Job 23:8 “Behold, I go forward, but he is not there,and backward, but I do not perceive him;9 on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him;he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him.10 But he knows the way that I take;when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.11 My foot has held fast to his steps;I have kept his way and have not turned aside.12 I have not departed from the commandment of his lips;I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.
Psalm 139:1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;you discern my thoughts from afar.3 You search out my path and my lying downand are acquainted with all my ways.4 Even before a word is on my tongue,behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.5 You hem me in, behind and before,and lay your hand upon me.6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;it is high; I cannot attain it. 7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?Or where shall I flee from your presence?8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!9 If I take the wings of the morningand dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,10 even there your hand shall lead me,and your right hand shall hold me.
***
I wrote an essay a while back which has been a bit of a theme for me as a father, about how all of us, at our core, crave God's attention, and how He craves ours. There are many dynamics to these complimentary desires. Properly fulfilled, they become worship and blessing. In their fractured forms, they lead to fear and judgement.
There is no easy answer to explain why Job is estranged from God. He is a godly man who has suffered greatly. His process of suffering is a drama that reveals his character and challenges our paradigms about God. He feels that God is not near. We can relate to that. It is an interesting thing to have in the Bible, when you think about it - a lament about how God feels far away. But it is a lament that is reiterated over and over again, contrasting with the times when God comes near.
Psalm 139 is the other extreme of this feeling - an utter awareness of the closeness of God. It is the understanding that his eyes are always on us.
Despite what we may feel, here is the promise from Jesus himself: "I am with you always, to the end of the age.” He is, after all, the Prince of Peace.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Hard Words
Luke 14:25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. 34 “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? 35 It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
***
Jesus uses what sounds to us like absolutist language. He presses us into a world of right and wrong when we are accustomed to negotiation and compromise. But then he also softens his tone and retains the human touch. The with-God life is thus filled with exhortation, conviction and then reconciliation.
***
Jesus uses what sounds to us like absolutist language. He presses us into a world of right and wrong when we are accustomed to negotiation and compromise. But then he also softens his tone and retains the human touch. The with-God life is thus filled with exhortation, conviction and then reconciliation.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Gethsemane & the Incarnation
Matthew 26:36-46 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch [7] with me.” 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. [8] See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
***
Jesus shows his divinity and his humanity in such profound ways in this passage. He is both strong enough to submit to his call as messiah and yet weak enough to feel all of the weight of the burden pressing down. His conversation with God the Father is strangely human and his imperative for the disciples to pray with him demonstrates supernatural standards of living. He is in the radical middle between God and man, or more accurately, He is fully God and fully man.
He is the prototype for what we aspire to become - not that we would become fully God, but we are certainly intended to be friends with God. Of all the celebrities who might ever call me on the phone and ask to be my friend, God has got to be the coolest one.
***
Jesus shows his divinity and his humanity in such profound ways in this passage. He is both strong enough to submit to his call as messiah and yet weak enough to feel all of the weight of the burden pressing down. His conversation with God the Father is strangely human and his imperative for the disciples to pray with him demonstrates supernatural standards of living. He is in the radical middle between God and man, or more accurately, He is fully God and fully man.
He is the prototype for what we aspire to become - not that we would become fully God, but we are certainly intended to be friends with God. Of all the celebrities who might ever call me on the phone and ask to be my friend, God has got to be the coolest one.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Paul's 'St. Crispin's Day' Speech
2 Timothy 3-4
In this passage, Paul exhorts a weary band of brothers and sisters to fight the good fight and finish strong. I was thinking of this yesterday and remembered the images of the Iron Man race where runners pushed themselves so hard that they literally had to crawl across the finish line. As they cross they are greeted by their friends, family, doctors and media. There is at once the knowledge that 'it is finished' and also, I have done well. And that is what we desire, on the deepest level to know, that God sees us crawling across the finish line and grasps us under the arms saying, you are my son/daughter and I am deeply pleased with you. That is a wonderful vision and a destiny to pursue wholeheartedly, but an even better analogy might be these guys, Rick and Dick Hoyt. As it turns out, our role in the race of life is sometimes less about running and more about being carried along by the grace of God. Anyway, the dichotomy between these two images, where one represents us as the runner, and the other with God as the runner, really is dealt with in James. We must run with all of our might, and God will take care of the rest.
In this passage, Paul exhorts a weary band of brothers and sisters to fight the good fight and finish strong. I was thinking of this yesterday and remembered the images of the Iron Man race where runners pushed themselves so hard that they literally had to crawl across the finish line. As they cross they are greeted by their friends, family, doctors and media. There is at once the knowledge that 'it is finished' and also, I have done well. And that is what we desire, on the deepest level to know, that God sees us crawling across the finish line and grasps us under the arms saying, you are my son/daughter and I am deeply pleased with you. That is a wonderful vision and a destiny to pursue wholeheartedly, but an even better analogy might be these guys, Rick and Dick Hoyt. As it turns out, our role in the race of life is sometimes less about running and more about being carried along by the grace of God. Anyway, the dichotomy between these two images, where one represents us as the runner, and the other with God as the runner, really is dealt with in James. We must run with all of our might, and God will take care of the rest.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Teaching and Pastoring
Colossians 2:1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
***
One of the things that impresses me and blesses me about Paul's tone of voice here is his obvious love for each church community. He is so good at blessing people, encouraging and building them up. He always takes time at the beginning of a letter to do this, and then goes on to teach the Truth. Paul has the dual gifting as teacher and pastor, coming along side individuals and communities as a shepherd in the pursuit of a life like Jesus.
Sometimes it is tempting to think that teaching and pastoring are the same gift. Certainly a teacher is helping to lead another person intellectually, and a pastor is teaching by example and influence, but these two personalities tend to break out in the church. Paul is unique to have both gifts so strongly knit together. This is my theory. A good teacher, like a professor, has the weakness of intellectualism and pride. He or she might, in moments of sin, think too highly of themselves. Pride breaks down the unity and community. It is possible to be theologically sound, and yet lack love - which is, of course, not so sound after all. On the flip side, a pastor might be good at building community and loving people, but lack the ability to clearly communicate the truth of the gospel. He or she might, in moments of confusion or distraction, deemphasize the pursuit of right thinking. So Paul is good at both, which isn't to say he didn't have his own weaknesses. A quick lesson to leaders is to emulate both qualities and self reflect on potential areas of weakness. If I am a teacher, do I allow my knowledge to puff up without building up? If I am a pastor, am I letting my fear of conflict get in the way of truth? The fact is, the truth will cause a church to become more unified and healthy, if not bigger. But the Word of God is like a double edged sword (even sharper actually), and sometimes the truth will seem to shrink community rather than grow it. But Love prunes us, otherwise it would not be Love.
***
One of the things that impresses me and blesses me about Paul's tone of voice here is his obvious love for each church community. He is so good at blessing people, encouraging and building them up. He always takes time at the beginning of a letter to do this, and then goes on to teach the Truth. Paul has the dual gifting as teacher and pastor, coming along side individuals and communities as a shepherd in the pursuit of a life like Jesus.
Sometimes it is tempting to think that teaching and pastoring are the same gift. Certainly a teacher is helping to lead another person intellectually, and a pastor is teaching by example and influence, but these two personalities tend to break out in the church. Paul is unique to have both gifts so strongly knit together. This is my theory. A good teacher, like a professor, has the weakness of intellectualism and pride. He or she might, in moments of sin, think too highly of themselves. Pride breaks down the unity and community. It is possible to be theologically sound, and yet lack love - which is, of course, not so sound after all. On the flip side, a pastor might be good at building community and loving people, but lack the ability to clearly communicate the truth of the gospel. He or she might, in moments of confusion or distraction, deemphasize the pursuit of right thinking. So Paul is good at both, which isn't to say he didn't have his own weaknesses. A quick lesson to leaders is to emulate both qualities and self reflect on potential areas of weakness. If I am a teacher, do I allow my knowledge to puff up without building up? If I am a pastor, am I letting my fear of conflict get in the way of truth? The fact is, the truth will cause a church to become more unified and healthy, if not bigger. But the Word of God is like a double edged sword (even sharper actually), and sometimes the truth will seem to shrink community rather than grow it. But Love prunes us, otherwise it would not be Love.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Justice, Light & Heat
Isaiah 30:18 Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you,and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. *** Isaiah 30:26 Moreover, the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day when the Lord binds up the brokenness of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow.
***
Isaiah 30:33 For a burning place [7] has long been prepared; indeed, for the king it is made ready, its pyre made deep and wide, with fire and wood in abundance; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of sulfur, kindles it.
***
It seems that the justice of God, like a furnace, has different effects on differing materials. Whatever parts have been submitted to Him and redeemed, are turned to Gold and made part of an eternal reward. Whatever parts are horded away, whether physical resources or natural abilities, will be lost if not invested/redeemed. The same holy heat that purifies and sanctifies our lives is the heat that judges us for misusing and selfishly squandering our means. Where, under this light is there a place to hide? There is only one place to hide from you, and it is in you. The only protection from the heat of your justice is the shelter of your grace.
***
Isaiah 30:33 For a burning place [7] has long been prepared; indeed, for the king it is made ready, its pyre made deep and wide, with fire and wood in abundance; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of sulfur, kindles it.
***
It seems that the justice of God, like a furnace, has different effects on differing materials. Whatever parts have been submitted to Him and redeemed, are turned to Gold and made part of an eternal reward. Whatever parts are horded away, whether physical resources or natural abilities, will be lost if not invested/redeemed. The same holy heat that purifies and sanctifies our lives is the heat that judges us for misusing and selfishly squandering our means. Where, under this light is there a place to hide? There is only one place to hide from you, and it is in you. The only protection from the heat of your justice is the shelter of your grace.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Time is like a Watch in the Night
Psalm 90
From Everlasting to Everlasting
A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.
90:1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place [8]in all generations.2 Before the mountains were brought forth,or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. 3 You return man to dust and say, “Return, O children of man!” [9]4 For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past,or as a watch in the night.
***
For a poem so old, it certainly is (appropriately) timeless. Subtitled "From Everlasting to Everlasting," this passage captures Moses' musings on time and eternity. He says that a thousand years is like a watch in the night. I have stood many a night watch and can assure anyone who is curious, that in the moment, it feels like it will never end. Waiting for the dawn feels a bit like waiting for eternity. Moses had the right perspective - the big picture - because he had learned over time to think in terms of eternity. While our grand destiny might not come immediately, our work is not in vain.
From Everlasting to Everlasting
A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.
90:1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place [8]in all generations.2 Before the mountains were brought forth,or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. 3 You return man to dust and say, “Return, O children of man!” [9]4 For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past,or as a watch in the night.
***
For a poem so old, it certainly is (appropriately) timeless. Subtitled "From Everlasting to Everlasting," this passage captures Moses' musings on time and eternity. He says that a thousand years is like a watch in the night. I have stood many a night watch and can assure anyone who is curious, that in the moment, it feels like it will never end. Waiting for the dawn feels a bit like waiting for eternity. Moses had the right perspective - the big picture - because he had learned over time to think in terms of eternity. While our grand destiny might not come immediately, our work is not in vain.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Strangers and Sojourners
Leviticus 25: 23 “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine. For you are strangers and sojourners with me. And in all the country you possess, you shall allow a redemption of the land."
***
I find these verses particularly enlightening in our current condition. Viewing the land as God's property is one thing, but He takes it a step further. We are strangers on this earth with Him. He owns it, but it is not His home. Likewise, since we've been adopted into His family, the land we currently live in is not our home either.
***
I find these verses particularly enlightening in our current condition. Viewing the land as God's property is one thing, but He takes it a step further. We are strangers on this earth with Him. He owns it, but it is not His home. Likewise, since we've been adopted into His family, the land we currently live in is not our home either.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Doubt
Matthew 14:22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way [10] from the land, [11] beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” 28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, [12] he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
***
There are a lot of things that cause us to doubt. We doubt that God is as good as we hope. We doubt that he is as powerful as we hope. The story of Peter walking on the water would be a perfect parable for our own lives except for the strange fact that it is not a parable. As tempting as it might be to compare it to some Greek myth, the way the story is told transmits all of the real fear and nuance of a true story. So, we can draw the paralells and make it symbolic, but there is something much more mysterious about this story. It is a real parable, or as some have said, a true myth. Peter actually felt all of the fear of drowning and perhaps a deeper fear of God's rejection. Jesus' question: "Why did you doubt" address this second fear, the fear that God's love is not great enough. Faith turns out to be about knowing the character of God. As we press into Him and learn what He is like, we trust that he will always carry us.
***
There are a lot of things that cause us to doubt. We doubt that God is as good as we hope. We doubt that he is as powerful as we hope. The story of Peter walking on the water would be a perfect parable for our own lives except for the strange fact that it is not a parable. As tempting as it might be to compare it to some Greek myth, the way the story is told transmits all of the real fear and nuance of a true story. So, we can draw the paralells and make it symbolic, but there is something much more mysterious about this story. It is a real parable, or as some have said, a true myth. Peter actually felt all of the fear of drowning and perhaps a deeper fear of God's rejection. Jesus' question: "Why did you doubt" address this second fear, the fear that God's love is not great enough. Faith turns out to be about knowing the character of God. As we press into Him and learn what He is like, we trust that he will always carry us.
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