It occurred to me while I was updating my Twitter/Facebook status, that there was a similar feeling in it to those short zinger-prayers. Different audience (unless you have God as one of your Twitter followers or Facebook friends, I suppose), similar motivations perhaps. Consider, for instance, these "orphan tweets". They were singular signals that shot out into the dark void. Why were they written? What moved the authors to post anything in the first place? With the increasing ease via SMS and various apps, many of us feel compelled to share more of our struggles, joys and hopes with that virtual cloud of witnesses. The technology is tapping into a natural, yet often stifled human desire to relate, on a regular basis, with our community of friends. One of the interesting corollaries has been the follow on desire of friends to empathize, or "like" certain things that are shared. We desire to share and be heard. We also desire to hear and to relate. Aristotle reasoned that the purpose of art is mimesis, or in other words, representation of something abstract in art in order to communicate it between people. T.S. Eliot reasoned, similarly, that good art required a good objective correlative, or in other words, something which aptly represented the abstract thing. Now plenty of aestheticians and critics would insist that art is good by itself, that it doesn't need (or must not need) a person at either end. While I would agree with this to a certain extent (may explain it more in a future post), I think the highest and best use of art is to bless the ties that bind human community together and humans with their Maker. So lets say that I have this feeling inside, call it "Joy". I want to share this Joy with my Facebook friends (via Twitter of course, over SMS because I prefer it to mobile web). Let's say that the Joy is, in part, catalyzed by hearing my kids say something incredibly profound and wonderful. I could make an abstract statement - "I am joyful". Or, I could share the quote and let it speak for iteself. And perhaps the quote would be the perfect conduit of the feeling inside of me to my cloud of witnesses, and perhaps they would have the same joy from reading the quote, and perhaps they would let me know by clicking "like". What do I desire in prayer? I desire for God to click that "like" button in so many ways. I desire to be heard, to have him relate. I find it interesting that some churches are now encouraging worshippers to tweet during church. While you may feel immediately critical of this postmodern intrusion into our form of worship, consider (I’m not really taking sides, just raising a point) how the Wailing Wall is used almost like an old interface formaking short shout outs to God. In this case, of course, the status updates/supplications aren't meant for our community, but only for God.
Sunday, January 18, 2015
It occurred to me while I was updating my Twitter/Facebook status, that there was a similar feeling in it to those short zinger-prayers. Different audience (unless you have God as one of your Twitter followers or Facebook friends, I suppose), similar motivations perhaps. Consider, for instance, these "orphan tweets". They were singular signals that shot out into the dark void. Why were they written? What moved the authors to post anything in the first place? With the increasing ease via SMS and various apps, many of us feel compelled to share more of our struggles, joys and hopes with that virtual cloud of witnesses. The technology is tapping into a natural, yet often stifled human desire to relate, on a regular basis, with our community of friends. One of the interesting corollaries has been the follow on desire of friends to empathize, or "like" certain things that are shared. We desire to share and be heard. We also desire to hear and to relate. Aristotle reasoned that the purpose of art is mimesis, or in other words, representation of something abstract in art in order to communicate it between people. T.S. Eliot reasoned, similarly, that good art required a good objective correlative, or in other words, something which aptly represented the abstract thing. Now plenty of aestheticians and critics would insist that art is good by itself, that it doesn't need (or must not need) a person at either end. While I would agree with this to a certain extent (may explain it more in a future post), I think the highest and best use of art is to bless the ties that bind human community together and humans with their Maker. So lets say that I have this feeling inside, call it "Joy". I want to share this Joy with my Facebook friends (via Twitter of course, over SMS because I prefer it to mobile web). Let's say that the Joy is, in part, catalyzed by hearing my kids say something incredibly profound and wonderful. I could make an abstract statement - "I am joyful". Or, I could share the quote and let it speak for iteself. And perhaps the quote would be the perfect conduit of the feeling inside of me to my cloud of witnesses, and perhaps they would have the same joy from reading the quote, and perhaps they would let me know by clicking "like". What do I desire in prayer? I desire for God to click that "like" button in so many ways. I desire to be heard, to have him relate. I find it interesting that some churches are now encouraging worshippers to tweet during church. While you may feel immediately critical of this postmodern intrusion into our form of worship, consider (I’m not really taking sides, just raising a point) how the Wailing Wall is used almost like an old interface formaking short shout outs to God. In this case, of course, the status updates/supplications aren't meant for our community, but only for God.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Curator (a Manifesto)
By G.M. Plaster
May 12, 2012
To collect and cultivate the best of beauty’s gifts
Is the calling of the Curator
To truncate, critique or amplify
Link, like, and echo in virtual caves
Through windows… In cafes
They are the beacons of light
In the dark void, and abandoned terminals
Of human experience
For each life is, on its face
Inside the case
And we curate that which hearkens
To that outside the fishbowl
For we can sense beyond what we can reach
And see through water and curved glass
The undiscovered country
And we curate that which hearkens
To that which draws us near
To the thing we love and fear
We curate to know the Joy
From which all beauty shines
To make that Joy complete
May 12, 2012
To collect and cultivate the best of beauty’s gifts
Is the calling of the Curator
To truncate, critique or amplify
Link, like, and echo in virtual caves
Through windows… In cafes
They are the beacons of light
In the dark void, and abandoned terminals
Of human experience
For each life is, on its face
Inside the case
And we curate that which hearkens
To that outside the fishbowl
For we can sense beyond what we can reach
And see through water and curved glass
The undiscovered country
And we curate that which hearkens
To that which draws us near
To the thing we love and fear
We curate to know the Joy
From which all beauty shines
To make that Joy complete
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Tweets, My Status, Lamentations and Intercession
It occurred to me today, while I was updating my Twitter/Facebook status, that there was a similar feeling in it to those short zinger-prayers. Different audience (unless you have God as one of your Twitter followers or Facebook friends, I suppose), similar motivations perhaps. Consider, for instance, these "orphan tweets". They were singular signals that shot out into the dark void. Why were they written? What moved the authors to post anything in the first place? With the increasing ease via SMS and various apps, many of us feel compelled to share more of our struggles, joys and hopes with that virtual cloud of witnesses. The technology is tapping into a natural, yet often stifled human desire to relate, on a regular basis, with our community of friends. One of the interesting corollaries has been the follow on desire of friends to empathize, or "like" certain things that are shared. We desire to share and be heard. We also desire to hear and to relate. Aristotle reasoned that the purpose of art is mimesis, or in other words, representation of something abstract in art in order to communicate it between people. T.S. Eliot reasoned, similarly, that good art required a good objective correlative, or in other words, something which aptly represented the abstract thing. Now plenty of aestheticians and critics would insist that art is good by itself, that it doesn't need (or must not need) a person at either end. While I would agree with this to a certain extent (may explain it more in a future post), I think the highest and best use of art is to bless the ties that bind human community together and humans with their Maker. So lets say that I have this feeling inside, call it "Joy". I want to share this Joy with my Facebook friends (via Twitter of course, over SMS because I prefer it to mobile web). Let's say that the Joy is, in part, catalyzed by hearing my kids say something incredibly profound and wonderful. I could make an abstract statement - "I am joyful". Or, I could share the quote and let it speak for iteself. And perhaps the quote would be the perfect conduit of the feeling inside of me to my cloud of witnesses, and perhaps they would have the same joy from reading the quote, and perhaps they would let me know by clicking "like". What do I desire in prayer? I desire for God to click that "like" button in so many ways. I desire to be heard, to have him relate. I find it interesting that some churches are now encouraging worshippers to tweet during church. While you may feel immediately critical of this postmodern intrusion into our form of worship, consider (I’m not really taking sides, just raising a point) how the Wailing Wall is used almost like an old interface for making short shout outs to God. In this case, of course, the status updates/supplications aren't meant for our community, but only for God.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
A Strange (and relevant) Parable (as all of them are)
Luke 16:1 He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. 2 And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ 3 And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ 5 So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 He said, ‘A hundred measures [8] of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures [9] of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8 The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world [10] are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. 9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, [11] so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. 10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is anothers, who will give you that which is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
***
In a previous post I meditated on God's feelings about money. Coming back to that topic, I love this parable because he admits that dirty money is only good for one thing - advancing the Kingdom. Come hell or high water, we should do what it takes to help people know God loves them, even if we have to spendmoney to do it. Since you can't take it with you, might as well bless others with it; and in the case of this manager, we see that it isn't really money that we are dealing with, it's debt. Like our national economy, our own lives are not valued in how much we earn, but rather in how much we owe and to whom. in the realm of sin and forgiveness, paying off the bottom line is impossible. The best we can do is curry favor with others by forgiving their debts (and passing on the toxic loan to Christ to carry on his back). The irony is that the owner of the debt actually endorses this practice. Instead of scolding the manager for shortchanging him, Jesus is implying that God will say, "good job", your forgiveness of their debts was essential for your acceptance and understanding of my forgiveness of you.
***
In a previous post I meditated on God's feelings about money. Coming back to that topic, I love this parable because he admits that dirty money is only good for one thing - advancing the Kingdom. Come hell or high water, we should do what it takes to help people know God loves them, even if we have to spend
Monday, February 22, 2010
The Ransom
Psalm 49:8 Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, 8 for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice,9 that he should live on forever and never see the pit. ... 15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me.
Matthew 20:28 ...the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
****
I know it baffles reason, but it shouldn't, that there is something called cause and effect in all things. If the Enlightenment claimed to teach anything, it was that there was cause and effect and that by observing effects we might "know" certain things about their causes. And yet post-Enlightenment thinking has somehow separated this fact from its spiritual antecedent [because, supposedly, spiritual things are not within the realm of science and therefore are obsolete] But spiritual things have cause and effect as well. The cause of death, in the macro and microcosmic sense, is sin. It should be obvious to any observer that there is sin in the world and that something needs to be set right. How to do it? Can we identify a cause? Can we deduce from the cause a workable solution? Various ideologies have sought to draw conclusions about the human condition and its panaceas, but the Bible teaches that there is a high price be paid to make things right in the world. It cannot be paid by us. What has been done is too big for any of us to undo. Only Christ is sufficient to undo this cosmic conundrum. He can set the scales right again. This doesn't seem fair to post-modern sensibilities, and perhaps it never seemed fair to any one who thought themselves capable of omniscience. But grace seldom seems fair to the forgiven, so we will just have to deal with it in humility.
Matthew 20:28 ...the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
****
I know it baffles reason, but it shouldn't, that there is something called cause and effect in all things. If the Enlightenment claimed to teach anything, it was that there was cause and effect and that by observing effects we might "know" certain things about their causes. And yet post-Enlightenment thinking has somehow separated this fact from its spiritual antecedent [because, supposedly, spiritual things are not within the realm of science and therefore are obsolete] But spiritual things have cause and effect as well. The cause of death, in the macro and microcosmic sense, is sin. It should be obvious to any observer that there is sin in the world and that something needs to be set right. How to do it? Can we identify a cause? Can we deduce from the cause a workable solution? Various ideologies have sought to draw conclusions about the human condition and its panaceas, but the Bible teaches that there is a high price be paid to make things right in the world. It cannot be paid by us. What has been done is too big for any of us to undo. Only Christ is sufficient to undo this cosmic conundrum. He can set the scales right again. This doesn't seem fair to post-modern sensibilities, and perhaps it never seemed fair to any one who thought themselves capable of omniscience. But grace seldom seems fair to the forgiven, so we will just have to deal with it in humility.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Spiritual Leprosy / Two Kinds of Doubt
Luke 5:12 While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. [11] And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” 13 And Jesus [12] stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. 14 And he charged him to tell no one, but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 15 But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. 16 But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.
***
Two points here:
1. Leprosy is such a powerful analogy of sin. Essentially, it causes the skin to lose sensation, to become numb to pain and pleasure, to die, as it were. This is the effect of our spiritual disease called sin. In our sinful flesh, we lose sensation for the "real" things of God's Kingdom. We are unable to sense when our hand is on the stove. We are unable to feel the loving touch of another. Eventually there is a complete breakdown of the body (read: spirit). Leprosy is incurable. The pragmatic solution is banishment, so the death of the sensations leads to the death of relationships. Sin divides us and is the antithesis of the Greatest Commandment which is true, whole, Kingdom community.
2. The second thing I get from this passage is two kinds of doubt - doubting God's goodness and doubting His power. In this case, the leper believes that Jesus is able to heal him, but isn't sure if he is willing. In other passages of the Bible we see individuals who believe Jesus is willing but not able. All of us fall into one of these two categories when we struggle with faith in God. We either doubt he is willing or doubt he is able to do what we ask. Maturity leads us to consider the possibility, with humility, that our requests may not be good requests. If this is the case, then it is certainly possible that he isn't willing to answer the request. But in the case of the leper, it is obvious that something which was created to be a certain way - the man's body - was in a state of disarray. God, as Creator and Maintainer of His creation, is in the business of setting things right - so he is certainly willing to heal the leper (both spiritually and physically). Doubting that he is able, on the other hand, comes down to a simple misunderstanding of God. We've all done that and will continue to do it because he is beyond the limits of our understanding. Job struggled with this (not seeing resolution to his agony) and was awakened to God's power when confronted by God himself. God makes it clear that he is able to do whatever he wants, which brings us back to the first doubt again. Why would God allow Job to suffer so much, to lose his family so tragically and go through so long a trial without any clear reassurance of love? Tough questions - and I am so grateful the writers of the Bible didn't shy away from them or pretend the answers were easy. It is something to bookmark and come back to again and again.
***
Two points here:
1. Leprosy is such a powerful analogy of sin. Essentially, it causes the skin to lose sensation, to become numb to pain and pleasure, to die, as it were. This is the effect of our spiritual disease called sin. In our sinful flesh, we lose sensation for the "real" things of God's Kingdom. We are unable to sense when our hand is on the stove. We are unable to feel the loving touch of another. Eventually there is a complete breakdown of the body (read: spirit). Leprosy is incurable. The pragmatic solution is banishment, so the death of the sensations leads to the death of relationships. Sin divides us and is the antithesis of the Greatest Commandment which is true, whole, Kingdom community.
2. The second thing I get from this passage is two kinds of doubt - doubting God's goodness and doubting His power. In this case, the leper believes that Jesus is able to heal him, but isn't sure if he is willing. In other passages of the Bible we see individuals who believe Jesus is willing but not able. All of us fall into one of these two categories when we struggle with faith in God. We either doubt he is willing or doubt he is able to do what we ask. Maturity leads us to consider the possibility, with humility, that our requests may not be good requests. If this is the case, then it is certainly possible that he isn't willing to answer the request. But in the case of the leper, it is obvious that something which was created to be a certain way - the man's body - was in a state of disarray. God, as Creator and Maintainer of His creation, is in the business of setting things right - so he is certainly willing to heal the leper (both spiritually and physically). Doubting that he is able, on the other hand, comes down to a simple misunderstanding of God. We've all done that and will continue to do it because he is beyond the limits of our understanding. Job struggled with this (not seeing resolution to his agony) and was awakened to God's power when confronted by God himself. God makes it clear that he is able to do whatever he wants, which brings us back to the first doubt again. Why would God allow Job to suffer so much, to lose his family so tragically and go through so long a trial without any clear reassurance of love? Tough questions - and I am so grateful the writers of the Bible didn't shy away from them or pretend the answers were easy. It is something to bookmark and come back to again and again.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Strong in Spirit = Poor in Spirit
Luke 1:80 And the child [John the Baptist] grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
***
Father, today my prayer is that you would make me strong in spirit like John the Baptist, which I suspect comes through being poor in spirit since the Kingdom of God is upside down. What does it mean to be poor in spirit? Is it what some call piety? As I understand it, piety is the understanding of our position in the created order, both high and low in relation to everything else. We were created to be tenants of creation and in a sense to rule over it. In time we will even judge the angels. At our pinnacle, we will be called friends of God. And yet, our way forward is a humble, narrow path. In John's case, that meant living life in the wilderness and dying a death that, in the eyes of the world, was certainly humiliating and pointless. I am sure that Jesus felt the emotional pain of seeing his cousin go through the tribulation of a poor-in-spirit/strong-in-spirit life. And then Jesus went on to model it himself, pouring out his blood and spirit so that the Holy Spirit could then be poured out on us. What is a spirit? What is a soul? I am more aware, as of late, of the error of viewing myself in terms of my physical attributes alone. More and more, when I look at myself in the mirror, I am aware of myself within myself. I realize, like Adam and Eve did, that my physical body is insufficient in certain ways. But the road of introspection and meditation teaches me that my spirit is also insufficient, and recognition this lack becomes recognition of grace through faith.
***
Father, today my prayer is that you would make me strong in spirit like John the Baptist, which I suspect comes through being poor in spirit since the Kingdom of God is upside down. What does it mean to be poor in spirit? Is it what some call piety? As I understand it, piety is the understanding of our position in the created order, both high and low in relation to everything else. We were created to be tenants of creation and in a sense to rule over it. In time we will even judge the angels. At our pinnacle, we will be called friends of God. And yet, our way forward is a humble, narrow path. In John's case, that meant living life in the wilderness and dying a death that, in the eyes of the world, was certainly humiliating and pointless. I am sure that Jesus felt the emotional pain of seeing his cousin go through the tribulation of a poor-in-spirit/strong-in-spirit life. And then Jesus went on to model it himself, pouring out his blood and spirit so that the Holy Spirit could then be poured out on us. What is a spirit? What is a soul? I am more aware, as of late, of the error of viewing myself in terms of my physical attributes alone. More and more, when I look at myself in the mirror, I am aware of myself within myself. I realize, like Adam and Eve did, that my physical body is insufficient in certain ways. But the road of introspection and meditation teaches me that my spirit is also insufficient, and recognition this lack becomes recognition of grace through faith.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Justice
Exodus 22:22 You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, 24 and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword
***
When I look at the injustice of the world, these kinds of verses give me peace. Justice will prevail.
***
When I look at the injustice of the world, these kinds of verses give me peace. Justice will prevail.
Friday, February 5, 2010
The Currency of the Kingdom
Mark 12:10 Bring me a denarius [11] and let me look at it.” 16 And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar's.” 17 Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” And they marveled at him....
Mark 12:41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. [13] 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
******
On first glance one might see a contradiction between these two passages. On one hand Jesus says, "render to Caesar what is Caesar's" and on the other, he praises a woman for giving all of her money to the church. The context, as always, is the key. In between these two teachings there is the famous Greatest Commandment in which Jesus explains the motive and priority which should inform our actions: LOVE. We see that Jesus is ambivelent about money when it comes to taxes and politics - he would just as soon give all the money back to Caesar rather than deal with the shackles that money offers society. There is nothing of love in the exchange of taxes (patriotism isn't the love we're talking about). The kind of love that God exudes and wants from us does in fact demand everything from us, and money is a small part of the package, but the currency of the Kingdom of God "is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices" or even a widow's two bits. God wanted her heart and he knew that he had it - which pleased him. Today I am trying to have the same heart with every aspect of my life - my own two bits.
Mark 12:41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. [13] 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
******
On first glance one might see a contradiction between these two passages. On one hand Jesus says, "render to Caesar what is Caesar's" and on the other, he praises a woman for giving all of her money to the church. The context, as always, is the key. In between these two teachings there is the famous Greatest Commandment in which Jesus explains the motive and priority which should inform our actions: LOVE. We see that Jesus is ambivelent about money when it comes to taxes and politics - he would just as soon give all the money back to Caesar rather than deal with the shackles that money offers society. There is nothing of love in the exchange of taxes (patriotism isn't the love we're talking about). The kind of love that God exudes and wants from us does in fact demand everything from us, and money is a small part of the package, but the currency of the Kingdom of God "is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices" or even a widow's two bits. God wanted her heart and he knew that he had it - which pleased him. Today I am trying to have the same heart with every aspect of my life - my own two bits.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Feeling God's Closeness
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.
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.
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.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Reason and Revelation
Daniel 4:33 Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles' feathers, and his nails were like birds' claws. 34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;...
36 At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. ... and those who walk in pride [God] is able to humble.
***
The tension maintained between reason and faith comes down to this. Reason rests on the divine ordering of all things by God himself. This fact must be taken on faith, but is an essential given to "believe" in reason itself.
If God exists, it is reasonable to believe in God.
If God does not exist, it is not reasonable to believe in Reason.
***
In the beginning was the logos [Reason]...John 1:1
36 At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. ... and those who walk in pride [God] is able to humble.
***
The tension maintained between reason and faith comes down to this. Reason rests on the divine ordering of all things by God himself. This fact must be taken on faith, but is an essential given to "believe" in reason itself.
If God exists, it is reasonable to believe in God.
If God does not exist, it is not reasonable to believe in Reason.
***
In the beginning was the logos [Reason]...John 1:1
Friday, October 24, 2008
Intrinsic and Instrumental Goods
Romans 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
***
I recently had the opportunity to hear Professor Robert George of Princeton University give an address entitled, "Natural Law, Human Rights and God". One of the things he asserted was that any serious discussion of natural law needed to be predicated on an acceptance of certain intrinsic goods. Things like friendship or free will are certainly instrumental to achieve something, but they are also good in and of themselves. Without finding intrinsic goodness in an array of things, one has a very difficult time asserting natural law exists. In the passage above Paul describes our bodies as being instrumental either for death or life. I think he would probably agree that the human being, as a creation of God, has a certain intrinsic goodness in it - in the sense that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" but that we are also instrumental for something, either good or evil. It seems that our free will allows us to become more or less intrinsically good by choosing to be instrumental to the Great Intrinsic Good. In as much as we are instrumental to righteousness, we are filled with the goodness of God and sanctified.
***
I recently had the opportunity to hear Professor Robert George of Princeton University give an address entitled, "Natural Law, Human Rights and God". One of the things he asserted was that any serious discussion of natural law needed to be predicated on an acceptance of certain intrinsic goods. Things like friendship or free will are certainly instrumental to achieve something, but they are also good in and of themselves. Without finding intrinsic goodness in an array of things, one has a very difficult time asserting natural law exists. In the passage above Paul describes our bodies as being instrumental either for death or life. I think he would probably agree that the human being, as a creation of God, has a certain intrinsic goodness in it - in the sense that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" but that we are also instrumental for something, either good or evil. It seems that our free will allows us to become more or less intrinsically good by choosing to be instrumental to the Great Intrinsic Good. In as much as we are instrumental to righteousness, we are filled with the goodness of God and sanctified.
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