Posts Tagged ‘Faith’

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God is the Same Forever

November 11, 2013

I have been reading Genesis and Exodus with a small group this year. It’s easy to see how misconceptions arose from partial readings of the text over the years. But when you read the entire text and digest it, there are many interesting things to absorb.

Abraham and his progeny were not the only followers of the One God throughout that time. Abraham met others occasionally—note Melchizedek for one. So did Moses. It was just that one tribe was singled out to be the torchbearers for God. Let’s just say there were mixed results.

God was far more merciful than some teachings would suggest. God was also then, as now, intolerant of sin and worshiping of objects as gods.

God’s message to the people through his prophets changed somewhat as the social and cultural circumstances changed. When Moses was trying to forge a people out of the group of former slaves, God was concerned about keeping them pure—uncorrupted by those surrounding peoples who worshiped a number of other Gods. Therefore, he ordered them not to conquer a city and intermingle with the people. He rightly perceived that especially the women would bring their gods into the households of the Hebrews and corrupt the worship of God.

By the time of the prophets after David and throughout the time of the Babylonians and Persians, the world was becoming multi-cultural and the Hebrews had to learn to live in a more hostile world where they were not a dominant force in the land. By the time of Jesus and the early church, it was accepted that the world was multicultural and that Christians needed instruction on how to live in such a world while maintaining their moral practices.

I guess I’m thinking about this because I was brought up on a theology that the “Gods” of Old Testament and New Testament are different. That, of course, is an untenable position. God is God—never changing since before the universe was created and after the universe has passed away.

God does speak to people in the context of their environment. Our societies have become ever more complex. Population keeps growing. We travel and mingle with people from a variety of cultures and backgrounds more today than ever before. God’s message to his prophets necessarily changes to give answers to different questions.

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I am Worthy or Am I Worthy

November 6, 2013

Jesus is surrounded by people. This usually happens to him after he had performed many miracles of healing and had taught with such authority. His attention is disrupted by a delegation of Jews from another village. Seems that there is a Roman Centurion who has a request for healing for a servant.

“He is worthy,” said the delegation.

They said this to convince Jesus to come to his aid. This is actually shocking. The Centurion was Roman, not Jewish. Jesus was seen as a rabbi, a teacher in the Jewish tradition. Most Jews had as little interaction with non-Jews as possible. Especially if they were the religious ones.

This group said that the Roman was worthy of Jesus’ attention. So, Jesus turned his attention on the problem of the servant. He started to go to the home of the Roman, thinking as they all were that his physical presence was required.

But the Centurion sent another messenger. “I am not worthy.”

Huh? He is worthy. He is not worthy. This also is a strange comment, that an important Roman leader would say that he is not worthy of a visit by an itinerant Jewish teacher and healer. Is the world turning upside down?

“I understand authority,” the Centurion continued. He accepts commands from his superiors in the army and he issues commands to those whom he leads. And all those orders are obeyed.

He expects the same from Jesus in the spiritual realm. He sees Jesus as under authority from God and having authority over the spirits that were ailing his servants. “Just say the word, and he will be healed.” And Jesus did, and he was.

Jesus used this as an example of faith that he had not even seen from Jewish people.

I’m interested in the concept of being worthy in this story from Luke 7. The Roman had many Jewish friends and he had even contributed to their causes. The friends were afraid that Jesus would shun a non-Jew. They didn’t yet understand that Jesus’ message was for everyone. Non-Jews. Women, even.

For the Roman to say he was not worthy of a personal visit is a remarkable admission. We in the US, some in Western Europe and I think increasingly around the world are living in a time of self-absorption. We have been raising kids to think they are always worthy of everything.

But, we are all under the authority of God whether we realize it or not. And if we do, we can say we are not worthy, but please use your authority to bring us to wholeness (a sense of the word to heal). To say we are not worthy does not mean that we psychologically unhealthy in a low self-esteem way. It just means that we recognize the chain of authority and where we fit.

I believe this is a most misunderstood concept. To be humble does not mean to be docile.

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So That You May Bear Fruit

November 1, 2013

“You may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding…”

Paul wrote to the Christ followers in Colossae that he prayed for this for the people. I know of people who think that this is the end of the sentence. The purpose of life is to be filled with spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Some of these people live as though they have achieved this state and this gives them permission to tell others about how they have not achieved such a state. They either implied or stated boldly that this made them better people.

Do you know people like that? I certainly do. And Jesus met them every day. Back then, they were called Pharisees. And he told many stories about how they were wrong.

How wrong? Well, Paul finishes his sentence, “so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in knowledge of God.”

So that! The end is not wisdom and understanding. These are only the foundation, the means, the tools, for living a life pleasing to God.

And what is a life pleasing to God? Paul tells us. “Bear fruit in every good work” and “grow in knowledge of God.”

What are good works? One story Jesus told was of a man beaten by robbers. Three men passed by him as he lay bleeding. Two were from the higher ranks of Jewish society–they did nothing (and they were listening as Jesus told the story). One was an outcast in the eyes of Jewish society–a Samaritan. The Samaritan took care of the man. That was a good work–as well as a teaching that our neighbor to be helped is whomever we find along the road of life.

Another good work comes from Jesus’ words at the end of the Gospel of Matthew where he tells us to make disciples. Preaching at people does little to no good. Helping them through example, teaching, love, mentoring to be like Jesus is what our work in life is.

What will be your so that today? Will you recognize it?

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Discipleship Means Changing Your Life

October 31, 2013

Jesus tells a story, actually an analogy, about wineskins and new wine. He said that you put new wine in new wineskins and old wine in old wineskins. If you put new wine that is still fermenting and therefore expanding into old wineskins that are stiff and fragile, then the skin will break and all will be lost.

He was talking about his message as the new wine. If he talked to people who were set in their ways and unwilling to change, then the message would not have any effect and all would be lost.

If the message entered people who were fresh and new and receptive to it, then they would grow with the message and the message (fresh wine) would be useful.

Parables, or stories, are almost always about people and their relationship to the message Jesus was teaching. This teaching is an important life lesson–even for us older people.

It is actually possible for us to age, yet remain fresh and receptive in our outlooks. We can try to remain open to new facts, experiences, knowledge. Even as we grow, we can continue to be mentally and spiritually fresh. Or, we can become rigid in our beliefs, unable to accept new ideas. Then the message will lose its impact and we are in danger of becoming Jesus’ enemies–the Pharisees. These are the people who put laws ahead of love; put knowledge ahead of spirit; put ritual actions above living out God’s will.

One of the reasons to practice Spiritual Disciplines is to find ways to remain fresh and receptive to God’s message. Daily prayer, meditation, study and service help us to live God’s message as a part of our daily lives. Not because there is some law that orders us to do certain things. But because we are living with Jesus every moment.

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Where Is Your Heart On Your Sabbath

October 24, 2013

I grew up a little confused about the Sabbath. My parents took me to a Methodist church in our local town. The big church in town was Lutheran (most people in the town of 1,000 were of Germanic heritage). So, we went to church on Sunday. My mother’s mother’s family was Welsh and attended a Seventh-Day Baptist church. In fact, two of mom’s brothers were Seventh-Day Baptist clergy. They, of course, worshiped on the Sabbath–the seventh day just as it says in Exodus. That would be Saturday.

Last week part of my reading took me through a few chapters of Exodus where God is giving Moses instructions about how to organize his people. Part of those instructions dealt with working six days and setting aside one day for rest. I think later it became a worship day.

The idea of Sabbath and rest occurs in curious ways. There is rest for the land. There is a Sabbath year where debts are forgiven. And Jesus talks a little about the Sabbath.

Men began to think (way too much) about what it meant to keep the Sabbath and not work on that day. They began to draw up lists of rules that specifically detailed what was work and what wasn’t. Even today in Israel if you ride an elevator in a hotel on the Sabbath, don’t get on the Sabbath elevator. It is programmed to stop at every floor so that observant Jews don’t have to work by pushing a button.

Many of God’s original laws seemed to have as much practical sense as they did religious. Keeping a day set apart certainly also keeps the followers set apart from other peoples. But taking a rest periodically is as good for the body as it is for the soul.

Referring back to Monday’s post on meditation, that is something akin to a daily Sabbath–part of a day set aside to rest. You need part of a week set aside for rest. You also need part of a year set aside for rest.

When Jesus teaches on the Sabbath as recorded by Luke, he expands on rest but short-circuits the multitude of picky laws defining work. Jesus was most concerned with where your heart is. Keeping the Sabbath with your heart in the wrong place is not really keeping the Sabbath. I think that Moses agreed.

Sabbath is not only about rest, it’s also about adjusting your heart back to where it belongs.

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David and Goliath

October 23, 2013

The underdog little boy defeats the giant warrior. A story about how the underdog can win. David and Goliath.

I listened to Malcolm Gladwell’s TED Talk about his latest book, “David and Goliath,” on my drive from Chicago yesterday. Gladwell tells a good story. He hits on a point that I’ve often thought about. But then he falls into the storyteller’s trap when it comes to fact by going off on a rabbit trail of speculation.

There is a saying, “Never bring a knife to a gun fight.” Gladwell is right that in some ways it could be considered that David brought a “gun” (that is, sling) to a fight that was expected to be fought closer together–a knife fight.

I’ve wondered since I was small how we could consider David that much of an underdog since he had a significant weapon that obviously gave him a huge advantage. Sure, he was an adolescent not completely filled out into adult musculature. But he never seemed that much of an underdog to me.

David had two things going for him. One of them Gladwell ignores for the point of his story–or maybe his theological leanings. The first thing is that having guarded the family flocks for years, David was accomplished with a weapon–the sling. The second thing is that David had unswerving faith in God.

Any of the “sling-ers” in Saul’s army could have done what David did. But, they didn’t. Why not? Because they did not have David’s faith. It took both elements for David to succeed. Gladwell ignores the latter.

If you listen to the talk that I linked to, watch for the transition when he says (in effect) many medical researchers speculate that Goliath suffered from “giantism” (or the medical terms I don’t know). When a story teller goes off into the realm of speculation, we have left reporting and entered the world of fiction. Interesting story, but not scholarship.

And if you read the book because you think it’s cool that a popular writer chooses a religious subject–be on guard.

The real moral of the story of David–know your strengths and have faith in God.

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In Old Age They Still Produce Fruit

October 9, 2013

“If you keep on living, you’re gonna get old.” from a blues song.

Someone asked me once where I get ideas for posts. Well, from what I read, listen to, and observe. Recently I have been listening to “Bluesville” on Sirius XM when I’m driving and not otherwise listening to podcasts. This line from a song caught my attention.

There was a restaurant our staff frequented in the early 80s in a north suburb of Dayton, Ohio, where the slogan was, “If I’d have known I was going to live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself.” I think that’s the implied message of the song.

From the time I was quite young, I pictured myself as one of those old guru type of guys, wise and calm and focused on God. It’s weird for an adolescent to think that, I guess, but it must have come from all the philosophy and theology I was reading even back then.

Where do you see yourself as you grow old?

Psalm 92 has an interesting picture:

The righteous flourish like the palm tree,

and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

They are planted in the house of the Lord;

they flourish in the courts of our God.

In old age they still produce fruit;

they are always green and full of sap,

showing that the Lord is upright;

Those who are rooted in God will flourish in old age (if we keep on living, as the song says). Always green, bearing fruit.

I know people who retire in order to essentially do nothing–or to just wallow in self-absorption. I do not see that in my future. I am always looking for new ideas, new ministries, new things to learn, new ways to serve.

“They are planted in the house of the Lord” means that we are rooted in the Word and the Spirit of God. And along with James we live out our faith refusing to become lazy in self-indulgence.

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Leadership Example of Peter

September 25, 2013

Remember the first time you were thrust into a leadership role in your organization?

Did you feel prepared? Scared? Uncertain about the role of a leader?

It looks easy when you sit back and criticize other leaders. But to actually do it yourself…that’s quite another thing.

Or maybe it’s the first time you gave someone a leadership position for their first time. Did you feel you prepared the person? Did you wonder if they were ready?

I think often about the insight of Jesus and the growth of Peter. Jesus gathered twelve close followers in order to give them special training so that his movement would survive his death. The twelve were all talented, but they had different skills.

Jesus looked at Peter and saw the courage and personality of a future leader. But he also saw the rough edges. There was a sort of double meaning when Jesus told Simon that he was “Peter” (rock) the foundation of the movement. But this was the first indication of what Jesus saw special in him.

But still, Peter was unprepared for the events that would thrust him into the position. With John as his intellectual partner who could keep the theology straight, Peter was the man of action. It probably took him three months to digest the new reality of life after Jesus. But then he started preaching, healing, arguing.

And he grew into a great leader.

I love that example that we don’t just become great leaders overnight. It takes years of preparation and testing. It takes reflecting on what we’re doing as we do the work of leadership. We, too, can be like Peter and grow into leadership in whatever situation of life we find ourselves.

Reflect on Peter’s growth and overcome discouragement. Continue onward and grow you future leaders.

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Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life

September 13, 2013

I almost always meet the nicest people. This week I have been traveling to conferences. Two days in San Antonio and then two in New Orleans. I’m at the Courtyard by Marriott by the convention center in New Orleans right now. The woman who runs the restaurant is a jewel of a person. Just like everyone I’ve met at Courtyards.

Wednesday evening I arrived in town with enough time to check in and then get over to the conference I’m attending. Got back to the Courtyard not having had dinner. She had just closed up the restaurant. But she could get me a glass of wine and rustled up some pita chips and hummus. Just what I needed. I sat in the lounge area yesterday from about 4 pm until almost 9 working. Had dinner and a little wine. She was just the nicest person with everyone.

I’ve met the greatest gate agents in airports, sales clerks, people I do business with. The guy I sat beside on the way from SAT to MSY (San Antonio to New Orleans for those who don’t speak “airline.” Great conversation.

There is a story that I’m told came through Carl Sandburg about a farmer who was asked by a couple of strangers about the type of people who lived around there. He asked them what sort of people there were where they were from. One person replied negatively, the other positively. He told them each, “I suppose you’ll find the same sort of people here.” It’s all in your thinking.

This blog post from Leo about changing your thinking started me thinking. I have had a lot of challenges and changes this summer. Quit a job that paid well in order to gain peace of mind and in order to be creative again. Started a new business. Wound up joining another business to turn it around. Took on a new ministry at church. Then my doctor thought I had some major heart problems, but after 6 weeks of some uncertainty and testing, discovered not much was going on that we didn’t already know about. (I feel great, by the way. Thanks for asking.)

What Leo said in his blog post about being grateful resonated. I found that I intentionally connected with God more often than the preceding few months. I found that in pausing daily to remember all the things I’m grateful for, I gained perspective. I found that by encouraging my natural attitude to believe the best of people, greet people with a smile, be kind all contributed to meeting the nicest people–and finding great joy and peace.

My advice–pause, look at all the things for which you should be grateful, check your thinking and change as necessary.

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Being Rewarded Without Showing Loyalty

September 9, 2013

“The loyalty program that doesn’t require loyalty.”

I don’t watch much TV. Sunday Masterpiece Mystery. Occasional Diners, Drive Ins and Dives. Maybe Sunday afternoon soccer. But I entered Saturday TV wasteland last weekend watching part of a college football game. My attention was jarred by this hotels.com ad. Wow, this fits it all, I think, this Age of Narcissism.

You get all the benefits without the commitment.

Is your church this way? Your business? Your non-profit organization. What’s that old Dire Straits song, “Money for nothin'”? In addition to a great guitar line, the song really rips into people who think it’s all easy.

Luke writes about a time Jesus was walking along a road and meets several people (end of Chapter 9):

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

Another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Looking at these thoughts from the point of view of a leader, I want only those people who are committed to the cause. Of course, like Jesus we as leaders need to define the cause and make it compelling for our followers. But we need followers who are committed.

Looking at this from the point of view of an individual, I need to make the commitment. It’s not all about me. There’s no loyalty reward in life where I don’t have loyalty. As you sow, so shall you reap. The decisions you make today determine what will happen to you tomorrow.

What is your level of commitment?

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