected. As
a country we covenant with others through the North American Free Trade
Agreement, the General Agreement on Tariffs & Trade; the Canadian military
orders parts by the NATO stock number (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).
Covenants surround us in modern life as invisible promises or arrangements by
which we obligate ourselves to others, offset by some kind of benefit they
bring us in return.
In
the religious world, covenants are key agreements relating us to God and other
followers of Jesus. In baptism we receive the water of washing and forgiveness,
the word of ownership by the Trinity, in exchange for our profession of faith
and allegiance to Jesus Christ. At the same time we covenant to become members
of this earthly agency called the church, promising to join regularly with
others in worship, Bible study, and prayer; to enter into the life and work of
the church, supporting it with our gifts; and to do God's will and fulfill our
own individual Christian ministry in our daily life. Jesus calls communion the
"new covenant in my blood", the "blood of the covenant"
poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. By eating and drinking the
symbols we "share" together in Him in a spiritual sense and proclaim
his death until he comes.
People
entering ordered ministry in the United Church are required to be in
"essential agreement" with its Statement of Doctrine (the 20 Articles
in the Basis of Union). They covenant to exercise their ministry "in
accordance with the scriptures, in continuity with the faith of the Church, and
subject to the oversight and discipline of The United Church of Canada".
The
United Church itself was formed in 1925 by a covenanting together of 3
different denominations: Congregational, Presbyterian, and Methodist. The
agreement was based on what we call the "Basis of Union", which
includes those same 20 Articles of Faith. Individual churches were given the
right to decide not to enter the union by majority vote. About a third of
Presbyterian congregations chose not to join, thus kept their property and
separate identity. In 1968 a major portion of the Evangelical United Brethren
joined, although the Western Canadian Conference elected to stay out of the
union. So by these important decisions we as United Church members have covenanted
to organize ourselves, kind of a "social contract" or trust agreement
as to what we believe in common and how we will govern ourselves.
The
Bible itself is organized around the idea of covenant. It has 39 books in the
part called the "Old Testament" or "Old Covenant"; and 27
books in the "New Testament" or "New Covenant". It's a book
of covenants, based on God's promises to us, his dealings or arrangements with
people. In Genesis 12-17 God initially made a covenant with Abraham to bless
all nations through him, promising him countless descendants and a homeland if
he would "walk before" him. The sign of this covenant was
circumcision, just as the sign of a marriage covenant is a wedding ring. God
through Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt; a key part in the
deliverance was the Passover meal, whereby God arranged that the Destroying
Angel would spare the firstborn sons in Hebrew households that had the blood of
the lamb smeared around the door posts. When the people arrived at Sinai, God
formalized the covenant. At the heart of this agreement were the Ten
Commandments and other laws written in what was called "the Book of the
Covenant". Exodus 24 describes how Moses sprinkled half of the blood from
sacrificed bulls on the altar (representing God as one party to the agreement);
read the Book of the Covenant to the people and heard their promise to obey;
then sprinkled the other half of the blood on the people (as the other party to
the agreement). He said, "This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord
has made with you in accordance with all these words." That was about 1446
BC.
By
the time of the prophet Jeremiah 850 years later, the nation had blown it. They
were reneging on their part of the deal. In Jeremiah 11 God reviews for them
the terms of the covenant: (4,5) "I said, `Obey me and do everything I
command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God.Then I will
fulfill the oath I swore to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with
milk and honey'--the land you possess today." Obedience, keeping the terms
of the covenant, was key: verse 7 recalls that God had warned them over and
over again, "Obey me."
But
they did not obey; they broke their end of the covenant, so would suffer its
curses, especially being expelled from the land. Why? (8) They didn't listen or
pay attention; they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts. (10) They
returned to the sins of their forefathers, who refused to listen to God's
words; they followed other gods to serve them, including (13) "that
shameful god Baal." This was the Canaanite fertility god, whose worship
included immoral sexual acts and temple prostitutes.
What
would be the result of breaking the covenant? (11) "A disaster they cannot
escape.Although they cry out to me, I will not listen to them." In fact,
the relationship is so damaged that God tells Jeremiah not even to bother
praying for the people because as He says in verse 14, "I will not listen
when they call to me in the time of their distress." They didn't listen to
God; so He wouldn't listen to them. All God asked was that they obey Him, but
they followed stubbornly their own desires. So a covenant is a most solemn
agreement or promise to be in RESPONSIVE RELATIONSHIP, heeding, obeying,
listening to the other party.
Jeremiah
did receive a glimmer of hope later in his ministry. Hebrews 8 quotes from
Jeremiah 31 these verses which are crucial to understanding God's "big
plan" in the Bible: (8:9-12 - if the Bible has always been somewhat of a
mystery to you, here's the theme in a nutshell!) "The time is coming,
declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and
with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their
forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because
they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them,
declares the Lord. This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write
them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No
longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, `Know the
Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.
For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."
Covenant is about being in responsive relationship, knowing each other, having
God's plan on your heart, consciously being His and assured that He is yours.
When Jesus says at the Last Supper, "This cup is the NEW COVENANT in my
blood," he's referring back to God's promise through Jeremiah and the
symbolism Moses used at Sinai. Because of what Christ did at the cross, the
barriers to relationship with God are swept away, our sins can be forgiven, our
former rejection is forgotten -- oneness with our loving Maker can be restored.
Notice
the phrase "once for all" in Hebrews 9:12: "He (Jesus) entered
the Most Holy Place once for all
by his own blood..." He was doing it for you, for me. Verse 14 gives the
objective: "the blood of Christ [will] cleanse our consciences from acts
that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!" The
responsiveness and possibility of obedience are restored. God's making it
possible for us to experience the joy of his agreement. (15 brings it all home)
"Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may
receive the promised eternal inheritance [(the blessings God wanted to pour out
on the nations through Abraham)]-- now that he has died as a ransom to set them
free from the sins committed under the first covenant."
(hold
up Bible, Old/New Testament) We are not people of the Old Covenant - the ritual
law and burdensome dietary regulations - but of the New Covenant, the "New
Deal" of God's righteousness acquired as a free gift by faith in Jesus,
making peace with our eternal Judge, and God's joy and love poured out into our
hearts by the Holy Spirit. If you have the love, you'll want to please God and do what He wants. His laws then write
themselves on your heart. "He who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the
law...Love is the fulfillment of the law." (Rom.13:8,10)
What
a blessing! Praise God for the new covenant, His wonderful promises to us which
are all "yes" in Christ! It's free -- but it's not cheap. Notice the
close association between the word "covenant" and the word
"blood". In ancient times, "to cut a covenant" meant
"to make a deal"; the word "cut" came from the routine
international practice of cutting an animal to mark the settling of the
agreement. One part of the animal was sacrificed in honour of the god, the
other part was consumed in a covenant meal by the parties. Jesus has become our
Passover Lamb, delivering us from the Destroying Angel. This covenant we enjoy
comes at a tremendous COST, the price of God's unique Son. As the bread and
wine indicate, his life was "given for" us, "poured out"
for many - so let's value this wonderful arrangement as priceless, something WE
in our fallenness could never accomplish.
To
summarize so far, then: a "covenant" is a most solemn agreement,
based on promises, to be in some kind of relationship. Certain commitments are
made, responses are expected. And there is a cost involved, whether this cost
is borne by one of the parties or shared between them.
As a
denomination, we have had varying ideas at different levels lately about what
God's expectations are in the sexual area for those called to be in covenant
with Him through Christ. We have been trying to discern as a Session, Official
Board, and congregation what our response to General Council's decisions in
August should be. One option is to become a covenanting congregation, joining
the National Alliance of Covenanting Congregations or NACC. At its October
meeting, the Official Board asked me to give a sermon on the question,
"What does it mean to be a covenanting congregation?"
Before
I begin, let me remind you of the saying: "You'll never find the perfect
church, because as soon as you join, it's not perfect any more!" The NACC
is not a perfect solution, particularly for those who are most upset by General
Council decisions and find it difficult to be associated with the United Church
label. The NACC purposes to "hold its people together within the United
Church". There is no movement within NACC to separate organically from the
United Church and its increasingly unscriptural policies. It is difficult to
imagine an effective response being mounted by the covenanters even if they
tried, as they constitute only 3% of national membership, and are essentially
INVISIBLE to the higher courts of the church: they carry on financially just
like any other United congregation in transmitting funds to the higher levels.
Covenanting congregations, as part of the denomination, will still be affected
at least indirectly by the current of change that rebels against God's
instruction: the seminaries training ministry personnel will still be just as
liberal, and in the Search process for new clergy, congregations will still be
restricted with Presbytery representatives reminding them that there are
certain questions such as sexual orientation that cannot be asked. The question
becomes, how can NACC be said to "hold its people together within the
United Church WITH INTEGRITY"? What WOULD be the last straw affecting
one's loyalty to a particular denomination? How much are covenanters willing to
compromise for the sake of keeping a local church building and history? What
WOULD be sufficient cause to leave rather than be partner to heresy and
idolatry? (Hosea 4:17; 1 Corinthians 6:18, 10:14; 2 Cor.6:14-7:1; 1 John 5:21)
That
having been said, let's look at what NACC DOES offer. Some historical
information is found on one side of your handouts. The covenanting movement
started in 1990 among congregations that disagreed with the secular trends in
General Council decisions, particularly the 1988 decision that all persons,
regardless of sexual orientation, are welcome to be or become members of the
United Church. This meant that sexual orientation was not of itself a barrier
to ordination, though that was not explicit. In reaction to this, some
individuals in Alberta drafted what became known as the "Alberta
Articles", an adaptation of which is found on the other side of your
handout. Graham Scott and some other commissioners to General Council drafted
another document which was became known as the "Commissioners'
Covenant". Congregations began to adopt these statements as a means of
publicly declaring where they stood in relation to the historic Christian faith
and current General Council policy. There are now over a hundred covenanting
congregations across Canada, with six "regional associations". The
London Regional Association has about 22 member congregations, including
Metropolitan in London, one of the largest congregations in the whole United
Church. Together covenanting congregations make up about 3% of the United
Church membership.
If
you look at the "Articles of Association", you will see there are two
main emphases. Covenanting congregations uphold the traditional statement of
faith called the "20 Articles" found in the United Church Basis of
Union. They also state that fidelity in marriage and chastity in singleness are
included in the standards required of pastors in these congregations. There are
other points, such as joining for fellowship, studying Scripture, and
confessing Jesus' Lordship, but the 20 Articles and sexual faithfulness for
clergy are the two key distinctives by which NACC congregations choose to stand
out.
Note
the section overleaf on the left panel, "What are its purposes?" The
first is, "to help a congregation make a public statement of beliefs
affirmed by the majority of its members, and so hold its people together within
the United Church, with integrity." The second mentions gathering
like-minded congregations "in their involvement in the courts of the
Church". NACC is NOT a break-away group. Its objective is to provide a way
for traditional-value-oriented congregations to stay within the United Church.
We
talked before about the COST of a covenant. Some of you will be looking for the
financial bottom line. Covenanting congregations keep on paying their
Presbytery and Conference assessments just like any other United Church
congregation. They are obligated to keep transmitting money people give in the
offering for the Mission & Service Fund. That stays the same. In the London
Regional Association, congregations are "encouraged" (not required)
"to include the Covenanting Association in their annual budgets on the
suggested basis of $1 per resident member"; for us, that would be about
$285 a year. (Not much considering our Presbytery/Conference assessment next
year is likely to be about $13 per resident member!) Some of that money then is
forwarded annually toward NACC at the national level.
Any
covenant has its benefits. What are the benefits of joining NACC? As we just
read, it's a way by which covenanters "make a public statement of
beliefs" that will hold their "people together within the United
Church, with integrity". The right-hand panel states, "the NACC
offers a way to make a stand based firmly on the Basis of Union, one that will
hold their people together in good heart, one that will be known and respected
in their own neighbourhoods and in the wider community of faith, a stand that
encourages others to do likewise. And when a congregation is looking for a new
minister, membership in the National Alliance gives candidates a clear signal
as to the sort of person who would fit well and happily into the
position." When it comes to the search process, NACC provides congregations
and clergy with a "short list" of those who are committed to
maintaining the historic Christian faith and morality. This is a very real and
practical help to clergy seeking a call, and congregations looking for a
like-minded person in the order of ministry.
Why
would it be a benefit for any congregation to join NACC at this particular time
in our United Church history? Covenanting congregations do not go along with
questionable moves at higher levels such as approving a broad variety of unbiblical
forms of sexual expression. They do not question the physical resurrection or
divinity of Christ as do some of our seminary professors; they do not
understand "ecumenism" to mean that other religions are equally valid
paths to God, thereby spurning the significance of the cross. It is important
for a Search Committee to be able to know whether a potential pastor leads a
moral lifestyle, which covenanting congregations can be reasonably assured of
by choosing from a smaller "pool" of those in agreement with NACC
policy.
So
becoming a covenanting congregation, though not a perfect solution, is
certainly the right direction for a United Church congregation that seeks to be
faithful to God's new covenant in Jesus. By the time of the Annual Meeting, the
Official Board has determined you will have had your chance to vote on whether
you think we should become a covenanting congregation. As we approach this
decision, may the Lord God, who has welcomed us into covenant relationship with
Him through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ, guide us in what is pleasing to
Him. Amen.
Hope
is precious. Without hope, it is hard to go on.
One
summer I was canoeing as chaplain with campers from Camp McDougall, the United
Church Camp in Algoma Presbytery. We were canoeing across Tunnel Lake north of
Thessalon, a lake created by a huge hydro-electric dam. Our guides told us we
were canoeing overtop of a former town: it's true, the village of Wharncliffe
had actually been relocated from the area to be flooded to higher ground some
distance away. Some of the former buildings had been left behind, a desolate
waste, flooded by the man-made lake.
John
Maxwell tells about a small town in Maine that likewise was proposed for the
site of a hydro-electric plant. A dam would be built across the river and the
town submerged. When the project was announced, the people were given many
months to arrange their affairs and relocate. During those months, a curious
thing happened. All improvements ceased. No painting was done. No repairs were
made on the buildings, roads, or sidewalks. Day by day the whole town got
shabbier and shabbier. A long time before the waters came, the town looked
uncared for and abandoned, even though the people had not yet moved away. One
citizen explained, "Where there is no faith in the future, there is no
power in the present." That town was cursed with hopelessness because it
had no future.
There
is a surge of negative thinking in the world today that would drown us in a
lake of hopelessness if we let it. Examples of human waste, mismanagement, and
apathy abound. It was hard to remain optimistic about government, for example,
during the recent election. The parties criticized each other and we heard
tales of misuse of taxpayers' money, such as thousands of dollars spent on
publishing a book of blond jokes. It seems natural these days for people to be
cynical about institutions or personal prospects. Many United Church members
feel abandoned by the decisions of the leadership; they might be saying to
themselves, "It's the end of the church as we have known it. Something has
been taken away from us; it's a lost cause. We're devastated, it's the end of
an era." These members may feel desolate, what they've invested in the
local church seems as if it may have been wasted.
Biblical
professor Walter Brueggemann notes: "Our society is marked by a deep
dislocation that touches every aspect of our lives. The old certitudes seem
less certain; the old privileges are under powerful challenge; the old
dominations are increasingly ineffective and fragile; the established
governmental, educational, judicial, and medical institutions seem less and
less able to deliver what we need and have come to expect; the old social
fabrics are fraying under the assault of selfishness, fear, anger, and
greed...Church members are confused about authority, bewildered on mission,
worried about finances, contentious about norms and ethics, and anxious about
the church's survival."
Or
perhaps things are falling apart for us on a more personal scale. Relationships
that just don't seem to connect. Health that deteriorates, work opportunities
that evaporate. Family members that won't be with us at Christmas due to
circumstance, death, or just not wanting to get together. All these things can
leave us with a feeling of being desolate, we question life's meaning, whether
it's been a waste. As Jesus said, our hearts get weighed down with dissipation,
drunkenness and the anxieties of life. Anguish, perplexity, apprehension
mounts. It's hard to stay upbeat; it just won't do to deny the crisis, to dust
off the old platitudes and run them by one more time: the power of positive
thinking, be happy attitude, buy a lot of Pepsi, get a lot of stuff. When
things are bleak and desolate, where can we find hope?
The
situation looked pretty dismal in Jeremiah's time. The Babylonians were
besieging Jerusalem because King Zedekiah, the ruler they installed, had
rebelled against the foreign empire. Now the siege ramps had been built up
against Jerusalem's wall. Houses in Jerusalem, and even the royal palace, had
been torn down and the stones used to buttress the city's walls against the
enemy's battering rams. The king and officials refused to listen to the prophet
Jeremiah's advice that God was behind Babylon on this one, not them. The whole
countryside was being turned into "a desolate waste, without people or
animals" (33:10). And God said it was going to get worse before it got
better: the buildings would be filled with dead bodies. Jerusalem's walls would
not be strong or high enough to save it. When the Israelites first invaded
Canaan, they were impressed, even overwhelmed by the walls of the cities which
they described as "great and mighty", literally, "large, with
walls up to the sky". But God's appointed disciplinarians were proving
greater and mightier than the walls in which King Zedekiah and fellow rebels
trusted. God said they would be "slain in my anger and wrath; I will hide
my face from this city because of all its wickedness."
Yet
right at this darkest moment, when it's obvious all is lost, God offers hope.
Something greater than the enemy forces is still available to those who are
receptive. Here's one of the greatest promises for your own personal
relationship with God right in Jeremiah 33:2,3: "This is what the LORD
says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it— the
LORD is his name: ‘Call to me and I will
answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’"
Great and unsearchable - the same phrase in Hebrew used often to describe the
walled Canaanite cities. They had been trusting in stones and mortar, when they
should have been turning to the one who made the earth itself, calling out to
Him and seeking His guidance, His perspective. God is saying, "I'm more
real than your opponent, more powerful than your problem."
Jesus
goes to this same fact -- of God's eternal being and power available to us --
to offer hope in the New Testament. In Luke 21:33 he declares, "Heaven and
earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." Think about
that. (repeat verse) What's real, anyway? What appears to us to be solid on a
subatomic level is empty space. The smallest bits of matter, quarks, are
described as little "knots of space-time". Even after this universe
is no more, when God decides to redo the laws that currently hold it together,
Jesus' teaching and promises will still be in effect. His words are more
"real" than heaven and earth.
And
it's God's promises through Jeremiah that offer a besieged
city real hope. Listen to these clips from verses 6 to
16: "I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will
let them enjoy abundant peace and security...I will cleanse them from all the
sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion
against me.Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before
all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they
will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide
for it...Flocks will again pass under the hand of the one who counts them...In
those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s
line; he will do what is just and right in the land.In those days Judah will be
saved and Jerusalem will live in safety." Now, doesn't that sound hopeful?
God has good plans in store for the people. And we can look back in history and
see how, after the 70 years of captivity prophesied, God did bring them back to
the land. And from David's line Jesus the Messiah was born.
So in
our situation today, whatever may be depressing us or dragging us down, we can
draw hope from God's promises. When signs of the end-times get more numerous,
Jesus says (28), "Stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption
is drawing near." Our redemption, being bought-back out of this decaying
sin-sick order. (27) "At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great
glory." Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and then his coming again are
the book-ends which give our life real meaning, purpose, accountability, and
hope. Darwinism's crawl of protoplasm from soup to dust just doesn't match it -
even if it were possible against the laws of thermodynamics and probability.
Advent
means "coming": not only do we look back to Jesus' first coming as a
baby in weakness and humility at Bethlehem. We also look ahead to his second
coming in power and glory to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Realizing then this great truth -- that God's waiting for those who are feeling
desolate to call out to Him for help and hope -- what will be our response?
A
first response that builds hope is to KNOW THE PROMISES. God said through
Jeremiah, (14) "I will fulfill the gracious promise I made..." Jesus
emphasized very solemnly, (Lk.21:32) "I tell you the truth, this
generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened."
What God promises to us He will certainly bring about. His promises are sure.
The Bible is a treasure-trove of God's promises. Study them, learn them,
memorize them; write them on little cards, weave them into your daily
consciousness. God's promises to us will outlast the universe. When Christ
says, "They will SEE the Son of Man coming," you can count on it as a
solid fact! And if you want to stand before Him, that affects greatly your
daily decisions.
Know
the promises. Speak them in your home. They bring hope. Bible professor
Brueggemann says, "Our numbed and bewildered society lacks ways of
thinking and speaking that can help us find remedies...But when the church is
faithful to its own past life with God, it has ways of speaking, knowing, and
imagining that can successfully address our cultural malaise."
Researchers
have found that a hopeful attitude can lead to physiological changes that
improve the immune system - the body's defence against toxins and disease.
25,000 American soldiers were held by the Japanese in POW camps during World
War II. Many died. The survivors were different in one major respect: they
confidently expected to be released someday. They talked about the kinds of
homes they would have, the jobs they would choose, and even described the kind
of person they would marry. They drew pictures on the walls to illustrate their
dreams. So for Christians, visualizing Christ's promises, focusing on them, can
stengthen us through hope.
Second:
Find your boast in God, rather
than in the changeable things of this world, things that will be left behind.
Jeremiah prophesies the saved community will have the name: "The LORD
(Yahweh) Our Righteousness". Our towns describe themselves by various
characteristics - "home of the Blyth Festival", "home of
radar", etc. As God's people, though, our identity comes from our
Righteous Lord. So make Him your focus, the centre of your life, rather than
pursuing the enemy's counterfeits. As Paul said, (1 Cor.1:31) "Let him who
boasts boast in the Lord," and, (Gal.6:14) "May I never boast except
in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been
crucified to me, and I to the world." Keep a right focus. John Bunyan
wrote, "Hope is never ill when faith is well." Trust God, make Him
your priority, and he will give you hope.
Third,
Watch and pray. Jesus wrapped up
his talk on the end times by saying, "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to
happen, and...to stand before the Son of Man." (Luke 21:36) If we're alert
in prayer, we're more likely to see the signs, know it's happening, and stand
up with lifted head rather than be caught with our head down by surprise.
"Call to me," God beckoned, THEN He can tell you "great and
unsearchable things you do not know." But if you don't pray, don't be
surprised if you're left in the dark! CS Lewis defined hope as "a
continual looking forward to the eternal world". Such an attitude induces
one to pray.
With
Session's permission, in view of the decisions before us about our church's direction,
I'm inviting those who are able, to participate in a 23-hour fast during the
Thursdays of Advent and of January leading up to the Annual Meeting. For
example, you might miss breakfast and lunch but still have supper each day.
Don't forget to drink lots of water! And if you can't take part in a food fast
for health reasons, maybe there's something else you could give up in order to
spend time praying for God's leading. Please consider this seriously: we are
"up against walls" in a spiritual sense.
Fourth,
to find hope, wean ONEself away from
this world's weights. (try saying that five times fast!) Jesus warned,
(21:34) "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation,
drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you
unexpectedly like a trap." Don't let the attractions of Lucifer, that
angel of light, hold your fancy and drag you down. Staying free and available
for God's service opens up new possibilities of hope. Martin Luther said,
"Everything that is done in this world is done by hope."
Chuck
Colson tells the following story. "Before preaching at Mississippi's
Parchman Prison, I visited death row. Most of the inmates were in their bunks
wrapped in blankets, staring blankly at little black-and-white TV screens,
killing time. But in one cell a man was sitting on his bunk, reading. As I
approached, he looked up and showed my his book -- an instruction manual on
Episcopal liturgy. His name was John Irving. He'd been on death row for more
than 15 years, and he was studying for the priesthood. John told me he was
allowed out of his cell one hour each day. The rest of the time, he studied --
preparing to meet Christ or to serve Him here. Seeing that John had nothing in
his cell but a few books, I thought, God has blessed me so much, the least I
can do is provide something for this brother. I asked, 'Would you like a TV if
I could arrange it?' John smiled gratefully. He said, 'Thanks, but no thanks.
You can waste an awful lot of time with those things.'"
Colson
comments, "'Waste time' on death row? The psalmist prayed that God would
'teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom'
(Ps.90:12). For the 15 years since a judge had placed a number on his days,
John Irving had done just that, determined not to waste the one commodity he
had to give to the Lord -- his time."
Chuck
says, "The real evils of the entertainment industry are not the violence
and profanity -- offensive though they are. No, it's the banality: the sheer
waste of time. When we turn the TV on, we turn our minds off."
So -
if you're feeling a desolate waste in your life - the Lord offers you hope.
Latch onto His promises. Find your boast in Him. Watch and pray. And wean
yourself off of this world's weights.
Here's
a statement full of faith and hope which was found at the bedside of a South
African martyr. As fellow followers of Jesus, let's make it our own.
"I'm
a part of the fellowship of the unashamed, I have Holy Spirit power, the die
have been cast, I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made, I am
His disciple. I will not look back, let up, slow down, or back away. My past is
redeemed, my present makes sense and my future is secure. I am finished and
done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colourless
dreams, tamed vision, mundane talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals. I no
longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, or applause. It is
all popularity and I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised,
regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by
patience, live by prayer and labour by power. My faith is set, my pace is fast,
my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few,
my guide is reliable and my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised,
detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the
face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the
table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of
mediocrity. I won't give up, shut up, or let up, until I have stayed up, stored
up, prayed up, and preached up for the cause of Christ. I AM A DISCIPLE OF
CHRIST! I must go until He comes, give 'til I drop, preach 'til all know and
work 'til He stops me. And, when He comes for His own, He will have no problem
recognizing me because my banner will have been made clear." Amen!
In
difficult times it helps to step back and recall the many good things God has
done to bless us, things which may stand out even more as a result of our loss.
God's promises and truths in Scripture are constantly there so we can turn to
them and see how God's care has been available to us from our birth to our
death, and beyond. With Norma's life as a backdrop, the Bible passages we read
today emphasize that the Lord is our Keeper or Preserver; our loving Father and
friend; and the One who brings us to glory.
First,
God is our Keeper, our Preserver. Psalm 121 points out six times that God is
our Keeper, one who preserves our life or "watches over" us. "He
who keeps you will not slumber...The Lord is your keeper...he will keep your
life...The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in" and so on.
This great security is echoed in Psalm 23 which says, "The Lord is my
shepherd; I shall not want," I shall lack nothing. God tables a furnishes
before us, our cup overflows. The image is of being in a place which is well
stocked up, one is generously provided for.
From
what I understand of Norma, her life reflected this "keeping' or
"preserving" aspect of God's provision for us. She was a
"house-keeper" from the time her mother died and she returned from
school or career possibilities to look after the homemaking needs of her father
and brother. She "watched over" them well. Her freezer and larder
were well-stocked with preserves of all kinds, and purchased canned goods. She
also preserved culture in the house by her love for music: she played both
piano and violin. So both materially and musically she exercised a keeping,
preserving, providing effect in the home.
God
as shown in Scripture is also our loving Father and friend. Our modern society
usually focuses on the sexual side of love, but languages other than English
have a variety of terms for love that highlight the family and companion
aspects of the word. In Romans 8, we're assured that nothing can separate us
from Christ's love - not tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or sword. There is nothing in all creation, not even
death, that "will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ
Jesus our Lord." The account of Jesus interacting with Martha and Mary,
sisters of recently-dead Lazarus, in John 11 is so touching because of the
tenderness Christ shared with this trio whom he must have counted among his
closest friends. Jesus weeps when he sees Mary's grief, even though he fully
intended to raise Lazarus back to life. Onlookers said, "See how he loved
him!" And later, Jesus' own cross is God's way of saying to each one of
us, "See how I love you!"
Norma
reflected God's love as Father and friend in her relationships. She was a
caring daughter, sister, and friend. She loved to hear from others and would
pray for her friends and their families. Her love for God was shown by her
commitment to reading religious materials on Sunday, and her ability to share
Bible verses with those appreciating counsel. Psalm 23 talks of God's goodness
and mercy following us all the days of our life. Norma put this into action by
sharing the produce of her garden with others. I'm told she was generous, very
kind, and had a heart of gold. She loved even animals, supporting the Humane
Society and showing mercy on a couple of kittens which have become a central
part of their home.
Finally,
God is the One who brings us to glory. Paul told the Philippians that Jesus
"will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power
which enables him even to subject all things to himself". And Christ
Himself assures Martha, "Your brother WILL rise again." He then
showed that he had power to resurrect the dead right then and there before
their eyes, calling Lazarus forth out of the tomb. He has the power to change
decay into new life.
Norma
with God's help brought glory into her surroundings. You could not pass her
house without noticing the many beautiful flowers, which took hours and hours
of tending, watering, and weeding. And it didn't stop there. She helped others
look after flowerbeds around town, particularly the town well and out at the
cemetery. What might otherwise have been gloomy instead showed beauty and
glory.
Our
closing hymn we'll sing in a few minutes is "Abide with Me". It talks
about earth's glories passing away; change and decay are seen all around us.
But God doesn't change: his love and power to bring us to glory are constant
and sure. We thank God for the wonderful promise in Christ of a resurrection body
that does not get sick or die, and an eternal home in heaven for those who love
Him and receive Christ as the Saviour He is. There we will come to know Him
even better as our Keeper, our loving Father, and the One who alone can bring
us to glory.
This
is SUPPOSED to be "Joy" Sunday in Advent, which is supposedly a
joyful season. We light a different-coloured candle in our advent wreath.
Through this season we sing carols such as "Joy to the World" and
"Good Christian Men, Rejoice". But at first glance, one might wonder,
what's to rejoice about?
Our
days are filled up right through December with the pressures and commitments of
social engagements. Decisions such as WHEN we're going to have WHOSE side of
the family on WHAT day. Meanwhile, over in the financial department, the bills
are piling up from all the Christmas shopping - but we'll try not to think
about that till next month. We're reminded "There are only 7 more shopping
days until Christmas". And if that's not enough, let's toss in a major
snow storm or two, with all the added inconvenience of digging out,
cancellations, and rescheduling... You have all the ingredients for, not Joy at
all, but MAJOR STRESS!
So we
come to church yearning for some glimpses of the joy the season's supposed to
be about. Good news - God's message for us from Scripture is this: joy is found
not in status, or succeeding in the rat race, or getting ahead as people
understand these; no, joy is found in humbling ourselves before God, and
quieting ourselves in the love, joy, and delight God Himself has in those who
trust in Him.
Our
featured Scripture witness today is Zephaniah. Now this is not a book you would
probably turn to right off the top in order to find teaching about joy. Of the
53 verses in the 3 chapters of Zephaniah, 42 or about 80% are negative. 4/5 of
the book warns of God's judgment and punishment about to fall on Judah and the
surrounding nations. It's not until we get to the last dozen verses - the final
20% - that we hit a profound promise of joy.
Max
Lucado comments, "[Zephaniah's] words, like the steady pounding of rain,
continued to beat the depressing truth that God was not happy with the way
people had flaunted his laws and had worshiped idols and he would punish their
sin, wiping out entire nations." Here are some samples of these dire
warnings. From chapter 1(18): "Neither their silver nor their gold will be
able to save them on the day of the LORD's wrath.In the fire of his jealousy
the whole world will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live
in the earth." Chapter 2(2) refers to "the day of the Lord's
wrath" and fierce anger. And in chapter 3, in verse 8, just before we pick
up today's lesson, God says: "I have decided to assemble the nations, to
gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them-- all my fierce anger. The
whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger." Wow! Talk
about judgment! Sounds terrible.
So, before
we can get to the joy, we need to understand and ask, "WHAT IS THE MAJOR
PROBLEM?" What's the barrier to joy that's bringing God's wrath instead?
(and God's wrath is referred to in the New Testament as well as in the Old) In
chapter 1(17) we hear God announcing, "I will bring distress on the
people...because they have sinned against the Lord." Well, that's easy
enough to grasp. But what particularly is the sin? 1:6 says people "turn
back from following the Lord." Why? What induces us to turn away from God?
The key answer is PRIDE, our self-sufficiency, being too full of ourselves. In
chapter 2(10) Moab and Ammon, 2 neighbouring nations, are doomed to become
wasteland because "This is what they will get in return for their PRIDE,
for insulting and mocking the people of the Lord Almighty." A few verses
later (2:1), even the great empire of Assyria will become desolate because she
says to herself, "I am, and there is none besides me." That's pride,
thinking nobody else matters as much as you do. In 3:11 we read God is intent
on removing "those who rejoice in their PRIDE; never again will you be
HAUGHTY on my holy hill."
There's
a whole sequence that follows when you've got a selfish, proud attitude -- a
sequence that winds up bringing pain and misery to others around you. We find
it outlined in the first 3 verses of chapter 3. Jerusalem is described thus
(3:2b): "She does not trust in the Lord, she does not draw near to her
God." The proud person will not submit to God or seek God's instruction
and companionship: they're full of themselves -- who needs God? So the initial
step in the path to destruction is unbelief, a refusal to commit yourself to
God.
This
leads to the next step (3:2a): "She obeys no one, she accepts no
correction." When you're proud, thinking you're top of the heap, you don't
want to submit to anyone's leading, you shrug off obedience, you choose not to
make yourself accountable. It irks to be corrected; you have to admit you're
not the hot-shot you thought you were. Instead you excuse yourself, saying the
rules don't apply to you, you think you should be privileged to cut a few
corners. You don't obey or accept correction.
The third step is the outworking of these inner attitudes - the behaviour that follows and winds up injuring others. The initial verses of chapter 3 describes Jerusalem as a "city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled". The officials and rulers are "roaring lions" and "ev