Technology, News, And Discernment

I'm in the midst of reading another book, one that touches on spiritual lives and the impact that technology has on our faith lives.  Let's just say that, a few chapters in, it already has me thinking deeply on a number of things.  (For those who may be interested, the book is called "Digitized", by Bernard Bull, Concordia Publishing House) I'll touch on a few of these here.

How do you learn about the world around you?  Most of us look to news information of some form, whether TV, newspaper, radio, or internet.  Yet, how often do we critically ask why these forums are reporting the news in the way that they are?  Why are they choosing the stories that they do?  What stories are they choosing to leave unreported?  What is the perspective that they bring to the story?  And then, especially with our day and age, are they reporting accurately, or are they trying to steer you in one direction or another? 

I would dare say that most of us would honestly have to say that we don't give it that much thought.  We listen to the ones that resonate with us, and disregard the ones that don't resonate with us.  We start to put our faith in the ones who are doing the reporting without critically asking what they may be trying to achieve with their words or stories.  And they have learned how to play on our emotions and thoughts, especially with our indwelling sinful desire to be right and to have others know that we are right.

What does this do to our faith lives?  Well, for one, I would argue that we get drawn to spending our time on the "news" rather than the "good news" (aka, the Gospel). We spend many more hours listening to perspectives, opinions, and the "stories of the day" rather than THE STORY that shows us our God and His fervent desire for us.  We pridefully proclaim that we know what is right, rather than humbly looking for the good of our neighbor, whoever they may be.  We spend our time defending our stance rather than proclaiming the good news of Jesus.

You know, that's awfully close to putting something else in God's place in our lives, a sin which God calls idolatry.  We get filled with the desire to know and to defend our position, and are willing to share that with others, even strangers, and sadly leave our Gospel proclamation and life tucked away.  We rejoice to wear a label, and even declare it on our social media sites, but fail to lovingly address our brothers and sisters with the tender care they need in Christ Jesus. We start to put people on the "right" side and the "wrong" side instead of realizing that God would have us not show partiality or favoritism.

It takes great discernment to take such a critical look at the information we take in daily. In our day and age, I would suggest that we have to do this at levels we never have had to before.  With great access comes a great need for discernment, and I pray that you will start to take a more critical look at the sources of your news information, and perhaps even ask what your time could be better spent doing.

Friday Randomness

Sometimes you have so many things floating around in your mind that you just have to release them all at once.  Each one may not get the full attention it calls for, but each one has some level of importance in how your mind processes things.  With that said, a few random things that have been floating around in my mind recently.

-God's work of forming us as His people never stops while we live in this world.  We may be eight, or eighty-eight, but God continues to form us.  Yes, the work of redeeming us was done once and for all with Jesus' death and resurrection.  The work of re-creating us doesn't stop in this world as long as the sinful flesh still lives.  When we start to think that we have little left to learn, we're now resisting God's work of re-creating us.  Doesn't take us out of the realm of salvation, but definitely hinders our walk in Christ Jesus.

-It's amazing how quickly we catch on when we repeat things.  My family typically prays the Lord's Prayer each day together, at some point.  Even when my son was young, I would say the Lord's Prayer, Apostles Creed, and the Evening Prayer to him to help him sleep.  Now, not quite three, he knows the whole thing.  My daughter, a couple of years older than him, knows many verses, prayers, and songs because we repeat them.  The Small Catechism's emphasis on repetition exists for a reason, folks.

-That said, I'm also amazed how some people react to songs or hymns that repeat verses or choruses.  One criticism about some "contemporary" (I actually don't really like that word, but don't have a better one to use) songs is that they simply repeat the same thing over and over.  Yet, then the repetitiveness of things like Bible verses and the Small Catechism are emphasized.  It would seem that repeating things in song would also be a good thing.  Sure, they can have more depth, but there is a place for repeating even simple thoughts about God.

-Way too often in this world, we get caught failing to listen.  This plays itself out in many ways.  Sometimes we listen only to catch something upon which we can build our rebuttal.  That isn't actually listening.  Sometimes we make issues about something else (i.e. kneeling for an anthem in protest of racial injustice then being construed as though it's anti-military), and we fail to listen to what those others are saying with whom we disagree.  Rather than being reactionary, it's usually much better to simply shut our mouths, open our ears, and then proceed with respect and kindness.  Outrage, social media posts, and the like typically through fuel on the fire rather than serve to achieve reconciliation.

-With that said, it's amazing how much we simply want to be proven right.  The definition of sin that I learned in my theology classes is that of the self turned in on itself.  When we find that we want to be proven right, and we want to have others know how right we are, we have turned in on ourselves, and could potentially be making ourselves out to be god.  For sure, we are failing to love our neighbor as we should when we simply want to prove that we are right to them.

-We are a society still fascinated by sexual issues.  Recent revelations of sexual assault and harassment show that there is nothing new under the sun.  This has been a problem since Adam and Eve chose for themselves instead of following the Word of God.  God's Story is replete with stories of sexual sin, despite the fact that God Himself spoke about that quite often.  While it is good and right that we speak against such practices, I don't hear the desire to bring forgiveness, restoration, and reconciliation to the situations.  Most often the sense is more, "I want so and so to pay."

Well, that is a rather full post.  Since I haven't been posting regularly lately for a variety of reasons, some of these have been rattling around for some time.  Perhaps in future posts, I'll spend more time on them, but for today, they just come out shotgun style.

Thinking about Miracles and the Like

One of the things I do regularly in my church life is interact with the children.  This year, in fact, I have taken up the task of teaching the young ones on Wednesday evenings.  These are some of the most fun times of the week, and I love seeing the joy that they have as they hear the Bible stories, and as we do related activities to what we hear from the pages of God's story.

Tonight, we talked a little bit about Jesus' miracle of healing the man born blind, from John 9.  One of the things that I enjoy seeing in the kids is how they can easily be engaged with thinking about things from the perspective of the people in the Bible.  Tonight, we thought for a bit about what it means to be able to see.  We tried different things, like walking without being able to see, being directed by others, and talked about the challenges of doing such things.  We also talked about how it would be to receive such a miracle from the hand of Jesus, just like this man did.

While the kids may not fully appreciate the miracle actions of Jesus (or any of the rest of us, as I think about it), the reality that Jesus did miracles still strikes me sometimes.  The best way I have heard it described is by one of my former professors.  He said that the miracles of Jesus are kind of like a sampler pack of chocolates that you might buy if you wanted to see what the store had to offer.  It's not the full selection, but gives you an idea of what is there.  In a way, the miracles that we read about in the Bible are kind of like: samples of the great things that lie ahead.

I know that there are many different thoughts on the miracles of the Bible, and even the ongoing miracles that still happen.  The thing I always come back to is a simple one.  What is the point of God doing a miracle?  Is it to show people that He is powerful?  I hardly think God needs to flex His muscles for others to admire.  Is it to simply show that He can?  Well, Jesus Himself said that people wouldn't believe, even if someone came back from the dead, and we see that this is really the case. 

So what would the purpose of a miracle be, then?  That's where I go back to thinking about the specific time and place where a majority of the miracles take place.  Jesus did many, but typically, they were misunderstood.  Even in the case of the man born blind, the miracle proved the hardness of men's hearts more than convinced them about God's grace.  The miracles freeing God's people from Egypt served to harden Pharoah's heart, rather than open it to the God of grace. 

What if God actually does miracles, not to draw people to Himself, but rather, to show people where their heart really is?  If people have to see the miraculous, maybe they aren't ready for the ordinariness of God, which is so prevalent in the Bible.  If they see a miracle, perhaps it will harden their heart even more, and thus reveal more about their heart rather than the heart of God. 

The one thing I can say for sure is that miracles point us, like the sample pack, to the fullness of new life that God will unveil at the new creation.  If a miracle is an outstanding event, how much better will be the new life that is revealed when Jesus reappears?  That, my friends, will truly be miraculous!

Wilderness Roamings

Over the past week and a half, I have been on the go a lot.  Back on the 12th, I headed down to Orlando, Florida, for the every-three-years worth of business that our church body engages in.  It was a great convention, headed under the theme "Engaged in the Master's Business."  I will be sharing a bit more on this in a few future posts.

Then, once I returned from that trip, I had a one day turn-around before my family and I hit the airport all together.  We flew out to the church that I had formerly pastored at, in northern Utah.  The congregation there was celebrating 50 years of God's work in Utah, and we were privileged and humbled to be part of that work and time.  It was a joyous celebration, as well as a great time to reconnect with many caring relationships that we had made over the course of more than a decade.

In a way, the past week and a half has me feeling as though I have been in the wilderness roaming around.  When you are traveling, it's always hit and miss with internet time, and so my blogging took a back seat over the past two weeks or so.  In a sense, I relate just a tiny bit to those Israelites who left Egypt at God's deliverance, who then doubted that God could deliver the Promised Land into their hands.  They were without a permanent home for a period of 40 years, wandering around in the wilderness.

Yet, even in that time period, and even though that generation of adults had been told that they would not inherit the Promised Land, God still proved faithful to His people.  They continued to be His people, and He dwelt with them.  It's much the same for us when we find ourselves wandering, so to speak.  We have the promise that our Lord Jesus is with us.  We have the promise that nothing in this world can take us out of His nail-pierced hands. 

That's a great promise for us to remember when we find ourselves wandering in the wilderness.  That time of wandering also helps us appreciate even more the gift of a permanent home that our God delivers us to.  That's why I revel in God's presence with me in the wilderness wanderings, and just as much as I return to home, and to the work that He has prepared for me to be engaged in doing.

Complex Thoughts

Okay, there is a lot swimming around in my head today.  As usual, life and events bring many things to mind, and our Christian faith has connections to all of them.  I know that God does that because all of our life is to be the crucible in which we live out our faith, but we humans have a tendency to want to compartmentalize it, to keep God in certain parts, but not in other parts.  Or, we want what God says to apply to certain parts of our lives, but not to others.  So, with that being said, I'm simply going to ruminate for a few moments.

First thought: God has fully invested in us.  We have the full forgiveness of God in Jesus, who paid the ultimate price for us.  We have God going "all in" with us, as He ties His message and His reputation to His people.  With that level of investment in us, it really is sad that we so often fail to invest ourselves much in the matters of God in our lives.  While being "more invested" in how our faith doesn't change how God sees us as His child, it definetly impacts how others see God, see the Church, and see us as Christians.  In that regard, we do indeed reap what we sow.

Second thought: We hear people say things like, "Just trust that God will take care of things" or "Let go, let God."  I think these sayings are both right on and, at the same time, widely misused.  The reality is that God is always going to take care of things.  Our trouble is that we have a hard time believing that God is doing His thing when it goes differently than we expect.  We have an outcome in mind, while God's is likely to be far different than what we expect.  God's prefered end may not even be pleasant or enjoyable.  That's why we have a tough time with this.  But, on the other hand, sometimes we hear those phrases, and our tendency can be to use them as excuses not to take action.  If God is going to do something, then why should I?  And then, we fail to do what God may be putting before us to do.

Okay, I have many more, but that's probably more than enough to put out there for today. 

Random Weekend Thoughts and Reflections

Just a few random things on a Saturday.

• A theme I constantly return to.  God is a God of perfect grace, perfect justice, and perfect mercy.  We humans just simply cannot fathom how that can be.  We tend to fall to one part or another.  When we encounter other people who lean toward a different one, we simply fail to understand.  Yet, somehow, God in Christ Jesus is all of these perfectly.
• Book Reading: I love to read (as you may have read before on this blog).  I'm currently working through a set of books by an author, David Platt.  I recommend what he has written in what I have read thus far, but encourage you to remember that every author has their own soapbox, as well as their own idea on what is of importance and value to God.
• Journals: I've never really been all that big on journaling, but am thinking of taking up a few aspects of it.  In particular, part of my research project for my doctorate will be the keeping of a specific journal for a specific class offered within the congregation.  However, I do anticipate bringing the journaling aspect out into other parts of the lives of God's people.
• Hospitality: over the past few months, my family and I have opened our house up to the people of God, and the response has been tremendous.  We have loved having everyone over (even as I grumble about the sweeping and vacuuming before and after), and have enjoyed getting to know people better.  I truly believe this is a lost part of the Christian life and community, simply having people over to one's house.
• Reading the Bible during Worship: One of the things I am challenging myself on is to have God's people be in the Bible during worship.  It has required a few adjustments on my part, but I find overall that I am enjoying the challenge, and look forward to seeing people continue to flip through the pages of the Bible as God's Word impacts our lives.

Living in a #Hashtag World

Okay, full confession here.  I have a twitter account.  I'm also highly considering a Pinterest and an Instagram account.  I realize that some of you who read this blog may be wondering what those are, and perhaps in the future I'll explain or link to them.  But I have a twitter account.  I aim to put a thought or two out there each day on it, as well as a link to my (daily) blog entries. 

Lots of people, though, frequent twitter a lot more than I do.  Just in the last 3 minutes, I've had over 20 new twitter statements come through on my "feed".  I follow quite a few different people or interests on there.  Some are sports, some are running, some are food, and some are church, ministry, or theology related.  Regardless, I get a new alert every time a few more pop up.  (Just got 5 more while I typed that sentence.)

One of the remarkable things on twitter is that you can add a hashtag (#) in front of something, and it will sometimes get picked up by others.  You do that for a one word summary of something that expresses your thoughts at the moment.  It could be a person of interest, an item of interest, or something along those lines.  When enough people add it to their feed, twitter updates you to let you know what people are hashtagging, so you know what is trending out there in the world.

We live in a hashtag world, regardless of your awareness of how twitter uses them or not.  Every time you see a banner on TV that says "Breaking News", you have a form of the hashtag.  Every time something like that crosses your internet provider, you have a form of the hashtag.  It's a reminder of what's happening now, of what's popular now, of what people are looking into now.

We live in a hashtag world because we want things right now.  And in some respects, that also speaks to our Christian lives.  We want to know God is with us right now.  We want to know that God forgives us, not at some point in the future, but right now.  We want to know that God has an interest in our lives right now.  And the amazing thing is, God actually is and does all those things, and right now!

You have forgiveness right now, because of what Jesus has done for you.  You have forgiveness right now when you have the washing waters of baptism as part of your history.  You have the gift of a relationship with God right now, through that baptism, and through your ongoing faith in what God has done for you in Jesus.  You have the gift of eternal life right now, by virtue of your connection to God in Christ Jesus, who lives an eternal life that will never die.

The great thing is, we don't need hashtags to make those things our reality.  They are our reality because of what God has done for us, and because those gifts have been given to us.  And yet, we need that hashtag frequency of reminder because not a day goes by that we need to be reminded of it.  We need that reminder because every day, other hashtags attempt to distract us from God's gifts in Christ Jesus.

Maybe you didn't know it, but you live in a hashtag world, in that you live in a world of right now.  God works right now for you, and won't stop.  Even if you don't know what a hashtag is, you have the assurance of God's gifts in your life right now!  Thanks be to God for that in Jesus!

A happy new year

Well, we are now 7 days into the new year.  I realize that it's been a lot longer than that since I last posted something on here.  But that's about to change once again.

I hope that each and every one of you has been having a blessed new year thus far.  God's grace promises to carry through to us every year, and we rejoice in that grace as we live under it in His eternal kingdom.

Being the kind of person I am, I typically set goals for myself for the upcoming year.  Not so much resolutions, but things I want to see accomplished in the coming year.  Some of these are of a personal nature, such as my family time and how I interact with my family, as well as my running and exercise routine.  Some are professional, involving things such as reading, writing, and professional growth in areas in which I work.  Others, since I am a part of a local congregation with some amount of influence and guidance, have to do with the life of that congregation.

Over the next few days, I'll share a few of these with you, as well as ask you about any that you may set.  But above all, what I strive for in all of these is that the LORD our God is better served, even as He has served us fully in Christ our Lord.  May this year be one lived out in His holy name!

Bringing Meaning to Work

How meaningful is your work?  For many of us, we find a great deal of meaning in our work.  We have a tendency to wander into those fields that we enjoy, or that we have some degree of aptitude in.  We enjoy putting our time and effort into our work, and find joy and fulfillment in it.  In some ways, we don't mind when it's hard work because it's meaningful.

But what happens when your work isn't meaningful?  For many of us, we also find ourselves in careers or jobs or occupations that we didn't necessarily anticipate.  Or, we find ourselves in those kind of jobs that we think of as menial.  We fail to see how meaningful those positions are, and so we find ourselves merely being a warm body doing what is necessary to get a paycheck.

In my perusal of the Bible, I have noticed that our God is one who seems to believe in meaningful work.  After all, everything that there is that needs to be done is there because of His creation.  God gives meaning to work because He created us to be active in working as we care for this world and creation.  Now, because of the presence of sin in the world, our work is often challenging, difficult, and can seem dreary rather than joyful.  But God's intent from the beginning was for work to be meaningful.

I bring this up because we also often find much work to be done in our life together as Christians in the context of our congregations.  Yet, so often, that work doesn't seem to be all that meaningful.  We get chosen for a board, or a position, and seem to discover that we're a warm body filling a spot that some document calls for to exist.  We don't see the meaning of the position, and so we don't find ourselves doing the work of the position.

I have come to believe that meaning, however, isn't something that we draw out of work or positions which call for work, but is rather something that we bring as we work.  Meaning, in and of itself, does not exist in relation to our work.  The work is merely necessary.  The meaning comes when we look at what we are chosen to do, when we apply ourselves and make things happen, and as we start to touch the lives of others with the work we do. 

In other words, we so often bring meaning to our work, rather than getting meaning from our work.  And here's another thing.  That meaning tends to come when we find out how our work impacts others.  In other words, meaning comes when we apply ourselves to our work, and when we see that the work touches other people in their lives.  Meaning comes when community touches our work, and when our work touches community.  And as we discover that meaning, we then are so often led to invest ourselves even more in what we are doing, because we see the importance it has for us, as well as others. 

A Few Friday Thoughts

Didn't really feel like putting together a well-composed blog entry today (too little sleep this week seems to finally be catching up a bit), so today you get a few thoughts on some things that have either been brewing in the world, or are little items that have come to grab my attention recently.

• On being a good steward: We tend to hear the word "Stewardship" in the Christian Church as a bad thing.  Its focus is way too often on money only.  When God created mankind, God didn't tell the man to only take good care of his money (which didn't even exist at the time).  Instead, God put him in charge of the care of the entire world.  That means that our stewardship involves our care for this world (including things like recycling, or understanding our "green footprint" and other such matters), our time, our money, and our relationships with others.  All of these are areas that are included in the term stewardship.
• On Jesus and His re-appearing: Jesus has promised that He will "come again".  Over the years, I've read lots of material about what that return appearance will be like, and most of it is actually pretty poor theology.  Getting into why it's poor theology would take a book or two, so I won't do that in a bullet point.  Here's what we need to know, though.  Jesus will reappear.  Everyone will see it happen.  The dead will be raised.  The faithful will receive their eternal inheritance, and the rest sent off to eternal condemnation.  Nothing will ever separate the faithful from God and the Lamb again.  Pretty simple.
• Simplicity isn't easy: We live in a world that has a tendency toward complexity.  Simplicity appeals greatly to us.  Simplicity actually has a power of its own.  Sadly, we all too often fail to keep things simple, even when it comes to church and ministry.  We spread ourselves thin rather than keeping our ministry focus simple.  We create confusion as to what we expect of God's people, rather than giving them a simple expectation.  We come up with confusing theologies rather than holding to the simple truth of the Bible.
• Community Matters: This morning I'm planning on visiting someone who is suffering through cancer treatments.  Such visits remind me of the importance of community.  I also frequently deal with people who feel isolated or disconnected, even within the household of God.  I'm reminded of the importance of community.  Perhaps even more importantly, I'm reminded that community doesn't just happen, but that it needs to be intentionally nurtured and maintained.  Leading God's people in developing greater community is a lot of work, but a very worthwhile work.

I'd love to hear any thoughts or comments on these, or even on other matters that you'd like for me to blog about in the future.  

Being Appreciative

I don't know how well-known it is, but typically each year, October is chosen to be a month for God's people to show their appreciation to their pastor for serving God and His people in the office of the public ministry.  It gives God's people a chance to recognize the work that goes on in bringing the Gospel message to people, and also simply gives people a chance to love their pastors.  And yes, I can say that pastors truly do appreciate the love that God's people show toward them.

I recognize that, in writing this, it in some ways seems a bit self-serving.  If I draw attention to pastor appreciation month, am I just trying to get people to appreciate me?  Not really.  I will admit to a certain amount of joy that comes with being appreciated, but if that were the reason I currently do what I do, well, I should probably re-examine my life.

However, I do need to say that it's always humbling and touching when God's people demonstrate their appreciation.  And this year, I can honestly say that I have been moved by the amount of appreciation that has been shown to me.  So many wonderful cards, and so many touching and generous gifts have truly let me know that God's people appreciate my humble, meager efforts to bring the Gospel message to bear.  While I will be sure to say thank you to the various individuals who did such things, I also want to let everyone know that I also appreciate them.

It is a great honor when people believe that you are serving God and His people well.  It's very easy for a pastor to recognize his faults and flaws, and to dwell on them.  That uplifting that takes place when God's people demonstrate appreciation can truly make a big difference in the life and ministry of a pastor.  And that is why, when all is said and done, all I can say is "Thank you, and all praise be to God the Father, Son, and Spirit."  Amen!

A Friday Excursion

Today we interrupt our regularly scheduled program to simply take an excursion on some interesting things out there in the world.

Popes and Mixed Messages: I haven't yet waded through the latest big statement from Pope Francis that is making news.  I have heard the sound bites and read a few reactions, but haven't actually looked over what he actually said.  So this is coming somewhat off the cuff.  It seems as though Pope Francis wants to remind people that Jesus came to save sinners, and that the message of Christians should primarily be about that Gospel message.  He doesn't seem to say ignore the things that God calls sin, but don't make the Christian faith and message more about sin than about grace.  I do plan on reading his lengthy statement soon, and can hopefully add a few more thoughts to this.

Sound Bite Generation: Following up on the previous thought, have you noticed how we never get the full message of what people say that is newsworthy anymore?  Instead, we get soundbites.  Sure, the newsies may pull the most important statements out for us to hear, but truthfully, everything loses something when it is pulled out of context.  We can make soundbites sound however we want, and we should always remember that the newsies don't have a primary responsibility to convey the news as it should be, but to get eyeballs to watch them or read their articles.  Therefore, they will always pull out the most controversial statements, or will present things in order to attract attention to their story, and not to present the whole picture.  Just remember that when you watch the newsies.

Good Reading Material: I enjoy reading good theological books.  I also enjoy reading good practical application of theology books.  Yes, those are two different things, though they should be walking hand in hand with one another.  So often, though, we want to pit the two against each other.  But the reality is, theology is meant to be lived out in real life application.  And that means that it will always be messy, because it gets applied into a sinful world.  Sure, it would be nice to have things work out exactly as God wills and designs, but sin simply will not allow that to happen.  So, there will always be a wrestling match between the two.

Well, that's long enough for a Friday morning.  Praying you all have a blessed weekend that finds you in worship with God's people at some point, but always in God's grace in Jesus!

Friday Randomness

Just a few things flitting through the mind as this Friday afternoon rolls by.

• God calls us to prepare when take different matters on.  This is no less true for spiritual or Gospel matters as it is for daily matters of this life.  We are to count the cost when it comes to our budgets, but also when it comes to planning as God's people in the congregational sense.  When is the last time someone suggested, toward the end of the month, that a family should just have faith, and that God would provide, and then go out and spend money recklessly?  But why do we tend to approach it from that standpoint from time to time in our congregations?
• How boring and mundane does prayer sometimes seem to be?  After all, we often are simply reading prayers, maybe speaking them out loud, or simply sharing what lies in our minds and on our hearts.  It sure doesn't appear to be a powerful thing, or seem to be earth shattering.  But what if God sees those things where we don't see much action taking place as the places where He is most actively at work?  
• When it comes to technology and the church, we are called to practice a great deal of wisdom.  Sure, technology can be a great help and support of the spreading of the Gospel, but technology is not the solution that will suddenly change things such as outreach or evangelism.  Those are still primarily face to face endeavors, where the Holy Spirit works through the shared words.  All other approaches which replace that human element truly do come across as gimmicky.
• The best gift you can give to a younger person in your faith community is to befriend them and take an interest in their life.  It's amazing that research has shown what God has said all along.  When the more mature in the faith take the younger under their wing, the younger ones have a much greater possibility of remaining in their faith and in their activity and participation.  So which young person in your faith community will you take under your wing today?

Just a few things to think about as the Labor Day weekend rolls around.  Be safe, everyone!

Does God Want Me To Be Safe?

"In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."  Jesus

The question of safety is one we all face daily.  You get in your car, and what's one of the first things you (supposedly) do?  Put on your seat belt.  Very likely, your car has been tested repeatedly for safety things like impact.  You probably have air bags to keep you safe in an accident.  And safety takes on even bigger impact in other venues.  You go to the airport and have to empty your pockets and walk through scanners, all in the name of safety.

Now, I don't want to downplay the importance of safety to us as humans.  We want to be safe.  In fact, our safety is one of the needs of life, rather than a want.  It's hard to ever be calm or focused if you don't feel safe.  Think about people you know who live in dangerous situations.  They are very stressed, they may not sleep, and it causes a lot of problems for them.  Safety, to some degree, is a need for our human lives.

God recognizes this, which is why we have Him establishing the governing authorities.  One of their roles is the safety of those over whom they have authority.  That is their God-given responsibility.  And yet, the presence of sin in the world also means that safety in this world is a fleeting thing.  To put it another way, we could have a police officer in every classroom in the U.S., but one sinful person bringing a gun to class puts the people in that classroom into danger.

Does God take our safety seriously?  Yes.  However, is our safety God's ultimate priority in this world?  That's where I would venture to answer, "No".  God's primary purpose for us is to be found in Him, in Jesus, so that we inherit the perfect world in which issues of safety are non-issues.  While God wants us to be safe in this world, He also wants us to know that, even in times when we aren't safe, we are still in the blood-stained hands that purchased us, hands which have prepared an eternal, safe kingdom for us to live in forever.

I think we have a duty to teach this to one another, but especially to our children.  Legislation will not bring about ultimate safety.  Sure, it might eliminate a few threats, but the threat of sin never goes away.  Our ultimate safety lays in the fact that we are in the nail-pierced hands of Jesus, and nothing will ever take us away from those hands. 

Making a Home

From 1 Chronicles 17:10; "Moreover, I declare to you that the LORD will build you a house."

The words above were spoken to King David at a time when he wanted to build a house for the LORD.  But, as God spoke to David through Nathan, God turned the tables on David.  David would not build a house for the LORD, but the LORD would build a house for David.  Not a literal house, but a home, a family, and a line of descendants that would stretch all the way to God's own eternal Son, who would redeem the world.

That is much like God.  We have our ideas of what we would like to do, and then God does even greater things for us, and so often they are unexpected.  I have noticed this in my life quite often, but most recently as God has provided a house for my family and I.  Upon our recent move to Georgia, we rented a house for the majority of this year.  We were often out househunting, and just recently, it seems as though God has dropped a wonderful home right into our laps.  We are very thankful for that gift.

We're also reminded that God has made us a family, and that our family is truly a gift from him.  Without the long story, I can truly say that our little daughter is a gift from God in many ways, not the least of which was the timing of her conception.  God has truly made a house for us in our family.

My family and I don't have a direct promise from God, such as Nathan gave to David, about our house.  However, there is so much about our house that demonstrates God's faithfulness to us, and we simply marvel and respond with our thanks and praise to all that He has provided for us.

Now, if God could only do something to transport all those boxes and all that furniture over there from our rental!

Expectations: What did you expect?

Last night, I watched my favorite basketball team go down in defeat as they battled for a championship.  I have loved my team since I was a really little boy, even before they started to get good.  And so, watching the last few minutes of their last game of the season, I was somewhat disappointed.  But I say somewhat because I recognize that I hadn't really expected them to make it as far as they did.  Sure, I knew they were a good team, but to be battling for a championship into the last seconds of the last game of the season was more than I had expected at the beginning of the season.  For that reason, I can also say that I have a great deal of pride for my team and what they accomplished, which somewhat offsets the disappointment.

The thoughts and feelings I experienced in the above paragraph arose in me because of my expectations.  Expectations have a funny way of getting into our lives.  We're often wrecked when our expectations are not met.  Or, if our expectations were much lower than what happened, we're overjoyed that things turned out much better.  If our expectations happened to be pretty much on par with what happened, we tend to think that we had a pretty good read on the situation.

In life, it is inevitable that others will fail to live up to our expectations.  In fact, I would even go so far as to say that most of us don't actually always know what we expect in given situations.  Far too infrequently do we take the time to think about what we expect from a person, or a situation, or a context in our lives.  And even more infrequently do we express those expectations to others.  That is, until they fail to meet our expectations.

Have you ever been on the receiving end when you didn't fulfill someone else's expectations?  Maybe it was the outburst of anger, or the words of bitter disappointment in you that came to light.  Or perhaps it even led to the ending of a relationship.  Their expectation was such that your failure to live up to it meant that they would move on to another.  (By the way, I honestly believe this is the biggest reason people leave particular churches, because the church doesn't live up to their expectation, often without the people of the congregation even knowing what was expected of them.)  Rather than dealing with you and their unmet expectations, they turn to another in hopes that the other will live up to their expectations.

Sadly, this sense of expectation often gets turned toward God, as well.  How many people have left God because He didn't live up to their expectations?  I would also argue that many of them didn't even know what they were expecting of God, much less if their expectation was realistic or not.  We can expect things of God that we may not even be aware of, but we realize them when God fails to live up to the standards that we create for Him.

The thing that we take great joy in as Christians is that God has completely realistic expectations when it comes to us humans.  He expects that we will be sinful, fallen, faulty human beings.  He knows us.  He also expects that we will have difficult hearing the word of forgiveness and restoration, since it's completely out of our hands.  And yet, by His Spirit, God continues to whisper these into our lives and ears and hearts.  God's expectation is that He will give what we need, and that His Spirit will continue to work on our sometimes deaf ears.

Our hope, as Christians, is that our expectations fall more and more into line with what God would have us expect.  Yes, we'll fight with the sinful nature that wants more or other things than what might be realistic.  But we also have the new creation in us, given through the water of baptism.  That new creation wants to live by God's expectations, and to have God's eyes when we look at what we expect of others.  So may God's Spirit continue to create and open those eyes within us!

Renewing the spirit, the mind, and the body

From Acts 3:19-20, "Repent therefore and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus,..."

You haven't heard from me for a few days.  In part, this is because I have been undertaking a bit of a time of refreshing.  So often in life, we find that our particular careers and vocations make us hit the ground running, and I have experienced some of that over the past several months.  It isn't that we dislike our work, or that we find it burdensome, but rather, we discover that you can be doing something you love, but as you give your best and your all to it, every once in a while you need to have some time to just sit back and take a brief break from it.

My break is in the form of a class that I am taking.  But more than that, it's a time away from the hustle and bustle that comes with my chosen vocation (or maybe I should say the vocation chosen for me).  Time away doesn't mean that I'm uninvolved, but rather, that I take the opportunity for a bit of renewal of the mind, the spirit, and the body.  In fact, a couple of days ago, I found it very refreshing to simply sit in a church building for a time of prayer and of Bible reading.  In a way, it truly seemed as though the Spirit was doing some measure of cleansing of my mind and my spirit, which truly did cause my body to feel refreshed as well.  I hope to do that a few more times.

God's Spirit refreshes our spirits.  But more than that, I also believe that He does the same thing to our minds and our bodies.  Sometimes we need to feel the burdens of our vocations lifted for a time, to be re-invigorated for what God prepares ahead for us.  That refreshing then allows us to re-discover the joy of our vocation, as well as a greater focus.  For me, the academic portion of it also serves to sharpen my mind, which provides endless benefits when it comes to ministry.

Changing Culture and Society

I've been giving a lot of thought lately to quite a few of the changes in society that I have seen change in my lifetime.  Granted, there are way too many of them to list them out, and so today, I want to look at it from the bigger picture perspective.  I realize that this paints with a broad brush, and that there are always exceptions, but I do think that there is something to doing that every once in a while.

It seems that there are quite a few people who recognize that our western society has proceeded in directions that we didn't necessarily want to go down.  So what has seemed to be the general approach to changing that direction?  Pass more laws.  There seems to be the thought that, if we make something illegal, people will stop doing it.  Lawmakers do it as they try to pass laws on gun control, health care, and all sorts of other things.  In the church, we tend to do it by emphasizing how we don't believe in certain things, like abortion, or divorce.

While I see that there is some value in this, there seems to be an idea out there that people will respond positively to laws.  There's almost an assumption that people will do what lawmakers or church leaders tell them to do.  And in my mind, while we can expect that to some degree, it tends to overlook the biblical reality that we are all born sinful, and that we tend to rebel against laws and rules.  Even when those laws and rules are put in place for our good and for our protection, we still don't like to think that someone else is telling us what we can or cannot do.

I recognize the good of laws and rules.  God gave us the Commandments to show what a perfect life would look like.  Since we are now contaminated by the taint of sin, those laws aren't guides, but instead reflect back the worst in ourselves.  So placing a higher emphasis on them seems likely to have a negative effect on us.  Instead of driving home the point that these are meant to be good for us, it seems to make us resent them even more.

I won't pretend that I know a good solution.  The fact of the matter is, we cannot avoid rules and laws, since they are in place for our good and protection.  We can't disregard them simply because we may not like them.  At the same time, we also cannot place too high of an importance on them, simply because we are sinful people who tend to rebel against them.  Add in the fact that every person probably has a different balance that works for them, not just in general, but in respect to each law or rule, and the task simply seems to be too overwhelming.

In upcoming posts, I will express a few of my thoughts on how we can work at changing the culture and society that we are part of.  As I think my way through this, I think you will see that it isn't an easy change, nor will it happen overnight.  And yet, when has anything worth fighting for ever been easy?

What it means to be a child

Yesterday I spent a few minutes thinking about this coming Sunday.  In my congregation, we will be observing All Saints' Day.  It's a day that is set aside to remember those who have gone before us in the faith, and who have now received their eternal inheritance with God in Jesus.  In many ways, this is a very moving day to observe, as many churches will read out the names of those that have died to this life and to sin, and now live with God.  Those names bring back memories of dearly loved ones, of people that we knew well, and with whom we get the joy and privilege of spending eternity.

Part of my reflection for this day came from the words of 1 John 3:1-3.  In there, John refers to believers in Christ Jesus as "little children."  It's a very endearing term to use, especially with the pictures and images that come along with it.  We are the children of God.  We are the people who are loved by God.

As you think about the life of a child, we see some of those same reflections in our lives as Christians.  A child is (usually) pretty proud of his or her parents.  A child doesn't want someone talking bad about the parents.  A child is happy to see parents, and looks to the parents to care for them, to give them what they need, and to provide for their well-being.  In all of these, the reflection of God should be pretty obvious.

Being a child also means that you find a lot of joy in life.  For many children, the world is simply filled with wonders that are out there to discover.  I would even say that it's kind of sad when we lose our sense of wonder in this creation of God's.  When we cannot find joy, is it because we have become too focused on our self-importance?  Do we risk losing the joy and wonder of seeing God's handiwork if we're too focused on our own stuff and life?

Being a child means that you are dearly loved.  It means that you have "Daddy", who is there to take care of you and to stand up for you.  And here is where we see that God is the best "Daddy" imaginable.  Not only has He provided for all that we need in life, He even goes so far as to give up His best in order to make sure that we belong to Him.  That's what Jesus and the cross and the resurrection is all about.

In the end, being a child means that we are loved.  Even though that love may not be revealing its complete form among us now, it still spills over into this life.  And so, in our interactions with one another, it would be great if we could all see each other as little children, children who are dearly loved by the Father.

When you just have no energy

I'm writing these words on a Monday afternoon.  For some reason, my head and motivation just don't seem to be up to the task of the day.  And yet, I find that there are still things that need to be done. 

Sometimes we just feel like we are running out of energy.  It could be that we got a poor night of sleep, or that we had a really busy day or two or twenty.  We may have done some physical activities that are more than what our body was prepared for, and we end up feeling a bit run down.  A nap seems to beckon us.  We feel like we just need to close our eyes for a bit.

One of the ironic things that I have discovered about myself is that, when these times come up, I seem to be most open to a time of reflection.  I put on some Christian music, whether it be hymns or songs, or even just instrumental pieces.  I will also typically find a verse or two from the Bible, close my eyes, listen to the music, and reflect or meditate upon those words.

I have to say, I have been amazed at how often that brief interlude in the busy-ness of the day brings about the refreshing I need.  It's times like those where I realize that God really does mean it when He says that His word is one that refreshes the spirit.  It's happened way too many times to simply be a coincidence, or some figment of my imagination.

Why not try it yourself next time when you feel like you need a little break, or a little boost.  I'm pretty sure that God's Word is better than any five hour energy drink you could find, even better than a cup of strong coffee.