Saturday 28 February 2015

Just Paul being Paul



Scripture:

Acts 26: 28-29
28 Agrippa said to Paul, “Are you so quickly persuading me to become a Christian?” 
29 Paul replied, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that not only you but also all who are listening to me today might become such as I am—except for these chains.”

Observation:


Paul is so compelled to share his faith and 

to persuade others that the hope he has found in 

Jesus Christ is for them too, that he sounds crazy at 

times to those listening. 

But, Paul doesn't mind what others think.
 
He has been set free from placing his worth in the 

hands of others and what they think or say about him. 

He has been set free from the desire to try to control all things and set free set free to share the joy that has been revealed to him.

Amazingly, Paul's freedom persists even when he is detained or locked up. 

That is a robust freedom worthy of being shared, and so share it he does.

Application:

What threatens to weigh you down today? 

What threatens to tie you in knots?

For me, it is the tendency to take on too many things at once. It is exhilarating at first, but soon I find myself checking and double checking my schedule making sure that I don't let anyone down.  

For me, it is paralysis-by-analysis. I fail to act boldly in the face of wide-spread, systematic injustices because they just seem too big for my efforts to make a difference.



When I begin to despair, or fret and fuss, I can almost hear 

Paul whispering, 

"you believe in the resurrection, I know you do...so why not 


believe that it is for You too?

Prayer: 

Yes, Lord! Make us instruments of your peace, and light unto the world. Infect us we pray, with an enthusiasm to share the good news that sets people free from all sorts of snares and chains. Amen..




Scripture:

2 Chronicles 34:8
8 In the eighteenth year of his reign, when (king Josiah) had purged the land and the house, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God.

Observation:

So begins the story of King Josiah and his famous reforms that led to the re-discovery of the book of the Law amidst the rubble and ruin. What strikes me is how similar to King Hezekiah's reforms Josiah's are. Further, it begs the question: "how did things get so far off-track so fast?" 

Hezekiah was Josiah's great grandfather, so in the course of 

less than 100 years things went from great to awful. 

What gives?

Application:

Discipleship (following in the path of the LORD) is not something we achieve once-and-for-all. Rather, it requires a constant attentiveness to what the LORD is doing - to that which the LORD is inviting us to participate in ever-more-fully. To rest on ones own laurels is to begin to put ones trust in something (always an idol) other than God. Of course we all find ourselves in such a stance on a regular basis. That, in and of itself is quite unavoidable. The key is to notice this and remedy it quickly. Left unattended, sin festers and goes from bad to worse fast.
  
Like Josiah and Hezekiah before him, we start by rejecting 

those things that alienate us from God and God's will for us.  

But, we can't stop there.  

Discipleship is not only a negative 

(in the sense of turning away) enterprise.  

Following the risen Christ is fundamentally 

a positive (in the sense of turning towards) exercise.

Prayer:

Holy One, you alone are Holy, you alone are worthy of our trust. Help us to be faithful to the paths to which you have called us; and, when we stray grant us grace to keep such wanderings brief so that we might get back to the joyous work of welcoming others into "the Way". amen.

What Do You Get A God Who Already Has Everything?



Scripture:

Psalm 30:6-12
7 By your favor, O Lord, you had established me as a strong mountain; 

you hid your face; I was dismayed. 
8 To you, O Lord, I cried, and to the Lord I made supplication: 
9 “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? 
Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? 
10 Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me! 
O Lord, be my helper!” 

Observation:

The psalmist cries out to the LORD in the midst of feeling abandoned by God. In the quoted text, we hear a kind of bargaining with the LORD that amounts to:
'Don't abandon me, You need me!'
And you know what, it looks like it might have actually worked. 

This is a troubling statement, 

"God needs me/you/us/anything." 

It is not only troubling, for some it is downright scandalous. 

We push back against the notion that God could be anything 

but self-sufficient, almighty, all powerful. 

We whisper to ourselves, 'Who needs a needy God?"

Now, I am not saying that God fundamentally needs individual creatures, or the sum of all creation in order to exist. We have a sense from scripture and tradition in the church that God exists prior to and beyond the created orders of being. 

What I am saying is that scripture and experience seem to bear out the fact that God chooses to need to be in relationship with creatures. 

Application:

Maybe this is where the Psalm ties in to the prayer assigned for today's Moravian Texts. That prayer talks about how Jesus reveals God's way to be counter to the way of the world. Where the world says: "more = success and power"; God says, "all have a share in the abundant enough". Where the world says (sinfully): "real power is the ability to get what you want without relying on anyone else"; God says, "real power is revealed in the willingness to risk being vulnerably available to the other for the sake of genuine relationships."

This has me thinking today about what kind of power I put my faith/trust/hope in?

Am I worshipping the living God through the ways I plan for retirement? Or, am I trying to make myself less and less reliant on all others (God and neighbours)? What about how I parent? What about how I pastor?

What about you?

Prayer:

Dear God,
I don't know why you choose to behave as though you need me (us), but I am sure glad you do! Grant me grace to imitate your power in all my relationships. Amen.

Tuesday 24 February 2015

Be Strong And Of Good Courage.


Scripture:

2 Chronicles 32:7-8
7 “Be strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him; for there is one greater with us than with him. 8 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” The people were encouraged by the words of King Hezekiah of Judah.

Observation:

King Senacharib of Assyria - the most powerful empire in the world at the time - has his intentions squarely set on capturing Jerusalem and conquering all the people of Judah. Assyria has already successfully conquered the northern kingdom of Israel.
The scene unfolds like a Frank Miller epic, with King Hezekiah employing excellent tactics and strategies to prepare to repel the invasion. Senacharib counters with a propaganda campaign meant to stir up anxiety and fear that will weaken the resolve of the Judahites.
In the speech quoted above, Hezekiah reminds his people that their hope is not in any earthly "god", nor is it finally in human tactics or bravery. Together they put their trust in the LORD to act decisively to conquer a foe that is otherwise inconquerable.

Application:

Today a distant relative posted the following on their Facebook page:
So small, so sweet, so soon!
1972 - 1979
On this date 36 years ago we lost our son:
When God calls little children to dwell with him above,
We mortals sometime question the wisdom of his love,
For no heartache compares with the death of one small child
Who does so much to make our world so wonderful and mild.
Perhaps God tires of calling the aged to his fold.
So he picks a rose bud before it can grow old.
God knows how much we need them, so he takes but few,
To make the land of heaven more beautiful to view.
Believing this is difficult still somehow we must try,
The saddest word mankind knows will always be "Goodbye".
So when a little child departs, we who are left behind,
Must realize God loves children,
Angels are hard to find.
Now, grief is a tricky process which we all must navigate in our own way.
I cannot imagine how much more so when the grief is over something that seems so counter to all the rules of creation as the death of a child. I trust that their family has found some comfort from this wee poem; and, I trust all the more that God is with them, performing the long, slow work of mending their hearts.
So, what follows is not for them. It is not my intention to uphold some kind of theoretical theological purity. What I hope to outline, is the depth of the Good News to which I cling: the Gospel of our Lord that has brought me through the depths of despair time and again. In short, I want us to be clear that we have so much more to offer to people we encounter who are hurting and searching than trite poems about a pied piper "god" who steals children out of his capricious need to resupply the heavenly cherub stores.
Death sucks. 
Death is not a part of God's original plan for us. 
Death is in opposition to life.
Therefore, death is in opposition to God. 
In addition, death often begets fear which stands 
in opposition to love; and so, is in opposition to God. 
God's plan for God's people is not to subject them to 
death, but to deliver us from the many and various 
deaths to which we are already enslaved through sin 
and brokenness. This is why, in Jesus Christ, God made 
godself subject to death for a time: 
so that death might finally be overcome - 
once, and for all!

So, if we are going to talk about God's plan and provision with people who are suffering great loss, let's not gloss over the fearsomeness of the foe. Rather, with Hezekiah, let us proclaim, "Be strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the [agents of death and destruction] and all the horde that is with [them]; for there is one greater with us than with [them].

Prayer:

Dear God, I know that You provide many and various mercies to those who cry out to you in their distress. I know you have called me to share the life giving word you have first given to me. Please grant me humility and boldness to offer this word clearly without ever imagining that this word is the fullness of Your Word. And, Lord, thanks for holding us so tightly when we are tossed about on seas of heartsickness. Amen.

Monday 23 February 2015

Does your centre hold?



Scripture:

1Chronicles 31:10, 20-21
10 The chief priest Azariah, who was of the house of Zadok, answered [Hezekiah], “Since they began to bring the contributions into the house of the Lord, we have had enough to eat and have plenty to spare; for the Lord has blessed his people, so that we have this great supply left over.” ...
20 Hezekiah did this throughout all Judah; he did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. 21 And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God, and in accordance with the law and the commandments, to seek his God, he did with all his heart; and he prospered.

Observation:

Hezekiah served God (and the people of God, as their king) whole-heartedly. The placement of God as the centre of all his plans and activities for the kingdom and its people led to the repair of the temple (which had become a shambles), the re-consecration of the priests (who had become complacent), the tearing down of false idols (which had crept in and begun to compete with the LORD for the trust of the people), a great revival of faith and a whopping-big festival of worship, and an out-pouring of offerings that was more than what was needed to provide for all the needs of all the people.

Application:

We are living at a time in western Christianity where there is a lot of hand wringing about the future of the church. But, the truth is the future of Christ's church is (and always will be) secure in his provision and protection. The question is: will we be willing to forsake our myriad false idols for long enough to recognize that the "kingdom of heaven has already drawn near" even hear, even now, even for us.

Let's be clear, the future of our various congregations and denominations does not lay in a program or strategic model that is for sale. Our future is not in young families, or old ones; not in serving the poor, nor catering to the rich. Our future is in the steps of Jesus the Christ whom - so long as we are the church - we must seek after. God is out ahead of us blessing and redeeming the world! And here's the really fun part: when we accept that, and get focussed on pursuing God whole-heartedly, we will find that we have all we could ever need (if maybe a tad less than we might want) to accomplish the vital tasks to which we are invited to take on.

What are the "high places" and "false gods" the Living God 

is inviting you to forsake today? For me, I am embarrassed 

to say the list is long. I do hear the LORD suggesting 

though, that I start professionally by handing over my 

anxiety around budgets and personally by getting real about 

spending less time passively consuming images and stories 

that pour forth from shiny screens.

Prayer:

Jesus, be the centre.
Jesus, be the centre.
Be my source, be my light, Jesus.

Lord, grant us grace to start and end with you in all our plans and efforts. We trust you to provide all we need. Amen.

Sunday 22 February 2015


Scripture:

2 Chronicles 30: 18-20
18 For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, May the good Lord pardon everyone
19 Who sets his heart to seek and yearn for God—the Lord, the God of his fathers—even though not complying with the purification regulations of the sanctuary.
20 And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people.


Observation:

Under King Hezekiah, the temple is repaired and many idolatries and other violations of God's law are being corrected, but it has been so long that many seem to have forgotten (or lost the discipline of) how to fully honour God through the keeping of the law and proscribed sacrificial system. So it is that many have answered Hezekiah's call to return to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast without proper preparations to purify themselves. Hezekiah sees this happening and intervenes through prayer for the people (including many of the priests). "And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people."

Application:

Sometimes I encounter folks who hesitate to partake of the Eucharist because they feel they have not properly prepared. In fact, in many Christian traditions, Holy Communion is celebrated infrequently and only after a lengthy period of self-examination, prayers, confession and the like. Even within our own tradition (Evangelical Lutheran) there has only recently been a move back to the older tradition of celebrating the Lord's Supper on a weekly basis. Many resisted this move, and some still do.

I can appreciate this impulse. It follows the logic, "anything worth doing is worth doing right." What I like about it is that it takes seriously the depth and breadth of the miraculous thing that happens as we commune with the Living God. The problem is, in my view, that it doesn't take quite seriously enough the pervasiveness of the Sin in which we are all (and always) mired. Martin Luther, for much of his life took both of these things to heart: the inescapable nature of sin this side of the grave; and, the awesomeness of God's grace on offer at the LORD's table. This great tension almost drove both he and his confessors crazy.

I have been learning a slightly different approach to the big things of our faith over the last couple of years. In place of "anything doing is worth doing right" we can say, "anything worth doing is worth doing poorly for a while." I like this take. It seems to hold together both our deep need of God's grace at all times and God's desire that we should grow through long term exposure to this grace. And, I think, it describes well what Hezekiah seemed to have learned so long ago.

How about you? 

Is the belief that God requires perfection manifesting in your 

halting participation in the Kingdom today?


Prayer:

May You, Lord, who alone can be called perfect and good,
pardon everyone who sets their heart to seek and yearn for You even though not complying with the purification regulations required to withstand exposure to your holiness … even us … especially me. Amen.

Friday 20 February 2015

Missional: A product, or a posture?


  • Scripture:


    2Chronicles 28:9 - 29:19 
    "28. For Ahaz plundered the house of the Lord and the houses of the king and of the officials, and gave tribute to the king of Assyria; but it did not help him."

    Psalm 27:14

    Wait for the Lord;

    be strong, and let your heart take courage;

    wait for the Lord!

    Observation:


    Poor King Ahaz is under attack from every side. Aram and Edom, and even Judah's northern brother's and sisters - Israel - have attacked and conquered Judah. The chronicler would have us know this was due to Ahaz's poor judgement and leadership. One of the many problems with poor judgement is that it is a poor judge of the quality of its own plans and activities. In this case, instead of stepping back to assess and evaluate the mess that his way of leading had landing Judah in, Ahaz doubles down. The King chooses to place his faith/hope/trust in another person/system/program/plan/power that is not the LORD ... "but it did not help him."

    Application:


    I have lots of opinions and ideas. Some of them are awesome (...did I ever tell you about my plan to build a mobile green power generating station that would leverage sweat equity to help schools raise much needed funds while also addressing the childhood obesity epidemic?)! Many of them are not so great. But, here is the most important thing I am coming to understand about your ideas and my opinions: None of them are sufficiently bold to stand in for what God has in mind for us together through his church active in the world. The trick is, to develop skills and disciplines for getting clearer on God's vision and de-centering all that would otherwise compete for our attention (including: business best-practices, super-powers, best-selling media, and ...).

    So, how can we do that? Well, I am going to be bold and suggest that we look to the life of Jesus for an answer. Throughout scripture we can see a clear theme regarding the created rhythms of life. Specifically, as we look to the life of Jesus we see that his pattern was to spend time dwelling in/with the Father. From this posture of connection He discerned what the Father was already doing and joined into that work. Sounds good, simple, and hard. Yep, that sounds like the God we know!

    So, what threatens to overwhelm you today? 

    What are you doing about it? 

    How is that working out for you? 

    Could you use a dose of clarity and courage? 

    I know I sure could.

    Prayer:


    God of wonder, God of love; some times this life, these struggles, this world, just seems so full of problems and strife. I am specifically tempted to despair at the situation of disrepair in Your church in North America. I confess I am tempted to try to fix it through my own ideas and through strategic alliances with the powerful and successful as advertised on Amazon. Sheild me from such temptation I pray, and shepherd me to your embrace. For their I will hear your heart - for me, for Your church, and for the world. Then, realigned with you, send me renewed into the work to which you have prepared for me. Amen.