Books, books and more books

With my recent move, I also had the chance to move my many books with me.  Last week, I had some of the young people at the new congregation move my boxes of books over to my office, and earlier this week, I took a little time to unpack them all.  Now my shelves stare back at me, not empty and lifeless, but with many spines and smiles!

That got me thinking this afternoon.  Just how much wisdom and knowledge is there out there in our world today?  I remember reading somewhere that the amount of information that we humans uncover or have access to doubles about every 5 years or so in our information age.  I truly believe that this is, in part, because God has created a unique world with a depth to it that we can never fully attain. 

But I think this also shows us something significant.  Knowledge is one thing. Wisdom is quite another.  Think of it like this.  Knowledge is knowing how something works.  Wisdom is knowing why it works, and how it works best.  Knowledge will only get you so far.  Knowledge without wisdom can actually be deadly.  Knowing how a gun works is one thing.  Understanding that it's not intended to be pointed at people while loaded is completely different.

Of the many books on my shelves, all have great knowledge to impart.  Some of them even have wisdom to impart for those wise enough to grasp it.  And yet, even as I look at them, I recognize that everything they impart pales in comparison to another kind of wisdom and knowledge.

"Fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight", says King Solomon in Proverbs 9:10.  Earlier in that same book, he also asserts "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction".  (Proverbs 1:7)  Both wisdom and knowledge find their source and origin in the LORD.  Knowledge comes from Him.  Wisdom comes from Him.  And in the end, He is the end point of all wisdom and knowledge.

Think about all the knowledge and wisdom you have obtained throughout your life.  How does it find its source and origin in the LORD?  How does it point to the LORD as its final end?  After all, without that, it's all just foolishness and a chasing after the wind.

When busy is good

One of the addictions that I believe we tend to have as Americans is an addiction to being busy.  Not necessarily to being productive, but to being busy.  I dare you to look at your schedule for the week right now.  How many things on your activities list are things that build you up as a person, or as a family?  How many things on that schedule simply seem to be a time consumer, not really being of any overall benefit, but just calling for your time?

I have long believed that we Americans tend to have a hard time developing our priorities.  Or maybe I should say that we tend to let others determine what has priority for us.  We just hate to say no, or to let someone down, and so we agree, even if we don't have the time, or even if we end up giving a half-hearted effort simply because we are being pulled in so many ways.  We find that the things we are involved in don't bring us joy, but we start to look at them as though "I have to do this" rather than, "I get to do this."  And that makes a great deal of difference in how we participate, and in the effort we give.

I've read countless books that talk about listing out our priorities, and then saying no to the things that detract from what should be our highest priorities.  There's a book out there called "Good to Great," in which the author suggests that the hardest thing to do is to say no to something good that simply won't lead us to greatness.  I would suggest that this extends into our personal lives.  We find so many good things to do that we don't have the time or effort to make one or two things great in our lives.

Jesus really seems to have an idea on how to focus on the great, and not get distracted by the good.  We read stories about Him healing a few people, but I would dare to suggest that not everyone in the world got healed.  It even says that Jesus didn't do some miracles in places such as His hometown, in part, at least, because of their lack of faith. 

The thing is, Jesus could have made it His goal to do the good work of healing.  But that would have then consumed His time and focus on doing the great, journeying to the cross to offer His life as the sacrifice for sin, and to rise to life again as our hope for new life.  Jesus focused on the great, not to the exclusion of the good, but rather, giving the good it's proper priority in what He set out to accomplish.

As I take up my tasks at a new church, I know I'm going to be pulled in many different directions.  There are always so many good things that we can do as God's people, and that we should be doing.  One of my goals is to discover what the great things are that we can do as a congregation, and then give guidance toward them as our priority.  Not that we intend to exclude the good, but that we keep the great in focus.  And I pray that the LORD will give us His Spirit abundantly to discern what those "great" things are.

Quiet Time

Over the years, I've had a significant number of times where I have been working in my office with no one else in the building.  The phones were silent, there wasn't anything urgent that needed to be done, and so I was blessed with some quiet time.  I've learned that times such as these are really good for some quiet reflection, some prayer, and even some good Scripture study.

This is the kind of thing that we American's tend not to understand very well.  It seems that our schedules are so busy, we're always on the go, and we're surrounded by so much sound and background noise that we have a hard time when it gets quiet.  Think about the last group conversation you were part of.  When that moment of silence occurred, did everyone seem to revel in it, or did you find yourself fidgeting around, waiting for someone to break the silence and start talking?

Silent times are blessings from God, but I also believe that they are blessings that we have to learn to understand and appreciate, especially since we live in such a frenzied world.  Silence now seems foreign.  It seems to be the intruder into our lives.  And yet, silence can be so refreshing.  Quiet time with God, whether in reading His Word or in prayer, gives a tremendous forum to clear our minds of the things that get in the way of discerning the leading of God's Spirit.  It's a bit of a lost art, and one that I would dearly love to see many people reclaim.

For me, some of this silent time comes when I run.  Other times of it happen when I'm alone in my office, or when I spend time in prayer.  My hope is that you also grow to see the importance of silent, quiet time, especially when you spend it in some way with God.

"For You"

Last year, for one of my classes, I had to read an interesting book.  The book talked about the study of theology, and took the perspective that theology has one primary aim and goal. That goal is to bring what God has done in Christ Jesus to the individual, to bring that person into the saving arms of Christ Jesus.  In essence, the author said that theology isn't just the study and formulation of doctrines.  Instead, it is taking what God has said and then saying to people, this is FOR YOU.

I had to pause and reflect on a lot of what I had said and taught over the years after I finished reading that book.  As I look back on many of the messages that I have prepared and preached, I see that there are many times that I have talked about God, and about Jesus, but way too many times where I have failed to take the next step, to say that what God accomplished in Jesus was done FOR YOU, the people who were listening.  Sure, what I said may have been accurately in line with what the Bible says, but failure to make it personal is still failure.

I wonder how many people used to sit in pews, listening to sermons like so many of mine, hearing doctrinal dissertations rather than a message that was spoken to them, and then decided that what they were hearing simply wasn't for them.  I have to confess my part in that, and, since that class, have really tried to make sure that I make it clear each time I speak that God did what He did for every single person who is there and listening that day.  I don't want to get up and lecture ABOUT God, but want everyone there to hear and know that God was at work for them.  And now, each week, I reflect on the words that I prepare to speak to make sure that I make that obvious at least two to three times in each message.

As you reflect on the messages you hear from Christian pulpits, how often do you hear specifically that God has been at work, especially in Christ Jesus, for you?  In fact, this coming Sunday, count how many times the preacher indicates that God is at work for you.  And then, don't be afraid to say how you either heard it, or how you failed to hear it.  Praise the message if it was made clear that God was doing His work for you.  If that message failed to be proclaimed, then that preacher needs the reminder, more than ever, that God's word needs to be proclaimed in such a way as to assure every listener that God is at work for them.

Why pray if God knows my thoughts?

As we read through the Bible, we get a lot of words that describe what God is like.  We hear words like "holy" or "just", and some make more sense to us than others.  We have a pretty decent idea of how to describe if something is just or not, but we have a harder time describing holy.  Some are more believable than others, too.  We read that God is kind and loving, though our lives sometimes don't seem to reflect that love and kindness as we face various struggles and trials.

Another description of God is that He knows everything.  He is all-knowing, or as the Latin phrase would say, omniscient.  God knows what all will happen, what all has happened, and what is happening throughout this world at the current moment.  Yes, He even knows what the ants in the hills are doing, and which leaves fell to the ground, and what that droplet of water in the middle of the Indian Ocean is doing.  And that also means that He knows what we are thinking at any given moment.  He not only sees what we are doing, He peeks into our minds and sees our thoughts.

Which brings up an interesting question.  Why do we need to pray, then?  If God can see what I'm thinking, if He knows the questions or requests I have in my mind, then why do I need to pray about them, either out loud or in the silence of my mind?  It kind of seems unnecessary, in one sense.  He already knows.  Why do I need to take the time to put my thoughts in order, to to make the formal request of Him?

I suppose there are a great many answers to that question.  I know I have read books that talk about the need for prayer.  Some say it's for our benefit more than God's, so that we actually know what we are thinking and asking.  Some say it's cathartic for us, as though it takes the burden off of us once we have asked.  Others say that it's a breathing part of our lives as Christians, that we are living out our Christian faith as we pray.  And I know that there are good and valid points to all of these thoughts.

I would go so far as to say that there is an element of all of these in God's command to pray, but that there is also something else at work that perhaps reaches even deeper.  It's about growing in our relationship with God as we pray.  It's not like God needs to hear our voice or our thoughts in order to respond, though He does take great delight in responding when we do take the time to formalize our prayers in such a way.  But God really wants us to have that living, breathing relationship with Him, which is part of the emphasis on prayer.  As you talk to someone, you establish relationship with them.  And we shouldn't be surprised to learn that the same principle applies in our relationship with God.

So take time to pray today.  Do it because you have things you want to ask from God, or to get things off your chest.  But do it also because you want to grow and deepen the relationship you have with Him.  Talk with God.  Sure, sometimes our prayers are lighter and don't have too much substance, and at other times, they are very weighty.  The thing is, God dearly loves that we establish that relationship with Him as our dearly loved Father, just as He assures us that He is our dear Father who loves His dear children.

New Year, New Place, New Thoughts

Okay, after a long absence, I am back and will be making a lot of effort to get things up here several times a week.

Many of you may be familiar with the reason for my absence.  Last November, I took a call to a new church in Georgia.  That meant that December became a month where I was not only wrapping up things at my former congregation, but I was preparing for all the "extras" of Advent and Christmas, while packing up and trying to get our house ready to sell.  Sadly, that meant that internet and TV time became very low priority.

However, there are many things that I am thankful for in the whole process.  First, we put our house up on the market on a Friday.  There was a showing on Saturday, and the family made an offer that afternoon.  After the usual minor haggling, we reached an agreement that Sunday.  Yes, our house sold in basically one day!  God has continued to point out what He wants us to do in that.

Then, we are also thankful that we found a place to rent for the next six months.  We went back and forth on whether we should buy right away, or rent and look around for a bit.  We eventually decided to rent, and now have a nice house (though quirky) that we are staying at.  Even better, it's less than a mile from the church.

Another reason to give thanks is that practically all our stuff arrived in good condition.  Though we haven't opened all the boxes yet, we've only really found a few minor breakages or dings on things.  God has been good to us by protecting our household things during their long trip.  (Though we are still awaiting the arrival of a car!!!)

Also, it has been humbling to see how God has provided for us.  In our conversations with the owners of the house we are renting, they failed to let us know that there wasn't a refrigerator.  We were able to rather quickly get a small, dorm style fridge, but then, on Sunday, after one announcement, a family said that they had just gotten a new one, which meant that they had an old one that they were getting rid of.  They happened to have the new one installed the day before it was announced that we needed one at church, and they were able to bring it over later on Sunday.  God really has been providing well for us throughout this time.

There are many things we are looking forward to, even as we remember the place that we called home for so long.  It will be a transition, and it will carry its challenges, but so far, we have really seen God's hand in saying that our new home and church is the place that He has set aside for us.  Thanks be to God!

Joy in the Telling

Just admit it.  You get a little bit of a thrill out of it.  Someone does something wrong, and you find a little bit of joy in telling them off.  It's okay to admit it.  You're human.  You're going to find joy in pointing out the faults and flaws and sins of others.  Just admit it.

This week, I have been engaged with the prophet Jeremiah.  I've been reading through his words as part of my preparation for Advent.  And throughout the early part of his message, there are some themes that definitely come to the forefront.  God's people had sinned.  They needed the message of repentance spoken to them.  They needed to have the error and sin of their ways pointed out to them.

Now, you might think that Jeremiah would find some joy in that.  After all, in our day and age, you simply have to turn on the TV to see people shouting about the sins and faults of others.  Some do it for attention, others do it simply because they like to see others knocked down a peg or two.  And why should Jeremiah be any different?  He's human like us, right?

The thing is, you almost get this sense that Jeremiah will faithfully point out what God's people have been doing in their sin, but it's with a sense of regret.  It's almost as though Jeremiah doesn't want to do it, and not just because he knows how the people will react.  He doesn't seem to get any joy in telling God's people off.  It doesn't seem to boost his ego or make him seem to be better than they are.

No, Jeremiah hates that he has to speak this message to God's people.  And in that, we find much that would guide us in wisdom.  Jeremiah sees the need for God's people to hear the message of repentance, yet he hates the fact that it has to come to them.  Because he has been set aside by God to do this, it's not like Jeremiah is gaining anything from pointing these matters out.  There really is no joy in the telling.

I've know quite a few people in my life who seemed to take some amount of joy in letting others know about their faults.  I've even seen that in myself from time to time.  And that's where Jeremiah reminds me that I really shouldn't find joy in pointing out people's faults or flaws.  Sure, they may need to hear about it, but not in such a way that it boosts my ego, or makes me seem to be better than they are.

As I think about this matter, it truly strikes me just how humble God looks for His people to be.  Not only in the pattern of our lives, but even in the way that we show others their sin and fault.  Always with an eye toward God's reconciliation and forgiveness, and not in order to make ourselves more than we ought.  Another hard lesson from the Bible!