There are times when I hit the wall and realize that I'm just not good at this whole Christianity thing. I am far too mundane; far too concerned with literal, concrete, "down to earth" things. My heart beats faster when I go swimming in cool water on a hot day, when I enjoy a good meal, hear a symphony, or see a beautiful woman. But what about meditating on the Heavenly Jerusalem? Desiring the Kingdom on the Earth? Seeing what the Seraphim see when they gaze upon the rainbow-sardius-jasper-emerald throne?
Do I have a pulse?
It's a much more difficult thing to perceive and appreciate emotionally the beauty and the pleasure of God's ways. David calls them "great matters" and "things too difficult for me" (Psalm 131). God is just too Holy sometimes. The Kingdom is too spiritual. I just don't get it. I can focus on it for about two or three weeks (at most).
I can remember hitting this point in Mexico a few years back. I was there doing an internship with a Christian ministry to widows, orphans, and those below the poverty line. The first three weeks were great - they felt just like a mission trip. I was learning great spiritual lessons, excited to be serving, loving people, and engaged in the worship times. Then, right around week four, it caught up with me: my humanity. I began thinking about TV shows and movies. I began to think about returning to college in a few months. I started to remember my friends back home. I laughed at jokes. I thought about jazz music, and food and drink, and Wal Mart. Everything mundane and frighteningly practical came flooding over me in a single foul swoop. I had hit my wall. My ability to focus and have my heart engaged with an ethereal, unseen version of God had up and gone. But what else was there? What happens when God's children grow weary and can no longer appreciate the lofty majesty of the Unseen God?
God becomes one of us.
The fact that Jesus became a man first and foremost means to me that he made himself utterly accessible. For those of us who just can't quite grasp the lofty nature of the Divine One, the Man Jesus says to us "It's okay... just look at me, because believe it or not, I look just like the Father." Jesus is the act of God stooping to our level. All of a sudden, the formerly incomprehensible compassion of God hits me. Not only is God on His Throne in heaven, but he is washing the dirt off of my feet with a towel. Not only does God in heaven hear my prayer, but God in the flesh sits down at my dinner table and has seconds.
The more I try to contemplate the Glory of God and the Beauty of His ways, the more I'm finding that it's the humanity of Jesus that touches me most deeply. Allen Hood, a leader at IHOP, says that the majesty of God on his throne will cause you to worship Him, but the humanity of Jesus is what will cause you to love Him. That God became man means that God became approachable, visible, and understandable. What was formerly incomprehensible in Holiness now is tactile, sensory, and even sympathetic. God taking on flesh means that I don't have to strive to live my life in heavenly realms of glory where God lives (although one day, I will!). The situation is actually reversed: God is striving to reach down into the place where I am living. I love what Jason Upton says - that the heart cry of God is not "Open up the Heavens," but "Open up the Earth!"
Embrace the simple things. Learn to appreciate that God has put himself on display once and for all in the humanity of Jesus. The next time you find yourself longing to gaze on the beauty of God, you may just find yourself staring at the face of a man.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Saying No to Numbness
One thing that I have appreciated being in Kansas City and hanging around IHOP is the conviction of reality that people here press in for. In the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings and other troubling recent events, there has been a lot of fervent intercession for this dying generation. In a culture that bombards us with anesthesia and makes us numb to the tragedies occurring daily, I'm beginning to feel the sting again.
Things are not what they seem. Things in America are much worse than we've told ourselves, and our need is much more urgent than we know. The lost among us do not belong to a generation of "good intentioned yet sadly deceived" people. We are living among a generation that hates God, and will continue in the spirit of death until God brings His merciful re-birth. We do not simply need guidance or correction - we need transformation. We are not "a little off track" - we are steeped in depravity and are reaping the fruit.
From where I come from, this is a message that has been minimized and had its edges softened. The general feeling is that if you have a prayer life, read the Bible, and serve others, you're doing pretty well. But the message here is always a cry for more. We do not realize how serious the situation has become.
Consider the following statistics taken from the Barna Group website:
- By the time an American child is 23 years old, as was the killer in Virginia, he will have seen countless murders among the more than 30,000 acts of violence to which he is exposed through television, movies and video games.
- By the age of 23, the average American will have viewed thousands of hours of pornographic images, which diminish the dignity and value of human life.
- The average adolescent spends more than 40 hours each week digesting media, and the typical teenager in America absorbs almost 60 hours of media content each week. For better or worse, the messages received from the media represent a series of unfiltered, unchaperoned worldview lessons.
- One-third of the nation’s teenagers report having been in a physical fight at least once in the last year. Nearly one out of every five 9th through 12th grade students has carried a gun, knife or club in the past month.
- It appears that as many as one out of every five young people is or has been under the influence of mood-altering medications, some of whose long-term side effects are not fully understood by the medical community. Drugging children has become one of the ways in which we have coped with other issues.
God, have mercy and wake us up to show real love to a dying generation.
Things are not what they seem. Things in America are much worse than we've told ourselves, and our need is much more urgent than we know. The lost among us do not belong to a generation of "good intentioned yet sadly deceived" people. We are living among a generation that hates God, and will continue in the spirit of death until God brings His merciful re-birth. We do not simply need guidance or correction - we need transformation. We are not "a little off track" - we are steeped in depravity and are reaping the fruit.
From where I come from, this is a message that has been minimized and had its edges softened. The general feeling is that if you have a prayer life, read the Bible, and serve others, you're doing pretty well. But the message here is always a cry for more. We do not realize how serious the situation has become.
Consider the following statistics taken from the Barna Group website:
- By the time an American child is 23 years old, as was the killer in Virginia, he will have seen countless murders among the more than 30,000 acts of violence to which he is exposed through television, movies and video games.
- By the age of 23, the average American will have viewed thousands of hours of pornographic images, which diminish the dignity and value of human life.
- The average adolescent spends more than 40 hours each week digesting media, and the typical teenager in America absorbs almost 60 hours of media content each week. For better or worse, the messages received from the media represent a series of unfiltered, unchaperoned worldview lessons.
- One-third of the nation’s teenagers report having been in a physical fight at least once in the last year. Nearly one out of every five 9th through 12th grade students has carried a gun, knife or club in the past month.
- It appears that as many as one out of every five young people is or has been under the influence of mood-altering medications, some of whose long-term side effects are not fully understood by the medical community. Drugging children has become one of the ways in which we have coped with other issues.
God, have mercy and wake us up to show real love to a dying generation.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Small Things
I believe it was Mother Teresa who observed that "there are many people who can do great things for God, but few people who will do small things for Him."
A woman I work with told me the other day that she trusted me more than any of our other co-workers. Mind you, I have been with the company for 6 weeks, and some of the others have been there for many years. It's taken only six weeks for her to decide that I am a trustworthy person who is kind and who would not take advantage of her. And why is that? Why is she able to see this fruit of the Spirit in my character? Because I don't cuss at work. Because I show up on time. Because I took out the trash for her once. Because I say "please" and "thank you." For real - it's the stupid, insignificant, and mundane things.
She doesn't know me nearly well enough to know that I have a prayer life, that I have studied the Bible or fasted before, that I have spiritual gifts, or that I have spent time serving orphans in Mexico. She has no idea the "big things" I do for the kingdom. All she sees are the little things. And they're enough to convince her that I am trustworthy.
I spent zero time and effort "cultivating" the things that were noticed by this woman (or perhaps it's more accurate to say that the cultivating happened many years ago and i have long since forgotten about it!). I did not have to work up a desire for any of it. I simply did what now comes naturally to me.
So, as we are caught up in trying to pursue the Lord, and striving to be passionate and radical, let's not forget that more often than not it's the little things that impact people deeply. And, what's more, I'm beginning to embrace the fact that it's the little things that capture the Father's heart as well. The things that most "impress" the Father about our daily lives are the things that we have long-since forgotten about.
With all our focus on "pressing in" and "contending for breakthrough," it's funny to see things like not cussing or emptying a trash can bring fruit and impact in the lives of others. The Power from heaven comes not only in the things for which I faithfully strive, but also in the little things that don't even enter into my thinking.
A woman I work with told me the other day that she trusted me more than any of our other co-workers. Mind you, I have been with the company for 6 weeks, and some of the others have been there for many years. It's taken only six weeks for her to decide that I am a trustworthy person who is kind and who would not take advantage of her. And why is that? Why is she able to see this fruit of the Spirit in my character? Because I don't cuss at work. Because I show up on time. Because I took out the trash for her once. Because I say "please" and "thank you." For real - it's the stupid, insignificant, and mundane things.
She doesn't know me nearly well enough to know that I have a prayer life, that I have studied the Bible or fasted before, that I have spiritual gifts, or that I have spent time serving orphans in Mexico. She has no idea the "big things" I do for the kingdom. All she sees are the little things. And they're enough to convince her that I am trustworthy.
I spent zero time and effort "cultivating" the things that were noticed by this woman (or perhaps it's more accurate to say that the cultivating happened many years ago and i have long since forgotten about it!). I did not have to work up a desire for any of it. I simply did what now comes naturally to me.
So, as we are caught up in trying to pursue the Lord, and striving to be passionate and radical, let's not forget that more often than not it's the little things that impact people deeply. And, what's more, I'm beginning to embrace the fact that it's the little things that capture the Father's heart as well. The things that most "impress" the Father about our daily lives are the things that we have long-since forgotten about.
With all our focus on "pressing in" and "contending for breakthrough," it's funny to see things like not cussing or emptying a trash can bring fruit and impact in the lives of others. The Power from heaven comes not only in the things for which I faithfully strive, but also in the little things that don't even enter into my thinking.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
The Mirror of The Cross
"After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. Nicodemus, who had first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. So they took the body and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews."
- John 19:38-40
The cross has the profound effect that it brings out of people what is necessary for the moment. It is like a mirror into which we stare and see only what we need to see of ourselves. The disciples were faithful to lay aside their plans and follow Christ for three years, but when faced with the cross, they all fled. When they looked at the mirror of the cross, they saw that Judas was in fact not the only betrayer among them. They each came face to face with the fact that they had it in them to be a denier and a betrayer. They were finally able to see that Christ's mercy was absolutely necessary, and was necessary in an inescapably personal sense. As the shepherd was stricken, the sheep were scattered - much to their own surprise and alarm.
What is extraordinary is that in the midst of this scattering, the Father "filled in the cracks" and provided two men who would care for Jesus in His hour of need. And this last minute provision of friends came from some unlikely places.
If you recall, Nicodemus was a Pharisee with whom Jesus spoke about being "born again" in John 3. He was intrigued and full of curiosity upon hearing Christ's teaching, but was afraid to be seen speaking openly with Jesus, so he came to Him in secret - in the middle of the night. It is also mentioned that Nicodemus was present in another instance when His fellow Pharisees were confronting Christ. During Jesus' life, Nicodemus was a skeptical Pharisee who was steeped in Religion and petrified by a fear of man. How fascinating that he suddenly found courage at the cross to step forward and care for the body of Jesus. And his sacrifice was no small investment. The scriptures say that the amount of burial spices this Pharisee brought with him to the tomb was one hundred pounds - comparable to what would be fitting for burying a member of royalty. Through the cross, a lifestyle of cautious observation was instantly transformed into a life of extravagant giving and personal involvement.
Likewise, Joseph of Arimathea is described a "secret disciple" who kept his distance for fear of the Jews. He didn't accompany Jesus in his earthly ministry, he probably had never preached the Kingdom or healed the sick, and he definitely wasn't present at the intimate gathering of Jesus' friends called The Last Supper. Joseph of Arimathea was simply too scared to follow Christ while He was alive, but face to face with the cross he was changed. The Gospel of mark says that Nicodemus "gathered up his courage and went in before Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus."
The cross brings to the surface what we need to see in ourselves. For the disciples, who saw themselves as Jesus' faithful friends, the mirror of the cross showed them their denial, blindsiding them with the revelation that they each had it in them to despise their lover and reject their Lord. However for Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, who viewed themselves (at best) as cowardly "secret admirers" of Christ, the cross did the opposite. It provoked them to do for Jesus in His death what they were unwilling to do for Him in Life - to be a friend and a servant to Him. When they stared into the mirror of the cross, they discovered that they had what it took to be a worshiper.
The cross is the great equalizer - it causes the strong to weep over their brokenness, and it gives the weak strength to love without fear. It levels the playing field, and shows each of us exactly what we need to see in ourselves.
- John 19:38-40
The cross has the profound effect that it brings out of people what is necessary for the moment. It is like a mirror into which we stare and see only what we need to see of ourselves. The disciples were faithful to lay aside their plans and follow Christ for three years, but when faced with the cross, they all fled. When they looked at the mirror of the cross, they saw that Judas was in fact not the only betrayer among them. They each came face to face with the fact that they had it in them to be a denier and a betrayer. They were finally able to see that Christ's mercy was absolutely necessary, and was necessary in an inescapably personal sense. As the shepherd was stricken, the sheep were scattered - much to their own surprise and alarm.
What is extraordinary is that in the midst of this scattering, the Father "filled in the cracks" and provided two men who would care for Jesus in His hour of need. And this last minute provision of friends came from some unlikely places.
If you recall, Nicodemus was a Pharisee with whom Jesus spoke about being "born again" in John 3. He was intrigued and full of curiosity upon hearing Christ's teaching, but was afraid to be seen speaking openly with Jesus, so he came to Him in secret - in the middle of the night. It is also mentioned that Nicodemus was present in another instance when His fellow Pharisees were confronting Christ. During Jesus' life, Nicodemus was a skeptical Pharisee who was steeped in Religion and petrified by a fear of man. How fascinating that he suddenly found courage at the cross to step forward and care for the body of Jesus. And his sacrifice was no small investment. The scriptures say that the amount of burial spices this Pharisee brought with him to the tomb was one hundred pounds - comparable to what would be fitting for burying a member of royalty. Through the cross, a lifestyle of cautious observation was instantly transformed into a life of extravagant giving and personal involvement.
Likewise, Joseph of Arimathea is described a "secret disciple" who kept his distance for fear of the Jews. He didn't accompany Jesus in his earthly ministry, he probably had never preached the Kingdom or healed the sick, and he definitely wasn't present at the intimate gathering of Jesus' friends called The Last Supper. Joseph of Arimathea was simply too scared to follow Christ while He was alive, but face to face with the cross he was changed. The Gospel of mark says that Nicodemus "gathered up his courage and went in before Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus."
The cross brings to the surface what we need to see in ourselves. For the disciples, who saw themselves as Jesus' faithful friends, the mirror of the cross showed them their denial, blindsiding them with the revelation that they each had it in them to despise their lover and reject their Lord. However for Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, who viewed themselves (at best) as cowardly "secret admirers" of Christ, the cross did the opposite. It provoked them to do for Jesus in His death what they were unwilling to do for Him in Life - to be a friend and a servant to Him. When they stared into the mirror of the cross, they discovered that they had what it took to be a worshiper.
The cross is the great equalizer - it causes the strong to weep over their brokenness, and it gives the weak strength to love without fear. It levels the playing field, and shows each of us exactly what we need to see in ourselves.
Friday, April 6, 2007
Kindness that Leads to Repentance
Being Good Friday, there was a devotional set this afternoon in the prayer room that explored Peter's denial of Christ. It was excellent, and made me think of these beautiful words which I re-read today and decided to share here:
"Consider how Christ looked on Peter, once he had denied Jesus. Was it a repelling look, a look of rejection? No. It was a look such as a mother gives her child when the child is in danger due to its own indiscretion. Was Peter in danger, then? Alas, we do not understand how serious it is for one to betray his friend.
But in the passion of anger or hurt the injured friend cannot see that it is the denier who is in danger. Yet the Savior saw clearly that it was Peter who was in danger, not Him, and that it was Peter who needed saving. The Savior of the world did not make the mistake of regarding His cause as lost because Peter did not hurry to help Him. Rather, He saw Peter as lost if he did not hurry to save him.
Christ's love for Peter was so boundless that in loving Peter he accomplished loving the person one sees. He did not say, 'Peter, you must first change and become another man before I can love you again.' No, he said just the opposite: 'Peter, you are Peter and I love you; love, if anything, will help you to become a different person.'
Christ did not break off His friendship with Peter, and then renew it again when Peter had become a different man. No, He preserved the friendship and in this way helped Peter to become a different man. Do you think that Peter would have ever been won again without such faithful love?"
- Soren Kierkegaard, Provocations
The Love of God is truly a beautiful thing.
"Consider how Christ looked on Peter, once he had denied Jesus. Was it a repelling look, a look of rejection? No. It was a look such as a mother gives her child when the child is in danger due to its own indiscretion. Was Peter in danger, then? Alas, we do not understand how serious it is for one to betray his friend.
But in the passion of anger or hurt the injured friend cannot see that it is the denier who is in danger. Yet the Savior saw clearly that it was Peter who was in danger, not Him, and that it was Peter who needed saving. The Savior of the world did not make the mistake of regarding His cause as lost because Peter did not hurry to help Him. Rather, He saw Peter as lost if he did not hurry to save him.
Christ's love for Peter was so boundless that in loving Peter he accomplished loving the person one sees. He did not say, 'Peter, you must first change and become another man before I can love you again.' No, he said just the opposite: 'Peter, you are Peter and I love you; love, if anything, will help you to become a different person.'
Christ did not break off His friendship with Peter, and then renew it again when Peter had become a different man. No, He preserved the friendship and in this way helped Peter to become a different man. Do you think that Peter would have ever been won again without such faithful love?"
- Soren Kierkegaard, Provocations
The Love of God is truly a beautiful thing.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Passion Week
One of the most remarkable things about Jesus is how he was able to ignore the voices of men that flooded Him with both opposition and praise. And it wasn't that he just gritted his teeth and tuned them out - he wasn't thrown by man's opinion precisely because he saw what was really going on. He was always peering around the corner to see what was coming next. Things were never as they seemed.
On Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem as a king with coats laid before him, with shouts of "Hosana," and with the praise ordained for Him from the lips of infants and babes. Five days later he was murdered - hanging naked and nailed to a cross.
Reading the scriptures, I can tend to loose sight of how quickly it all happened. How many people who shouted "Hosana" on Monday also shouted "Crucify Him" on Friday? Undoubtedly many voices uttered both phrases (take the disciples as proof). Man's approval is like the house built on sand. When the going gets tough, it suddenly crumbles beneath your feet.
What was Jesus feeling when the crowds cheered Him into Jerusalem to make him King? Was he tempted to entertain their wishes and take the throne then and there? Was there a moment when he thought the Father's cup had passed from him?
Or was the situation heartbreaking in its irony - perhaps He studied the cheering crowds and silently picked out those who would curse him a few days later.
One thing is certain: Jesus was not fooled by man's approval, but set His face like flint and kept his eyes on the Father - and the Father's approval - from Monday all the way till Friday.
On Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem as a king with coats laid before him, with shouts of "Hosana," and with the praise ordained for Him from the lips of infants and babes. Five days later he was murdered - hanging naked and nailed to a cross.
Reading the scriptures, I can tend to loose sight of how quickly it all happened. How many people who shouted "Hosana" on Monday also shouted "Crucify Him" on Friday? Undoubtedly many voices uttered both phrases (take the disciples as proof). Man's approval is like the house built on sand. When the going gets tough, it suddenly crumbles beneath your feet.
What was Jesus feeling when the crowds cheered Him into Jerusalem to make him King? Was he tempted to entertain their wishes and take the throne then and there? Was there a moment when he thought the Father's cup had passed from him?
Or was the situation heartbreaking in its irony - perhaps He studied the cheering crowds and silently picked out those who would curse him a few days later.
One thing is certain: Jesus was not fooled by man's approval, but set His face like flint and kept his eyes on the Father - and the Father's approval - from Monday all the way till Friday.
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