Peggy Lee, the 1960's pop singer recorded “Is That All There Is?” an existentialist song revealing a disillusioned person’s view of life. Ms. Lee’s witness of her family's house on fire when she was a little girl, seeing the circus, and falling in love for the first time led her to the refrain "break out the booze and have a ball — if that's all there is," instead of worrying about life. In the end, the singer explains, I’ll never kill myself because she knows that death will be a disappointment as well.
Personal history helps us understand feelings, opinions, persuasions, commitments and values. Detroit, my hometown, was a depressed city in 1958. The auto industry was at a near standstill. Most of the people with whom our family worshiped were unemployed. In the 60's the United States writhed in the fragmenting forces of the war in Viet Nam. Young people renounced their allegiance to the nation, fleeing to Canada rather than being conscripted in the military. President Kennedy was assassinated, and Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy met the same fate shortly afterward. It was difficult for everyone during the 60's. I graduated high school in 1962, and college in 1966. Pat and I married in 1967 and the same year riots fragmented Detroit and other cities.
In the 70's the Watergate scandal caused us to twist with embarrassment as national figures lied to us in an attempt to cover up crimes. Since then we have had fighting men in harm's way in more wars than we want to recall. Another President parsed two letter verbs and added to the mistrust of the American electorate. Present candidates for office promise economic stability and unprecedented financial prosperity. A new term, “under water mortgage,” triggers a sense of helpless drowning. Reasonable, industrious people wring their hands in fear, wondering, “Is that all there is?”
May I balance the scale of public mood and spirit of despair? The Apostle Paul wrote, “For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:16-22)
Friends, we are not pacing in place without positive prospects! We are on the move toward a delightful destination!
Listen, somewhere the people of God are still singing! They believe the lyrics and their souls teem with hope and joy. Life has been difficult. Some continue to lament. The people of God have been captured by an otherworldly truth!
Sing the wondrous love of Jesus,
Sing His mercy and His grace.
In the mansions bright and blessèd
He’ll prepare for us a place.
Refrain
When we all get to Heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!
While we walk the pilgrim pathway,
Clouds will overspread the sky;
But when traveling days are over,
Not a shadow, not a sigh.
Refrain
Let us then be true and faithful,
Trusting, serving every day;
Just one glimpse of Him in glory
Will the toils of life repay.
Refrain
Onward to the prize before us!
Soon His beauty we’ll behold;
Soon the pearly gates will open;
We shall tread the streets of gold.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
Home!
Samuel dominates the history of Israel from the judges to King David. Samuel’s name in Israel meant “The name is God,” or “God is exalted.” Born in answer to Hannah’s tearful prayers, Samuel was dedicated to the Lord before his birth and served as a prophet-judge his entire life. Raised by Eli the priest, Samuel matured and found favor with the Lord and with men.
Samuel began meeting with God as a youth. While still a boy he received his first prophetic vision and from a youth served as the keeper of Israel’s spiritual life. Among other accomplishments, Samuel
• Called for rain, and it rained!
• Anointed the first two kings of Israel.
• Predicted the outcomes of wars.
• Protected David who took refuge with him at his home.
• Under God, managed the affairs of state, serving the equivalent of several presidential cabinet offices.
• Powerfully, positively influenced Israel for more than sixty years.
A fascinating line is tucked into Samuel’s biography. “Samuel continued as judge over Israel all the days of his life. From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all those places. But he always went back to Ramah, where his home was, and there he also judged Israel. And he built an altar there to the LORD.” (1 Samuel 7:15-17)
Home centers, balances us. For several years I traveled to speaking engagements, as often as 35 weekends per year . Saturday nights in hotel rooms can be lonely and sleepless. The adrenalin which results from preaching in two or three worship services can skew ones sense of importance. Eating with pastors, missions committees, and friends, answering questions as an “authority” on an aspect of ministry and life can be a heady ego booster. Earning enough frequent traveler points to sit in first class can skew ones sense of importance and entitlement. One needs home to come back down to the reality of life as it is. Home is where the most honest and loving people are present to both confront and comfort.
Home is a healing place. Samuel needed relief from the tensions associated with discontent and disobedient Israelis, stubborn kings, and awful national enemies. He felt the sting of personal rejection when the people demanded a king. Stubborn, argumentative people exhaust everyone around them. One goes home to heal, to regain perspective, to refocus the future.
Home is the best place to rest -- quietly. Everyone experiences rigors in life, accumulating scrapes and scuffs. Unkind, unappreciative people find an unguarded moment and pierce the tender, unprotected areas in our spirit. Home is the place where ones faults and foibles are known, and embraced. Motives are accepted at face value and forgiveness for imperfections flow easily.
Samuel knew that home is where one must build an altar. “And he built an altar there to the LORD.” The patriarchs established the priority. The pitched their tents and built altars. We must be vigilant, rejecting the “too busy” argument for pitching altars and building tents. Home is an optimal place for an altar, at the center of life. There, in the presence of God, we present our offerings of praise, offer our confessions for sin, and allow the Presence to strengthen and renew our souls.
I’m working from home today. Ah, it is good! Maybe you can go home early today?
Samuel began meeting with God as a youth. While still a boy he received his first prophetic vision and from a youth served as the keeper of Israel’s spiritual life. Among other accomplishments, Samuel
• Called for rain, and it rained!
• Anointed the first two kings of Israel.
• Predicted the outcomes of wars.
• Protected David who took refuge with him at his home.
• Under God, managed the affairs of state, serving the equivalent of several presidential cabinet offices.
• Powerfully, positively influenced Israel for more than sixty years.
A fascinating line is tucked into Samuel’s biography. “Samuel continued as judge over Israel all the days of his life. From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all those places. But he always went back to Ramah, where his home was, and there he also judged Israel. And he built an altar there to the LORD.” (1 Samuel 7:15-17)
Home centers, balances us. For several years I traveled to speaking engagements, as often as 35 weekends per year . Saturday nights in hotel rooms can be lonely and sleepless. The adrenalin which results from preaching in two or three worship services can skew ones sense of importance. Eating with pastors, missions committees, and friends, answering questions as an “authority” on an aspect of ministry and life can be a heady ego booster. Earning enough frequent traveler points to sit in first class can skew ones sense of importance and entitlement. One needs home to come back down to the reality of life as it is. Home is where the most honest and loving people are present to both confront and comfort.
Home is a healing place. Samuel needed relief from the tensions associated with discontent and disobedient Israelis, stubborn kings, and awful national enemies. He felt the sting of personal rejection when the people demanded a king. Stubborn, argumentative people exhaust everyone around them. One goes home to heal, to regain perspective, to refocus the future.
Home is the best place to rest -- quietly. Everyone experiences rigors in life, accumulating scrapes and scuffs. Unkind, unappreciative people find an unguarded moment and pierce the tender, unprotected areas in our spirit. Home is the place where ones faults and foibles are known, and embraced. Motives are accepted at face value and forgiveness for imperfections flow easily.
Samuel knew that home is where one must build an altar. “And he built an altar there to the LORD.” The patriarchs established the priority. The pitched their tents and built altars. We must be vigilant, rejecting the “too busy” argument for pitching altars and building tents. Home is an optimal place for an altar, at the center of life. There, in the presence of God, we present our offerings of praise, offer our confessions for sin, and allow the Presence to strengthen and renew our souls.
I’m working from home today. Ah, it is good! Maybe you can go home early today?
Thursday, January 26, 2012
The Name
Names come and go. They are fickle and short-lived. The once proud, top-of-the-world Rockefeller name has been replaced by Gates. Lord and Taylor has outlived Gimbels and a dozen others. The Hyundai brand delivers freighters to American ports daily while Packards are museum pieces crowded alongside Studebakers and DeSotos or old hulks in dusty barns waiting to be rescued by pickers. Esso and Amoco are gone, replaced by Valero and BP!
In Philadelphia, the once proud Wanamaker brand is all but forgotten. Tastykake struggles to be competitive. Detroit’s J. L. Hudson is a quaint memory. Conglomerates have eaten up some of my favorite old tool manufacturers. Should we give some thought to what might happen to Campbell’s Soup and Coca Cola. Will some Third World outfit introduce alternate quick lunches or liquid refreshments our great grandchildren will only see in museums?
While many brands have come and gone, and today’s innovations will someday be oddities to be discussed by retirees between turns at shuffleboard courts, there is a NAME which has been and will forever be above all names. Moses asked that the One who spoke to him, “Who shall I say sent me?” Samson’s father, Manoah, asked, “What is your Name?” Isaiah, experienced a brilliant revelation in His Presence and wrote, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Peter and John, empowered by the NAME, healed the crippled man at the Gate Beautiful. When they were ordered by the religious establishment to cease and desist preaching that Jesus was raised from the dead, They boldly replied, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved,” and added, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
Fredrick Whitfield’s poem, an ode to Jesus’ Name, was often sung in my boyhood church. I think the lyrics ought to still be sung, not tucked away in a museum hymn book.
There is a Name I love to hear,
I love to sing its worth;
It sounds like music in my ear,
The sweetest Name on earth.
Refrain:
Oh, how I love Jesus,
Oh, how I love Jesus,
Oh, how I love Jesus,
Because He first loved me!
It tells me of a Savior’s love,
Who died to set me free;
It tells me of His precious blood,
The sinner’s perfect plea.
It tells me of a Father’s smile
Beaming upon His child;
It cheers me through this little while,
Through desert, waste, and wild.
It tells me what my Father hath
In store for every day,
And though I tread a darksome path,
Yields sunshine all the way.
It tells of One whose loving heart
Can feel my deepest woe;
Who in each sorrow bears a part
That none can bear below.
In Philadelphia, the once proud Wanamaker brand is all but forgotten. Tastykake struggles to be competitive. Detroit’s J. L. Hudson is a quaint memory. Conglomerates have eaten up some of my favorite old tool manufacturers. Should we give some thought to what might happen to Campbell’s Soup and Coca Cola. Will some Third World outfit introduce alternate quick lunches or liquid refreshments our great grandchildren will only see in museums?
While many brands have come and gone, and today’s innovations will someday be oddities to be discussed by retirees between turns at shuffleboard courts, there is a NAME which has been and will forever be above all names. Moses asked that the One who spoke to him, “Who shall I say sent me?” Samson’s father, Manoah, asked, “What is your Name?” Isaiah, experienced a brilliant revelation in His Presence and wrote, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Peter and John, empowered by the NAME, healed the crippled man at the Gate Beautiful. When they were ordered by the religious establishment to cease and desist preaching that Jesus was raised from the dead, They boldly replied, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved,” and added, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
Fredrick Whitfield’s poem, an ode to Jesus’ Name, was often sung in my boyhood church. I think the lyrics ought to still be sung, not tucked away in a museum hymn book.
There is a Name I love to hear,
I love to sing its worth;
It sounds like music in my ear,
The sweetest Name on earth.
Refrain:
Oh, how I love Jesus,
Oh, how I love Jesus,
Oh, how I love Jesus,
Because He first loved me!
It tells me of a Savior’s love,
Who died to set me free;
It tells me of His precious blood,
The sinner’s perfect plea.
It tells me of a Father’s smile
Beaming upon His child;
It cheers me through this little while,
Through desert, waste, and wild.
It tells me what my Father hath
In store for every day,
And though I tread a darksome path,
Yields sunshine all the way.
It tells of One whose loving heart
Can feel my deepest woe;
Who in each sorrow bears a part
That none can bear below.
Joshua at Jericho
The story of Joshua leading Israel in the battle of Jericho is a favorite of many beginning with their first childhood hearing. The dust and roar of stone walls collapsing mingled with the shout of Israel’s circling armies in today’s reading are as graphic as it was more than 60 years ago. I always have the urge to stand , shake a fist upward and shout, “Yes!” when I read the account. As a child, I overlooked the fact that moving huge numbers of troops in an orderly manner required planning.
Have you noticed the time delays tucked into the narrative? The victory took longer than it takes to sing the old spiritual commemorating the feat. The story includes an encounter Joshua had with the angle of the Lord. That was followed by organizational meetings Joshua chaired with hundreds of assembled Levites. For young children, seven days is close to eternity! One trip around the city is fun. Day three, four, five gets boring!
“Joshua had commanded the people, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. (Joshua 6:10) Human nature wants to shout today. Let’s get on with it! Young husbands surely wanted to get back to their wives. Fathers missed their children. “Come on, Joshua, let’s move ahead!” This summer’s gardens lie dormant. Several more weeks must pass before the first “colds” can be planted. Budding careers remain in classrooms. Tradesmen serve apprenticeships carrying the tool boxes of the masters. Recent university graduates complete mundane, repetitious tasks in laboratories. The days of dust and roar and shout are somewhere out there, but not yet.
The prophet reminds us, “For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.” (Habakkuk 2:3) We are prone to get impatient and prefer to skip the waiting. Not saying a word until the day we are told to shout, well, that’s not too much fun!
Pat and I have a house for sale. I really am ready for shouting, “It’s sold!” A couple of very personal promises are still pending, and am I eager to get into the dust and roar of stones falling because I like the shouting! But, we wait! We must stay organized and poised. The days of shouting will come, just as He promised!
I am listening for the final order, when every detail has been set in place. It will happen as surely as every other promise of God has been kept. “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore, encourage each other with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)
Listen carefully! The time of a great shout is very near! The Apostle John wrote, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’” (Revelation 21:3-4)
Be encouraged friends! Save your voice for the perfect moment!
Rev. Otto Wegner
Have you noticed the time delays tucked into the narrative? The victory took longer than it takes to sing the old spiritual commemorating the feat. The story includes an encounter Joshua had with the angle of the Lord. That was followed by organizational meetings Joshua chaired with hundreds of assembled Levites. For young children, seven days is close to eternity! One trip around the city is fun. Day three, four, five gets boring!
“Joshua had commanded the people, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. (Joshua 6:10) Human nature wants to shout today. Let’s get on with it! Young husbands surely wanted to get back to their wives. Fathers missed their children. “Come on, Joshua, let’s move ahead!” This summer’s gardens lie dormant. Several more weeks must pass before the first “colds” can be planted. Budding careers remain in classrooms. Tradesmen serve apprenticeships carrying the tool boxes of the masters. Recent university graduates complete mundane, repetitious tasks in laboratories. The days of dust and roar and shout are somewhere out there, but not yet.
The prophet reminds us, “For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.” (Habakkuk 2:3) We are prone to get impatient and prefer to skip the waiting. Not saying a word until the day we are told to shout, well, that’s not too much fun!
Pat and I have a house for sale. I really am ready for shouting, “It’s sold!” A couple of very personal promises are still pending, and am I eager to get into the dust and roar of stones falling because I like the shouting! But, we wait! We must stay organized and poised. The days of shouting will come, just as He promised!
I am listening for the final order, when every detail has been set in place. It will happen as surely as every other promise of God has been kept. “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore, encourage each other with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)
Listen carefully! The time of a great shout is very near! The Apostle John wrote, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’” (Revelation 21:3-4)
Be encouraged friends! Save your voice for the perfect moment!
Rev. Otto Wegner
The Genius of God
Stephen F. Olford (1918-2004) was a 20th century New York City pastor and prince of preachers. While Billy Graham called him "the man who most influenced my ministry," I remember Dr. Olford as an accomplished architect of alliteration. His expository sermons were always outlined around alliterated words sharing similar sounds. In my experience, no one did it more boldly or better. I loved to listen to Olford preach! With a tip of the hat to Dr. Olford’s impeccable skill at initializing ideas and idioms, I share my morning’s musing on the greatness of God. My meditations took me to God’s grandeur, goodness, glory, grace and genius. I may have been carried away into additional attributes of awesome alliteration, but I chose to remain reasonably restrained and mention only a few facets we favor.
Earlier this week we saw a program on the “Wealth Channel,” a first, at our daughter’s home. Multimillion dollar houses on Miami’s South Beach are gorgeous, but flawed in every way when contrasted with the grandeur of heaven, a place where gold is used for street paving! Mere men are paid millions for athletic performances. Occasionally the performances are impressive, but have you noticed a rainbow? Cloud formations? A maple leaf? Or, smelled a lilac? Grandeur surrounds us. The magnificence of all God’s revelation is incomparable and everywhere!
Our common measure of “good” is usually a study of comparative values. God is Good through and through. He has no veneer or veins where he is merely 99.9% good. His goodness is the fountainhead from which counsel, compassion, and concern flow unimpeded and uninterrupted. He is good when His counsel is agreeable and when His wisdom is inscrutable. Good doesn’t come and go with Him, like a major leaguer at bat or a tight end running a route! He never misses! Is never compromised!
Glory is elusive to lexicographers. Much has been written, little satisfies. Glory is too difficult for me, but I know glory when I allow glory to pierce the smog of my existence. Glory exposes ethical compromise, shabby imitations of anything. I am reminded of an oft-repeated line by my boyhood pastor, “Glory is better felt than telt!” Though intangible, glory is powerful, able to transformation. In the deepest doldrums, glory displaces despair with healthy hope. Glory is the antidote for ordinary, boredom, and human!
St. Paul speaks of the grace of God which was poured out on him abundantly. He writes as a former Jewish hit man, the worst of sinners, who went about breathing out murderous threats. His counsel gushes with grace, offers assurance to all who will call on the Lord.
The “G” that arrested me was the “genius” of God. Men’s best minds have merely uncovered what God has woven into complex equations and never-to-be-known secrets of creation. He knows the end from the beginning. Consider, God has never learned anything! His genius is absolute, with neither preference to an area of knowledge or academic discipline in a special field of study. He simply knows! Theologians speak of omniscience, an expensive word for “God knows!” Friends, He knows our names, the number of hair on out head (when the part is crooked or getting too wide), and even what we need before we ask! Let’s enjoy Him today!
Earlier this week we saw a program on the “Wealth Channel,” a first, at our daughter’s home. Multimillion dollar houses on Miami’s South Beach are gorgeous, but flawed in every way when contrasted with the grandeur of heaven, a place where gold is used for street paving! Mere men are paid millions for athletic performances. Occasionally the performances are impressive, but have you noticed a rainbow? Cloud formations? A maple leaf? Or, smelled a lilac? Grandeur surrounds us. The magnificence of all God’s revelation is incomparable and everywhere!
Our common measure of “good” is usually a study of comparative values. God is Good through and through. He has no veneer or veins where he is merely 99.9% good. His goodness is the fountainhead from which counsel, compassion, and concern flow unimpeded and uninterrupted. He is good when His counsel is agreeable and when His wisdom is inscrutable. Good doesn’t come and go with Him, like a major leaguer at bat or a tight end running a route! He never misses! Is never compromised!
Glory is elusive to lexicographers. Much has been written, little satisfies. Glory is too difficult for me, but I know glory when I allow glory to pierce the smog of my existence. Glory exposes ethical compromise, shabby imitations of anything. I am reminded of an oft-repeated line by my boyhood pastor, “Glory is better felt than telt!” Though intangible, glory is powerful, able to transformation. In the deepest doldrums, glory displaces despair with healthy hope. Glory is the antidote for ordinary, boredom, and human!
St. Paul speaks of the grace of God which was poured out on him abundantly. He writes as a former Jewish hit man, the worst of sinners, who went about breathing out murderous threats. His counsel gushes with grace, offers assurance to all who will call on the Lord.
The “G” that arrested me was the “genius” of God. Men’s best minds have merely uncovered what God has woven into complex equations and never-to-be-known secrets of creation. He knows the end from the beginning. Consider, God has never learned anything! His genius is absolute, with neither preference to an area of knowledge or academic discipline in a special field of study. He simply knows! Theologians speak of omniscience, an expensive word for “God knows!” Friends, He knows our names, the number of hair on out head (when the part is crooked or getting too wide), and even what we need before we ask! Let’s enjoy Him today!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Blessing and Curses
Reading the last few chapters of Deuteronomy may leave one feeling as if he is at mid-court at Wimbledon. The volley between blessing and cursing, good and bad, obedience and rebellion, honor and shame are intertwined as laces on a pair of Chuck Taylor sneakers.
Several observations come to the fore when reading God final instructions to Moses. First, consequences follow all behavior and choices. We frequently are reminded that the obedient are blessed of God and called, “the head and not the tail.” But, on balance, the disobedient are called the “tail and not the head.” The blessed status is ceded to Israel’s enemies when the People of God default in arrogant disregard of God’s pleasure and precept. Knowledge of blessings and curses are of equal importance.
Second, the language is forcefully strong and colorful. There is no ambiguity about the consequence of God’s children choosing to honor Him or the foolish and overconfident being disobedient. The context for blessing and cursing is in the Land of Promise, the one flowing with milk and honey. The threat about which God warns is the natural tendency to be assimilated with the residents Israel was to displace. Jeshurun is singled out as an example of rebellion and is described as “heavy and sleek,” pungent words describing smug self-confidence.
And, the balanced message was so important that God composed a song to be sung in the whole national assembly. Lyrics in prose seem to drift off in the sea of forgetfulness, but God employed the power of a song and set His message to music. The promises to the obedient and the warnings to the disobedient are to be kept before the people. The point-counterpoint, the volley-like words given to of Moses were to be sung at massive festivals, and were to be sung, not once, but repeatedly –
“He guarded him as the apple of his eye, like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions.
The LORD alone led him; no foreign god was with him.
He made him ride on the heights of the land and fed him with the fruit of the fields. He nourished him with honey from the rock, and with oil from the flinty crag ...” (Deuteronomy 32:10-13)
Words of powerful protection and promise are set against the curses resulting from disobedience.
“I will send wasting famine against them, consuming pestilence and deadly plague; I will send against them the fangs of wild beasts, the venom of vipers that glide in the dust.
In the street the sword will make them childless; in their homes terror will reign. Young men and young women will perish, infants and gray-haired men.” (32:24-25)
The terms are well defined. No ambiguity, no mindless tolerance, but curses follow those who disobey. The consequences are unmistakable.
In the same context of Moses’ parting words to the nation, Moses reminds us all that God calls on mankind to exercise the privilege and responsibility to choose. “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” (30:19-20) Each of us is active in the process.
The take-away lesson, in the daily give and take of living, during the volley between good and bad influences, redemptive and destructive opportunities, we must choose to honor the One who has defined the terms leading to both blessing and curses. We must remain alert to our tendency to be assimilated into the culture surrounding us, the danger of drinking the sweet sounding lyric and melody of love while forgetting the sobering consequences of God’s anger.
Several observations come to the fore when reading God final instructions to Moses. First, consequences follow all behavior and choices. We frequently are reminded that the obedient are blessed of God and called, “the head and not the tail.” But, on balance, the disobedient are called the “tail and not the head.” The blessed status is ceded to Israel’s enemies when the People of God default in arrogant disregard of God’s pleasure and precept. Knowledge of blessings and curses are of equal importance.
Second, the language is forcefully strong and colorful. There is no ambiguity about the consequence of God’s children choosing to honor Him or the foolish and overconfident being disobedient. The context for blessing and cursing is in the Land of Promise, the one flowing with milk and honey. The threat about which God warns is the natural tendency to be assimilated with the residents Israel was to displace. Jeshurun is singled out as an example of rebellion and is described as “heavy and sleek,” pungent words describing smug self-confidence.
And, the balanced message was so important that God composed a song to be sung in the whole national assembly. Lyrics in prose seem to drift off in the sea of forgetfulness, but God employed the power of a song and set His message to music. The promises to the obedient and the warnings to the disobedient are to be kept before the people. The point-counterpoint, the volley-like words given to of Moses were to be sung at massive festivals, and were to be sung, not once, but repeatedly –
“He guarded him as the apple of his eye, like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions.
The LORD alone led him; no foreign god was with him.
He made him ride on the heights of the land and fed him with the fruit of the fields. He nourished him with honey from the rock, and with oil from the flinty crag ...” (Deuteronomy 32:10-13)
Words of powerful protection and promise are set against the curses resulting from disobedience.
“I will send wasting famine against them, consuming pestilence and deadly plague; I will send against them the fangs of wild beasts, the venom of vipers that glide in the dust.
In the street the sword will make them childless; in their homes terror will reign. Young men and young women will perish, infants and gray-haired men.” (32:24-25)
The terms are well defined. No ambiguity, no mindless tolerance, but curses follow those who disobey. The consequences are unmistakable.
In the same context of Moses’ parting words to the nation, Moses reminds us all that God calls on mankind to exercise the privilege and responsibility to choose. “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” (30:19-20) Each of us is active in the process.
The take-away lesson, in the daily give and take of living, during the volley between good and bad influences, redemptive and destructive opportunities, we must choose to honor the One who has defined the terms leading to both blessing and curses. We must remain alert to our tendency to be assimilated into the culture surrounding us, the danger of drinking the sweet sounding lyric and melody of love while forgetting the sobering consequences of God’s anger.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Listening to God's voice when he speaks through others
God’s Word is always instructive, challenging the status quo, interrupting lazy thinking and mindless rut-digging routines. In reading through the Pentateuch the first few days of 2012, I was reminded how frequently Aaron’s agenda was set by Moses, his brother. God spoke to Moses, Moses spoke to Aaron, Aaron did what he was told.
One notable exception to the God-Moses-Aaron chain of command was when Moses went to the mount and Aaron listened to the masses. “Moses is gone, we need something to worship,” became the demanding chant of the people. Aaron’s big mistake was listening to the majority opinion. We who live in a democracy are accustomed to polling the masses, adopting the “will of the people.” Political leaders have the “bully pulpit,” or power of influence. Great leaders in democracies are skilled in influencing attitudes, summoning courage, persuading the masses to follow voluntarily but cannot hand down irrevocable edicts.
One of the challenges for those conditioned in democratic political systems is learning how to be a loyal follower. In our nation a sense of personal autonomy is cultivated in legal documents and amplified in the mediums of our culture. In short, I can act as I please, go where I desire, preach what satisfies me, and resist all adverse restraints. The challenge to enjoy freedom while following Jesus demands that we think through the conflicting values and to properly live as Christian Americans. “Christian Americans” should not be an oxymoron.
For instance, I received an email which laughingly celebrated the ingenuity of a bowling alley that painted the image of our president above the bowling pins. The pins were in the position of the images teeth. A photo showed our nation’s leader with several missing teeth, a variety of presidential jack-o-lanterns, one over each lane. The bowling alley owner has the freedom to paint the images and spoof presidential authority, but does the person who forwarded the images to me have the freedom to do that as a Christian?
Consider a few questions rumbling about my interior space today.
• Am I willing to take orders from a mere mortal or am I willing to obey God if He speaks to me directly? With few exceptions Aaron excelled at obeying Moses and God. I need to to ask, “Why did Miriam have a severe bout with leprosy?” Why did the ground open and swallow up a whole family and all their possessions?
• The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) defends the right of the person to send disparaging images of the president. Then, why do the people who send anti-president opinions so often express disgust and wish ill on the ACLU? What should my opinion be about these things?
• What happened to people who challenged Moses’ leadership? Is it possible that as American Christians disrespecting our leaders is too easy, culturally acceptable, and with too few immediate? What effect does a spirit of criticism and insubordination have on my relationship with God?
• If God were to chasten the United States for her sins, how would He do it? Is it even remotely possible that God has allowed our obviously favored nation to be taken captive culturally, ethically, morally and politically? Like the prophets, should Christians speak words of encouragement to one another to shine, without complaint, as stars in the universe until the captivity has ended. Is this our opportunity to see the Name of the Lord vindicated in our attitude and behavior? Did Daniel organize fellow political detainees to unseat their captors, or did he excel in hearing God and speaking His counsel without release from captivity?
• Do I find joy in submitting to human authority established by God? Or am I humbled because I know I am really a rebel at heart? Is loving humility in service the priority of my life, or am I earning the reputation of being angry, narrow-minded, an un-loving extremist? Did Joseph know why he was in Egypt while he was imprisoned, or did he have to wait until the Lord freed him?
• Do I pursue evildoers with loving service, without embracing evil? How is that done in a culture often violently opposed decency and common sense?
I do not have answers! But I am uncomfortable with expressing anger without embarrassment. I am concerned that I do not humble myself and pray for leaders to whom I have pledged my support. Have you noticed, complaining is so natural, humbling oneself is so un-American?
Aaron’s example can be troublesome. High priest, national spiritual authority, anointed to serve, called to serve in the Most Holy Place, and yet Aaron listened to God through Moses. Perplexing, isn’t it?
One notable exception to the God-Moses-Aaron chain of command was when Moses went to the mount and Aaron listened to the masses. “Moses is gone, we need something to worship,” became the demanding chant of the people. Aaron’s big mistake was listening to the majority opinion. We who live in a democracy are accustomed to polling the masses, adopting the “will of the people.” Political leaders have the “bully pulpit,” or power of influence. Great leaders in democracies are skilled in influencing attitudes, summoning courage, persuading the masses to follow voluntarily but cannot hand down irrevocable edicts.
One of the challenges for those conditioned in democratic political systems is learning how to be a loyal follower. In our nation a sense of personal autonomy is cultivated in legal documents and amplified in the mediums of our culture. In short, I can act as I please, go where I desire, preach what satisfies me, and resist all adverse restraints. The challenge to enjoy freedom while following Jesus demands that we think through the conflicting values and to properly live as Christian Americans. “Christian Americans” should not be an oxymoron.
For instance, I received an email which laughingly celebrated the ingenuity of a bowling alley that painted the image of our president above the bowling pins. The pins were in the position of the images teeth. A photo showed our nation’s leader with several missing teeth, a variety of presidential jack-o-lanterns, one over each lane. The bowling alley owner has the freedom to paint the images and spoof presidential authority, but does the person who forwarded the images to me have the freedom to do that as a Christian?
Consider a few questions rumbling about my interior space today.
• Am I willing to take orders from a mere mortal or am I willing to obey God if He speaks to me directly? With few exceptions Aaron excelled at obeying Moses and God. I need to to ask, “Why did Miriam have a severe bout with leprosy?” Why did the ground open and swallow up a whole family and all their possessions?
• The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) defends the right of the person to send disparaging images of the president. Then, why do the people who send anti-president opinions so often express disgust and wish ill on the ACLU? What should my opinion be about these things?
• What happened to people who challenged Moses’ leadership? Is it possible that as American Christians disrespecting our leaders is too easy, culturally acceptable, and with too few immediate? What effect does a spirit of criticism and insubordination have on my relationship with God?
• If God were to chasten the United States for her sins, how would He do it? Is it even remotely possible that God has allowed our obviously favored nation to be taken captive culturally, ethically, morally and politically? Like the prophets, should Christians speak words of encouragement to one another to shine, without complaint, as stars in the universe until the captivity has ended. Is this our opportunity to see the Name of the Lord vindicated in our attitude and behavior? Did Daniel organize fellow political detainees to unseat their captors, or did he excel in hearing God and speaking His counsel without release from captivity?
• Do I find joy in submitting to human authority established by God? Or am I humbled because I know I am really a rebel at heart? Is loving humility in service the priority of my life, or am I earning the reputation of being angry, narrow-minded, an un-loving extremist? Did Joseph know why he was in Egypt while he was imprisoned, or did he have to wait until the Lord freed him?
• Do I pursue evildoers with loving service, without embracing evil? How is that done in a culture often violently opposed decency and common sense?
I do not have answers! But I am uncomfortable with expressing anger without embarrassment. I am concerned that I do not humble myself and pray for leaders to whom I have pledged my support. Have you noticed, complaining is so natural, humbling oneself is so un-American?
Aaron’s example can be troublesome. High priest, national spiritual authority, anointed to serve, called to serve in the Most Holy Place, and yet Aaron listened to God through Moses. Perplexing, isn’t it?
Thursday, January 12, 2012
God-to-Man Communication
Items of comic miscommunication quite frequently come across my computer screen. For my comfort, too often the amusing routines involve old people with hearing aids. Alas, many of my friends are old, but I am not! While I may no longer hear well, so much of what others want me to hear nowadays isn’t worth hearing anyway!
While reading Exodus and Leviticus this week, I have been amazed at how well the ancients communicated, sans Power Point, digital enhancements, a written page, or a single Tweet or text. Consider this! God spoke with Moses concerning the design of the Tabernacle and articles of worship. Moses then spoke with craftsmen, and, then a whole team of workers produced what God designed. The end result, God was pleased and demonstrated His satisfaction by appearing in a cloud at the door of the tent! In contrast, when Pat asks me to pick up a loaf of bread, I cannot remember if the loaf was to be sliced or un-sliced, rye or wheat, Italian or French. Even church offices have “paper trails.” But, the God-to-Moses-to-Bezelel-to-Oholiab-to-a team of others communique was accomplished without a glitch!
The next time you trek through the Exodus vicariously sharing the wilderness wanderings experience with the ancient Israelis, notice the layers of details. An assortment of animal skins, a band of rainbow colors, and an array of precious metals made up the materials list. In addition, God verbally explained sizes, shapes of sockets, exterior and interior elevations, weaving patterns, weight of cords, and more. The Lord’s communication passed through several generations of listener-speaker transmission – accurately!
Moses made the project known to the people and the people rallied immediately with offerings. No discordant sound was heard from the masters of mumbling murmur so skilled in the art of complaining about everything under the sun. In this flawed and fickle national arena, the God-to-Moses-to-people communication worked flawlessly.
How can communication like this happen? What can we learn about listening and then executing God-to-man instructions? Is the Lord still making His ways known? Yes! Is the Lord a skilled communicator? Yes! A few steps have helped me in my quest for hearing more precisely.
• Physically, turn off everything else! It is hard to imagine Moses walking toward the mount with ear buds piping in background music to get into an atmosphere of worship! Should the Almighty have to compete with anything human?
• Mentally, remove the clutter. The day’s “To Do List” is a stubborn interrupter. The excited anticipation of an appointment can distract from our encounters with Him. Daydreaming often muffles the distinct sound of the Lord’s voice.
• Spiritually, turn toward God with Word and waiting prayer in anticipation of spirit-to-Spirit exchanges. Have we “heard” from His Word before we speak our own words? Is it really wise to speak before we listen to God? What could we possibly tell Him that He doesn’t already know? Word and Spirit will bring our spirit and His Spirit into agreement.
• Volitionally, be prepared to say, “Yes!” to everything the Lord asks. This action is akin to signing a blank check and allowing the Almighty to fill in all the blanks. We will fail to hear the nuances of His unfolding plan for us if we proscribe an assignment we do not care to accept, nurture an unacceptable attitude, or become content within the restrictive confines of mere human plans.
The Tabernacle plan and construction speak of God’s genius! In a day of mega-communication, we can explore and regain a face-to-face, mind-to-mind, heart-to-heart, spirit-to-Spirit conversation which brings a cloud of glory to our lives.
There is more, but Pat has asked me to get a loaf of bread, or was it milk, or eggs? No, I think it was Diet Coke! Or ...
While reading Exodus and Leviticus this week, I have been amazed at how well the ancients communicated, sans Power Point, digital enhancements, a written page, or a single Tweet or text. Consider this! God spoke with Moses concerning the design of the Tabernacle and articles of worship. Moses then spoke with craftsmen, and, then a whole team of workers produced what God designed. The end result, God was pleased and demonstrated His satisfaction by appearing in a cloud at the door of the tent! In contrast, when Pat asks me to pick up a loaf of bread, I cannot remember if the loaf was to be sliced or un-sliced, rye or wheat, Italian or French. Even church offices have “paper trails.” But, the God-to-Moses-to-Bezelel-to-Oholiab-to-a team of others communique was accomplished without a glitch!
The next time you trek through the Exodus vicariously sharing the wilderness wanderings experience with the ancient Israelis, notice the layers of details. An assortment of animal skins, a band of rainbow colors, and an array of precious metals made up the materials list. In addition, God verbally explained sizes, shapes of sockets, exterior and interior elevations, weaving patterns, weight of cords, and more. The Lord’s communication passed through several generations of listener-speaker transmission – accurately!
Moses made the project known to the people and the people rallied immediately with offerings. No discordant sound was heard from the masters of mumbling murmur so skilled in the art of complaining about everything under the sun. In this flawed and fickle national arena, the God-to-Moses-to-people communication worked flawlessly.
How can communication like this happen? What can we learn about listening and then executing God-to-man instructions? Is the Lord still making His ways known? Yes! Is the Lord a skilled communicator? Yes! A few steps have helped me in my quest for hearing more precisely.
• Physically, turn off everything else! It is hard to imagine Moses walking toward the mount with ear buds piping in background music to get into an atmosphere of worship! Should the Almighty have to compete with anything human?
• Mentally, remove the clutter. The day’s “To Do List” is a stubborn interrupter. The excited anticipation of an appointment can distract from our encounters with Him. Daydreaming often muffles the distinct sound of the Lord’s voice.
• Spiritually, turn toward God with Word and waiting prayer in anticipation of spirit-to-Spirit exchanges. Have we “heard” from His Word before we speak our own words? Is it really wise to speak before we listen to God? What could we possibly tell Him that He doesn’t already know? Word and Spirit will bring our spirit and His Spirit into agreement.
• Volitionally, be prepared to say, “Yes!” to everything the Lord asks. This action is akin to signing a blank check and allowing the Almighty to fill in all the blanks. We will fail to hear the nuances of His unfolding plan for us if we proscribe an assignment we do not care to accept, nurture an unacceptable attitude, or become content within the restrictive confines of mere human plans.
The Tabernacle plan and construction speak of God’s genius! In a day of mega-communication, we can explore and regain a face-to-face, mind-to-mind, heart-to-heart, spirit-to-Spirit conversation which brings a cloud of glory to our lives.
There is more, but Pat has asked me to get a loaf of bread, or was it milk, or eggs? No, I think it was Diet Coke! Or ...
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Teachers
My first day at school, Kindergarten at Courville Elementary, had the potential of being a disaster. For whatever reason, I remember the event which included coming home weeping and afraid of the teacher. My mother and father calmed me down by explaining that God made all, including my teacher, and she would help me learn. The trauma of day one passed before day two and from that day onward my life has been blessed by a long line of teachers.
Mrs. Wilson was the librarian at Gabriel Richard Elementary and introduced me to the world of books. I wonder what might have happened to me if the City of Detroit had decided to save money and close the library and cut Mrs. Wilson’s position.
Miss O’Donnell coached a group of fourth graders to the art of cursive writing with a fountain pen (“Not a crude ball pen, an instrument for writing with a ‘sack’ into which replenishes the supply of ink”). Miss O’Donnell was “ancient,” probably between forty and fifty years-old, when our lives intersected, and she was determined than legible penmanship would not die while she had any influence.
In the eighth grade Mr. Edwards became the instrument of God to direct my life into a course of which I was unaware. He made two visits to our home. Mr. Edwards moonlighted selling World Book Encyclopedia and came the first time to our home to introduce us to his product. Too late, we already had a well-worn set. My teacher nodded with appreciation when he saw the books displayed and said, “I would have suspected you would have them.”
On his second visit, Mr. Edwards introduced my parents and me to Cass Technical High School and recommended that I apply for entrance. I did, and was accepted. Attending Cass Tech was a life-changer! Without Mr. Edwards, my alma mater would have only been a line item in Saturday’s sports scores in The Detroit News.
In college I was blessed by teachers whose names are well known in our denomination. Scholars, authors, preachers, and spiritual leaders. Several of them have been honored by having their names attached to buildings. But one, Leland Despain, a little known English teacher, influenced my life as much as many others for two reasons. He taught the importance of writing well, interestingly, accurately, with humor and pathos. I should have learned more, but I was young and more interested in theology at the time. And, Leland Despain introduced me to Count Nicholas Ludwig Von Zinzendorf and the Moravian Church. I am forever indebted for that single huge contribution.
When Moses commissioned the artistic work of the Tabernacle, he chose Bezalel and Oholiab. “Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts — to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship. And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others.” (Exodus 35:30-34)
Many have great skills, too few share the secrets of their craft with others. Internships, apprenticeships, learning environments formal and informal shape the future of individuals and have the potential of ultimately setting the course of whole communities.
Thank God for teachers! We who have had good teachers are blessed!
Mrs. Wilson was the librarian at Gabriel Richard Elementary and introduced me to the world of books. I wonder what might have happened to me if the City of Detroit had decided to save money and close the library and cut Mrs. Wilson’s position.
Miss O’Donnell coached a group of fourth graders to the art of cursive writing with a fountain pen (“Not a crude ball pen, an instrument for writing with a ‘sack’ into which replenishes the supply of ink”). Miss O’Donnell was “ancient,” probably between forty and fifty years-old, when our lives intersected, and she was determined than legible penmanship would not die while she had any influence.
In the eighth grade Mr. Edwards became the instrument of God to direct my life into a course of which I was unaware. He made two visits to our home. Mr. Edwards moonlighted selling World Book Encyclopedia and came the first time to our home to introduce us to his product. Too late, we already had a well-worn set. My teacher nodded with appreciation when he saw the books displayed and said, “I would have suspected you would have them.”
On his second visit, Mr. Edwards introduced my parents and me to Cass Technical High School and recommended that I apply for entrance. I did, and was accepted. Attending Cass Tech was a life-changer! Without Mr. Edwards, my alma mater would have only been a line item in Saturday’s sports scores in The Detroit News.
In college I was blessed by teachers whose names are well known in our denomination. Scholars, authors, preachers, and spiritual leaders. Several of them have been honored by having their names attached to buildings. But one, Leland Despain, a little known English teacher, influenced my life as much as many others for two reasons. He taught the importance of writing well, interestingly, accurately, with humor and pathos. I should have learned more, but I was young and more interested in theology at the time. And, Leland Despain introduced me to Count Nicholas Ludwig Von Zinzendorf and the Moravian Church. I am forever indebted for that single huge contribution.
When Moses commissioned the artistic work of the Tabernacle, he chose Bezalel and Oholiab. “Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts — to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship. And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others.” (Exodus 35:30-34)
Many have great skills, too few share the secrets of their craft with others. Internships, apprenticeships, learning environments formal and informal shape the future of individuals and have the potential of ultimately setting the course of whole communities.
Thank God for teachers! We who have had good teachers are blessed!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Gershom and Eliezer, an inseparable pair
Certain pairs are inseparable. Most of us know married couples who have been together so long that they are seen as a single unit. Adam and Eve are forever etched into the Judeo-Christian lists of pairs. Pat and my contemporaries include Bob and Judy, Joe and Pat, Tony and Judy, Bob and Rayanna, inseparable pairs. Our parents, Otto and Annie, Roy and Martha, are one, forever inseparable in our memories.
The theme of a pop song from the 50's captures a pairing now quaint in our culture’s marketplace. “Love and Marriage,” by Sammy Cahn, Jimmy VanHeusen, was popularized by Frank Sinatra.
Love and marriage, love and marriage
Go together like a horse and carriage
This I tell you brother
You can't have one without the other
Love and marriage, love and marriage
It's an institute you can't disparage
Ask the local gentry
And they will say it's elementary
Try, try, try to separate them
It's an illusion
Try, try, try, and you will only come
To this conclusion
Love and marriage, love and marriage
Go together like the horse and carriage
Dad was told by mother
You can't have one, you can't have none,
You can't have one without the other!
Some people, things and experiences simply must be paired. In marketing Abercrombie and Fitch comes to mind. Hardware stores sell nuts and bolts. In comedy Abbot is forever associated with Costello and Lewis is inseparable from Martin. Old timers cannot unhitch “Amos” from “Andy.” Broadway’s famous “Beauty” is forever linked with “The Beast.” For ice cream lovers “Ben and Jerry” is one.
Moses had two sons. “One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have become an alien in a foreign land”; and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.” (Genesis 18:3-4) “Eliezer, “God my helper,” is irrevocably tied to “Gershom, I am an alien.” The discomforts of being Pharaoh’s antagonist alienated Moses from the masses of his countrymen. Lonely self-examination and feelings of inferiority were necessary to Moses’ development. Without unwanted contests in an Egyptian palace, Moses would have never been able to dance with Miriam and Aaron singing –
“I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted.
The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea.
The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name.
Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the Red Sea. (Exodus 15:1-4)
The sobering truth is, we want to know “God our helper” without allowing Him to lead us into uncomfortable surroundings, requiring us to take on assignments too difficult for any sane and thoughtful person, and endure the grumbling of those God allows to surround us. But “Gershom” is the necessary prerequisite to “Eliezer,” just like love and marriage! You can’t have one without the other.
The theme of a pop song from the 50's captures a pairing now quaint in our culture’s marketplace. “Love and Marriage,” by Sammy Cahn, Jimmy VanHeusen, was popularized by Frank Sinatra.
Love and marriage, love and marriage
Go together like a horse and carriage
This I tell you brother
You can't have one without the other
Love and marriage, love and marriage
It's an institute you can't disparage
Ask the local gentry
And they will say it's elementary
Try, try, try to separate them
It's an illusion
Try, try, try, and you will only come
To this conclusion
Love and marriage, love and marriage
Go together like the horse and carriage
Dad was told by mother
You can't have one, you can't have none,
You can't have one without the other!
Some people, things and experiences simply must be paired. In marketing Abercrombie and Fitch comes to mind. Hardware stores sell nuts and bolts. In comedy Abbot is forever associated with Costello and Lewis is inseparable from Martin. Old timers cannot unhitch “Amos” from “Andy.” Broadway’s famous “Beauty” is forever linked with “The Beast.” For ice cream lovers “Ben and Jerry” is one.
Moses had two sons. “One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have become an alien in a foreign land”; and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.” (Genesis 18:3-4) “Eliezer, “God my helper,” is irrevocably tied to “Gershom, I am an alien.” The discomforts of being Pharaoh’s antagonist alienated Moses from the masses of his countrymen. Lonely self-examination and feelings of inferiority were necessary to Moses’ development. Without unwanted contests in an Egyptian palace, Moses would have never been able to dance with Miriam and Aaron singing –
“I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted.
The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea.
The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name.
Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the Red Sea. (Exodus 15:1-4)
The sobering truth is, we want to know “God our helper” without allowing Him to lead us into uncomfortable surroundings, requiring us to take on assignments too difficult for any sane and thoughtful person, and endure the grumbling of those God allows to surround us. But “Gershom” is the necessary prerequisite to “Eliezer,” just like love and marriage! You can’t have one without the other.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Prayer as a learning experience
Prayer is a self-disclosing exercise when we listen. As we or others are praying, we learn. On occasion I am startled with the way we boss God around, sending the Almighty to fetch. I am embarrassed when I hear myself, and others, informing God in prayer as if He were unaware of what was happening in the world He created. I am also ashamed when prayer is reduced to mindless repetitive phrases with little thought or deliberate movement toward human wills submitting to an all-knowing Father in heaven.
On the occasion when he disclosed his true identity, Joseph told his brothers, “God sent me ahead of you to preserve you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.” (Genesis 45:7) Nothing is left to chance with God. Slavery is not the traditional route to blessing. Years of unjust imprisonment is not the preferred way to spiritual leadership. But, Joseph was molded, formed, prepared all lifelong for the redemptive task.
Like Joseph’s brothers, I can present a pretty strong case for being anxious, edgy, tense, and fearful. Reuben and I could be soul mates! But, feelings of insecurity and fear find fertile soil in the vacuum created by being inattentive to God’s Word, the Spirit’s witness, the knowledge of His presence, and a fundamental flaw of carelessly overlooking the obvious truth of God revealed in all of nature’s order. Joseph’s insight to the ways of God is superior.
St. Paul’s Holy Spirit inspired doxology reminds us that there is One who knows all, determines the order of all life. Those who best understand and experience the Apostle’s hymn to God are awed in His presence. Praying people become worshipers! Their prayers overflow with descriptions of Might, Authority, Compassion, Wisdom, Affection, Mercy, Justice … God is enlarged. Worshipers bow in awe. There is no need for the contrived or orchestrated. God appears and worshipers are flooded with awesome respect in the Presence. Prayer is the vehicle for the Spirit to flow through humanity revealing Divinity.
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”
“Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen. (Romans 12)
God’s perception of our experiences, both positive and negative, are not formed as we go along. God thinks, knows and acts from the very foundations of the world. The Almighty has never said, “Oops!” Nor, has the One who made sun, moon and stars sought counsel. (Can you believe it, God has never had to read a book or surf the internet to learn!) Running short has never been His experience. When we pray, we would be wise to remember, rejoice and be renewed in truth revealed in Him.
Joseph’s words to his brothers remind me of Jesus’ instructions on prayer, “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6) If our Father knows what we need before we ask, why pray? Because,
• As we pray our Father hears and will confront us with, “Is your spirit broken and contrite, or boastful and arrogant? Is your desire to be blessed rooted in being an instrument of blessing others, or will my blessing stop you?
• As we pray we express priorities and assure our Father that His will has become ours. Prayers meant to bring us affirmation and sense of self-importance rather than to make the glory of God known in the earth are pagan. In this way we grieve the Holy Spirit.
• As we pray, we are exposed to our heart’s condition. More often than I would like anyone to know, I can be selfish and self-centered in prayer. It is possible to pray asking God to help us break His commandment to not covet something belonging to another. The thing we covet is usually something big, pleasant and full of creature comforts! We can pray to embellish our reputation rather than the glory of His Name. Listening to prayers has tremendous power to sanctify, better equip us for God’s purposes. We are confronted with ourselves, that which obstructs the ways of our Father being fully known and appreciated.
• As we listen we become aware of new material for celebrating the transforming grace of God which has taken place in our lives. Worship happens in intelligent, spiritual prayer.
There is so much more about prayers which are in harmony with our Father. His Sovereignty will not be fully understood in this life. Because of that, we keep praying because prayer changes us, not God!
I hope to meet you at a prayer meeting soon. Your prayers instruct me and sanctify me for service.
On the occasion when he disclosed his true identity, Joseph told his brothers, “God sent me ahead of you to preserve you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.” (Genesis 45:7) Nothing is left to chance with God. Slavery is not the traditional route to blessing. Years of unjust imprisonment is not the preferred way to spiritual leadership. But, Joseph was molded, formed, prepared all lifelong for the redemptive task.
Like Joseph’s brothers, I can present a pretty strong case for being anxious, edgy, tense, and fearful. Reuben and I could be soul mates! But, feelings of insecurity and fear find fertile soil in the vacuum created by being inattentive to God’s Word, the Spirit’s witness, the knowledge of His presence, and a fundamental flaw of carelessly overlooking the obvious truth of God revealed in all of nature’s order. Joseph’s insight to the ways of God is superior.
St. Paul’s Holy Spirit inspired doxology reminds us that there is One who knows all, determines the order of all life. Those who best understand and experience the Apostle’s hymn to God are awed in His presence. Praying people become worshipers! Their prayers overflow with descriptions of Might, Authority, Compassion, Wisdom, Affection, Mercy, Justice … God is enlarged. Worshipers bow in awe. There is no need for the contrived or orchestrated. God appears and worshipers are flooded with awesome respect in the Presence. Prayer is the vehicle for the Spirit to flow through humanity revealing Divinity.
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”
“Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen. (Romans 12)
God’s perception of our experiences, both positive and negative, are not formed as we go along. God thinks, knows and acts from the very foundations of the world. The Almighty has never said, “Oops!” Nor, has the One who made sun, moon and stars sought counsel. (Can you believe it, God has never had to read a book or surf the internet to learn!) Running short has never been His experience. When we pray, we would be wise to remember, rejoice and be renewed in truth revealed in Him.
Joseph’s words to his brothers remind me of Jesus’ instructions on prayer, “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6) If our Father knows what we need before we ask, why pray? Because,
• As we pray our Father hears and will confront us with, “Is your spirit broken and contrite, or boastful and arrogant? Is your desire to be blessed rooted in being an instrument of blessing others, or will my blessing stop you?
• As we pray we express priorities and assure our Father that His will has become ours. Prayers meant to bring us affirmation and sense of self-importance rather than to make the glory of God known in the earth are pagan. In this way we grieve the Holy Spirit.
• As we pray, we are exposed to our heart’s condition. More often than I would like anyone to know, I can be selfish and self-centered in prayer. It is possible to pray asking God to help us break His commandment to not covet something belonging to another. The thing we covet is usually something big, pleasant and full of creature comforts! We can pray to embellish our reputation rather than the glory of His Name. Listening to prayers has tremendous power to sanctify, better equip us for God’s purposes. We are confronted with ourselves, that which obstructs the ways of our Father being fully known and appreciated.
• As we listen we become aware of new material for celebrating the transforming grace of God which has taken place in our lives. Worship happens in intelligent, spiritual prayer.
There is so much more about prayers which are in harmony with our Father. His Sovereignty will not be fully understood in this life. Because of that, we keep praying because prayer changes us, not God!
I hope to meet you at a prayer meeting soon. Your prayers instruct me and sanctify me for service.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Emanuel, God is with us!
Several homes in our neighborhood have decorated for the season using cascading strands of lights, inflated Santas and reindeer attempting to lift-off to their annual errand, are mixed in with nativity scenes and stars beaming brightly enough to be seen on a Google map. One neighbor erected a simple, one-word, Advent message on their lawn. Large block letters, each on a separate board, spell “EMANUEL.”
A simple line in Genesis 39 captured my attention recently, “While Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him. (39:21) My neighbor’s one-word message is affirmed in prison! The “EMANUEL” message is simple, encouraging, and the foundation of practical faith.
At least fine simple applications of the “EMANUEL” message can be made.
• God is present wherever his people are. Prison can serve as a metaphor for nearly every undesirable life experience including sickness, aging, failures, and whatever you and I may face today. “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” (Hebrews 13:5) Prisons may keep people in, but they cannot keep the Lord out. Courts may rule whatever they wish, but the Lord is determined that He will never leave or forsake his people.
• The presence of God makes fear impotent. So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6) If we fearfully focus on the possible outcomes to challenges faced yesterday, may confront this afternoon, or may be secretly lurking to upend tomorrow, we will be paralyzed. But, “the Lord is with us!” “EMANUEL!”
• When the Lord is present, others notice. Potiphar noticed that the Lord was with Joseph. “The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.” (Genesis 39:2-3)
• When the Lord is present, we enjoy peace. Immediately after the resurrection Jesus appeared to the eleven fearful, disoriented followers whose hopes had been dashed. Jesus announced, “Peace be with you!” That moment may be one of the most powerful “EMANUEL” moments in all human history. Peace upended all her adversaries in one sentence of four words!
• The Lord who is present vindicates His people! Before Joseph’s story is completed his boyhood dreams are fulfilled in detail. His hateful, jealous brothers, so angry they were eager to kill, bowed down to him as the dreams foretold. After decades of estrangement, more than two years of unjust imprisonment, and fourteen years of rigorous national administrative duty – a long, long time – Joseph was vindicated. “EMANUEL” arranged everything for good and the salvation of Israel.
The Lord is not partial to a few, but to all who will follow His lead. David had great success because “the Lord was with him.” (1 Samuel 18) Hezekiah knew the Lord’s blessing because “the Lord was with him.” (2 Kings 18) The original Pentecostal church scattered as Saul of Tarsus tightened the screws of persecution, “But those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. “The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.”
Charles Austin Miles, a native of New Jersey and citizen of Philadelphia wrote Gospel songs. One from my boyhood captures the “Emanuel” theme and reinforces faith.
It may be in the valley, where countless dangers hide;
It may be in the sunshine that I, in peace, abide;
But this one thing I know—if it be dark or fair,
If Jesus is with me, I’ll go anywhere!
Refrain:
If Jesus goes with me, I’ll go anywhere!
’Tis heaven to me, where’er I may be, if He is there!
I count it a privilege here, His cross to bear,
If Jesus goes with me, I’ll go anywhere!
Remember, we are locked in a prison, in one of life’s unpredictable challenges that hems us in for the moment, but “the Lord is present!” No one can keep Him out! EMANUEL, the Lord is with us! Hallelujah!
A simple line in Genesis 39 captured my attention recently, “While Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him. (39:21) My neighbor’s one-word message is affirmed in prison! The “EMANUEL” message is simple, encouraging, and the foundation of practical faith.
At least fine simple applications of the “EMANUEL” message can be made.
• God is present wherever his people are. Prison can serve as a metaphor for nearly every undesirable life experience including sickness, aging, failures, and whatever you and I may face today. “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” (Hebrews 13:5) Prisons may keep people in, but they cannot keep the Lord out. Courts may rule whatever they wish, but the Lord is determined that He will never leave or forsake his people.
• The presence of God makes fear impotent. So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6) If we fearfully focus on the possible outcomes to challenges faced yesterday, may confront this afternoon, or may be secretly lurking to upend tomorrow, we will be paralyzed. But, “the Lord is with us!” “EMANUEL!”
• When the Lord is present, others notice. Potiphar noticed that the Lord was with Joseph. “The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.” (Genesis 39:2-3)
• When the Lord is present, we enjoy peace. Immediately after the resurrection Jesus appeared to the eleven fearful, disoriented followers whose hopes had been dashed. Jesus announced, “Peace be with you!” That moment may be one of the most powerful “EMANUEL” moments in all human history. Peace upended all her adversaries in one sentence of four words!
• The Lord who is present vindicates His people! Before Joseph’s story is completed his boyhood dreams are fulfilled in detail. His hateful, jealous brothers, so angry they were eager to kill, bowed down to him as the dreams foretold. After decades of estrangement, more than two years of unjust imprisonment, and fourteen years of rigorous national administrative duty – a long, long time – Joseph was vindicated. “EMANUEL” arranged everything for good and the salvation of Israel.
The Lord is not partial to a few, but to all who will follow His lead. David had great success because “the Lord was with him.” (1 Samuel 18) Hezekiah knew the Lord’s blessing because “the Lord was with him.” (2 Kings 18) The original Pentecostal church scattered as Saul of Tarsus tightened the screws of persecution, “But those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. “The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.”
Charles Austin Miles, a native of New Jersey and citizen of Philadelphia wrote Gospel songs. One from my boyhood captures the “Emanuel” theme and reinforces faith.
It may be in the valley, where countless dangers hide;
It may be in the sunshine that I, in peace, abide;
But this one thing I know—if it be dark or fair,
If Jesus is with me, I’ll go anywhere!
Refrain:
If Jesus goes with me, I’ll go anywhere!
’Tis heaven to me, where’er I may be, if He is there!
I count it a privilege here, His cross to bear,
If Jesus goes with me, I’ll go anywhere!
Remember, we are locked in a prison, in one of life’s unpredictable challenges that hems us in for the moment, but “the Lord is present!” No one can keep Him out! EMANUEL, the Lord is with us! Hallelujah!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Curiosity leads to worship
Curiosity is a powerful God-given gift. Wonder and awe are forerunners to learning and worship. Color, shape and movement; the sounds of music, voice and industry; aromas; the taste of fresh bread or steaming soup on a cold day; and the feel of elegant silk or gritty sand all arouse wonder, curiosity, that leads to reverence. How did all this come about? Don’t you wonder, who instilled thought of harnessing sounds, hearing melody before they were audible, and making symphony reality? Who discovered the power of yeast so essential for raising lumps of flour and eggs into fragrant hunger-satisfying hot breads? How did it happen? Where did these wonders all start? The list of wonders is inexhaustible.
Who taught the spider to make a web, and whose idea was it to apply a silken web to practical use? Out of curiosity, this morning I visited the digital library at my fingertips, the internet. The One who spoke spiders into being designed each with an innate ability to spin its own web. Spiders let out a single sticky thread and patiently wait for a breeze to catch it. In time the loose end catches another surface and then the spider begins systematically traveling back and forth adding additional, strengthening layers. Networks of sticky and smooth threads become a one-of-a-kind web. Spiders spin webs so they can trap insects to eat. In our culture, webs are often reduced to “icky,” unclean things fit only for being sucked into vacuums or swabbed away with chemically saturated cloths. But, for the curious, webs are a source of wonder and awe. (I can hardly wait to tell my “I’m-afraid-of-spiders-grandchildren” all about this!)
When Isaac returned to the wells dug by his father, Abraham, the reopened wells became the issue over which Isaac’s team and the natives of Gerar fought. As each well was opened, and ownership was contested, Isaac named them “Dispute” (Esek), “Opposition (Sitnah), “Room” (Rehoboth) and “Seven” (Beersheba). (Genesis 26) Each struggle, every unpleasant argument, all the conflicts over idle wells made useful became a strand in Isaac’s web of faith. Then, at Beersheba Isaac “built an altar” and then, “pitched his tent.” He was a worshiper, one who was moved with the ways of God’s interventions, an observer of his Maker’s provision. Isaac took time to name the places of adversity because they were essential to his faith and to his future. Since Isaac was a mere mortal like us, he would not have chosen conflict, but he observed, discovered, and was filled with wonder!
Chris Tomlin’s lyrics beautifully capture the spirit of wonder and awe.
Lord of all creation
of water earth and sky
The heavens are your Tabernacle
Glory to the Lord on high
Chorus:
God of wonders beyond our galaxy
You are Holy, Holy
The universe declares your Majesty
And you are holy holy
Lord of Heaven and Earth
Lord of Heaven and Earth
Early in the morning
I will celebrate the light
When i stumble in the darkness
I will call your name by night
The libraries of the whole world are filled with information, but will never satisfy all the curiosity God has built into us. Our wonder, explored, observed becomes worship. Sounds, images, tastes, aromas and touch awaken curiosity and we worship! Let us be the people who are content to pitch tents, but build altars to worship the God who causes us to marvel.
Otto Wegner
– The habit of expression leads to the search for something to express. – Henry Adams
Who taught the spider to make a web, and whose idea was it to apply a silken web to practical use? Out of curiosity, this morning I visited the digital library at my fingertips, the internet. The One who spoke spiders into being designed each with an innate ability to spin its own web. Spiders let out a single sticky thread and patiently wait for a breeze to catch it. In time the loose end catches another surface and then the spider begins systematically traveling back and forth adding additional, strengthening layers. Networks of sticky and smooth threads become a one-of-a-kind web. Spiders spin webs so they can trap insects to eat. In our culture, webs are often reduced to “icky,” unclean things fit only for being sucked into vacuums or swabbed away with chemically saturated cloths. But, for the curious, webs are a source of wonder and awe. (I can hardly wait to tell my “I’m-afraid-of-spiders-grandchildren” all about this!)
When Isaac returned to the wells dug by his father, Abraham, the reopened wells became the issue over which Isaac’s team and the natives of Gerar fought. As each well was opened, and ownership was contested, Isaac named them “Dispute” (Esek), “Opposition (Sitnah), “Room” (Rehoboth) and “Seven” (Beersheba). (Genesis 26) Each struggle, every unpleasant argument, all the conflicts over idle wells made useful became a strand in Isaac’s web of faith. Then, at Beersheba Isaac “built an altar” and then, “pitched his tent.” He was a worshiper, one who was moved with the ways of God’s interventions, an observer of his Maker’s provision. Isaac took time to name the places of adversity because they were essential to his faith and to his future. Since Isaac was a mere mortal like us, he would not have chosen conflict, but he observed, discovered, and was filled with wonder!
Chris Tomlin’s lyrics beautifully capture the spirit of wonder and awe.
Lord of all creation
of water earth and sky
The heavens are your Tabernacle
Glory to the Lord on high
Chorus:
God of wonders beyond our galaxy
You are Holy, Holy
The universe declares your Majesty
And you are holy holy
Lord of Heaven and Earth
Lord of Heaven and Earth
Early in the morning
I will celebrate the light
When i stumble in the darkness
I will call your name by night
The libraries of the whole world are filled with information, but will never satisfy all the curiosity God has built into us. Our wonder, explored, observed becomes worship. Sounds, images, tastes, aromas and touch awaken curiosity and we worship! Let us be the people who are content to pitch tents, but build altars to worship the God who causes us to marvel.
Otto Wegner
– The habit of expression leads to the search for something to express. – Henry Adams
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
"Mr. Self"
Reverend Parvin Lee was a most effective mentor. He was best at reducing huge, essential ideas into short, colorful, memorable word pictures. Brother Lee shared a cornerstone truth for all Jesus’ disciples relating to self-control. He painted several images using simple words which remain more than 30 years after I first heard them. My friend often repeated, “The biggest struggle is not with others, but with the fellow who lives between my elbows.” Or, “The greatest battlefields are not the Bulge or Gettysburg, or Iwo Jima, but between our ears and in our heart.” The lesson remains, learn to manage yourself!
New Year’s Day I finished reading John Newton of Olney, a difficult biography, because of quaint language and idiom, but worthy of extra effort because of a view of Christianity from an unhurried era when people moved on foot or horseback. For instance, Pastor Newton’s diary records his walking more than six miles in one day to visit members of his congregation, arising before daylight to pray and study God’s Word, and preaching as many as ten times per week. Newton is better known as the captain of a slave ship who was born again, as an Anglican pastor for over 40 years, and as the author of “Amazing Grace.” For several years Newton, along with his collaborator, William Cowper, also wrote a hymn for every Sunday evening meeting. (I can almost hear people like me asking, “Can’t we just sing songs we already know?)
More than half of the biography’s content is copies of Newton’s correspondence and diary entries. In a letter to his wife, John Newton wrote his insight into self-management, “Yesterday was a busy time ... I am sufficiently indulgent to ‘Mr. Self.’ Do not fear my pinching or overworking him. I need a spur more than a bridle.”
Another startling reference worthy of remembering is, “Mr. Self loves to speak last!” How many meetings would be shorter, how many could have been soothed rather than ruffled, how much more smoothly and effectively could the church move forward if “Mr. Self” hadn’t spoken last?
We do get rather full of ourselves, don’t we? One day Brother Lee noticed how much mail came from various ministries to our church office. As many as seven or eight magazines or newsletters often filled the mail box. All had large photos of the ministries’ leader, claims of spiritual accomplishments greater than those recorded in the Book of Acts, and the obligatory appeal for funds. My friend and mentor would shake his head and say, “We really wouldn’t know much about these people if they didn’t send us all this about themselves.” Every time I write a newsletter I am reminded of my mentor’s observation.
The fruit of the Spirit includes “self-control,” an expression of the Spirit’s abiding presence, so often overlooked. The fellow living between my elbows is a real handful. All of the Spirit’s work is needed to manage “Mr. Self.” The Apostle Paul wrote, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” (Romans 12:3)
But, as another friend and mentor has recently observed, “I am getting preachy!” Have a wonderful day! Pray that I manage “Mr. Self” well today.
New Year’s Day I finished reading John Newton of Olney, a difficult biography, because of quaint language and idiom, but worthy of extra effort because of a view of Christianity from an unhurried era when people moved on foot or horseback. For instance, Pastor Newton’s diary records his walking more than six miles in one day to visit members of his congregation, arising before daylight to pray and study God’s Word, and preaching as many as ten times per week. Newton is better known as the captain of a slave ship who was born again, as an Anglican pastor for over 40 years, and as the author of “Amazing Grace.” For several years Newton, along with his collaborator, William Cowper, also wrote a hymn for every Sunday evening meeting. (I can almost hear people like me asking, “Can’t we just sing songs we already know?)
More than half of the biography’s content is copies of Newton’s correspondence and diary entries. In a letter to his wife, John Newton wrote his insight into self-management, “Yesterday was a busy time ... I am sufficiently indulgent to ‘Mr. Self.’ Do not fear my pinching or overworking him. I need a spur more than a bridle.”
Another startling reference worthy of remembering is, “Mr. Self loves to speak last!” How many meetings would be shorter, how many could have been soothed rather than ruffled, how much more smoothly and effectively could the church move forward if “Mr. Self” hadn’t spoken last?
We do get rather full of ourselves, don’t we? One day Brother Lee noticed how much mail came from various ministries to our church office. As many as seven or eight magazines or newsletters often filled the mail box. All had large photos of the ministries’ leader, claims of spiritual accomplishments greater than those recorded in the Book of Acts, and the obligatory appeal for funds. My friend and mentor would shake his head and say, “We really wouldn’t know much about these people if they didn’t send us all this about themselves.” Every time I write a newsletter I am reminded of my mentor’s observation.
The fruit of the Spirit includes “self-control,” an expression of the Spirit’s abiding presence, so often overlooked. The fellow living between my elbows is a real handful. All of the Spirit’s work is needed to manage “Mr. Self.” The Apostle Paul wrote, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” (Romans 12:3)
But, as another friend and mentor has recently observed, “I am getting preachy!” Have a wonderful day! Pray that I manage “Mr. Self” well today.
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