From McGill

Read this post at a site that usually makes me smile.  It is more serious than usual and it was so wise I thought I’d share my tiny blog platform today since this idea is better than mine….today.

http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/2008/05/229-margin-or-life-balanc-or-what-3.html

I was in Maryland last week for a business meeting and got to tour the US Navel Academy, which was cool.  Most impressive building on campus was the chapel.  Huge, ornate, stained glass, mega-organ, the works…   The building itself inspired a sense of awe and respect, which I found in myself really didn’t have a lot to do with God.  It’s like I felt this sense of respect for tradition, for the sacrifice of the men and women that had come through the door, and for my country and the values that it stands for……and that’s all well and good; but it was completely independent of my faith and love for God.  I took off my cap to enter the chapel out of respect, which was proper, but I didn’t find that respect specifically connected to God….if that makes any sense.

I read where the folks at Lifeway just finished a poll where they asked what kind of building “unchurched” people liked….and the result was that very traditional-looking, formal structures were preferred.  I joked to a friend that this meant, “I don’t intend to enter a church except to get married or be buried, so this type building is what I’d like for my wedding and funeral.”  Maybe that’s sarcastic; well I know it’s sarcastic, but I think it’s also true.  I actually think the “grandness” of some spaces, can even draw attention AWAY from God, rather than To Him.  At least that’s what I find in myself.

King Solomon, who had just completed building the temple in Jerusalem, which was pretty snazzy in it’s day, said this:

“But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!  I Kings 8:27 (NIV)

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.  Luke 10:41-42a (NIV)

This reply from Jesus was to his friend Martha.  Martha was busy working to get dinner ready for Jesus and His peeps and she whined to Jesus about her sister, Mary, not helping her out.  Jesus call to Martha was simple.  ”Focus!”

We just completed a company district meeting where we talked business, got training, and did the team-building thing.  My boss is a smart fellow and gave us all the challenge of quickly drawing on a flip chart our own personal “coat of arms” that defined who we were and what was important to us….and then we showed that to the group and explained it.  It was a great exercise to make you think about your own life and was very revealing of what’s inside others.

I was shocked to find how simple and and focused mine was, and how easy it was for me to do.  I really was surprized because I think my life is complicated (and it is) and is too busy (and it is) and I’m such a mess (which I am).  Yet in spite of that, I feel like God has given me a completely undeserved and poorly understood gift of focus and clarity about what is important.  I’m learning every day, mostly about how far I have to go, and things are still a little fuzzy.  But I’m learning, like Martha, to at least go to God with the questions and to pay attention to what He says.

“We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”   John 10:33 (NIV)

“Jesus Christ.  No one is more loved and hated than Jesus Christ.” 

This is the first line of the book VINTAGE JESUS by an influential young pastor in Seattle named Mark Driscoll (of Mars Hill fame or infamy depending on who you talk to).   Dr. Gerry Breshears is noted as the co-author but the voice is unmistakably that of Discoll if you have ever heard him.  He is not shy to speak up and speak out….which he does with biting humor and lots of references to modern (or more appropriately post-modern) American culture.  The odd juxtaposition is that Driscoll’s viewpoint is very conservative, and the book offers and delivers very dense and weighty doses of theology throughout.  The focus is, per the title, presenting Jesus as the Bible and in particular His reformed Protestant followers have understood Him for many, many, many generations.

I suspect you’ll either absolutely love this book, or you’ll hate it.  Frankly, more people will reject it.  And everyone will be a little unsettled.  That’s probably appropriate because Jesus had exactly the same effect on people…….

Life really isn’t fair is it?  You or someone you love isn’t healthy.  Your kid (spouse/parent/friend) is making terrible decisions.  Your job’s not all that.  People misunderstand and/or mistreat you.  You’re worried about the future because of the war (election/economy/morals of society) and don’t know if it can be fixed.  And Brooke just got voted off AMERICAN IDOL.  Life is not fair.

Being a Christian means struggling with the fact that we and the world we live in are broken.  It really is not fair.  But what God did for us by and through Jesus is not fair either.  He is so much better.  He is the bedrock we trust in when everything around us seems out of balance or worse.  It’s not easy, and I hesitate to say this because there are folks that have and are going through things a lot worse  than anything I’ve faced, but our faith can’t be based on things working out great.  They may not.  Our faith has got to be in God himself, and that because of Who He is, we can trust Him and believe.  Because we know HIm, we know that sin and pain and unfairness WILL be washed away, engulfed, overwhelmed and completely covered. 

For the earth will be willed with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.  Hebakkuk 2:14 (NASB)

If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.  Mark 4:23 (NASB)

First I dial the switchboard number and listened to the obligatory phone tree.  No ears.  Took my best guess, which must have been the popular bet because I found they were experiencing unusually heavy call volume and was unceremoniously dumped into voice mail.  No ears at all.  Got frustrated and hung up.

Took a deep breath and called back.  Same phone tree, but took another guess and got a live person, I presume with ears.  But she didn’t have time or interest to hear.  She transferred me to another line, which led to, you guessed it, another voice mail.  Back to no ears.

Made third attempt.  Was able to navigate phone tree a little quicker and I had at least eliminated two unproductive options, so I tried door number three.  Actual human being answers the phone and listens to my request.  Nice lady.  I am sure she had lovely ears, and I think I was speaking clearly, but she had trouble hearing.  My question was how to get approval for something their web site didn’t allow.  She told me the computer didn’t allow me to do that. 

Me:  ”I know.  Now I want a person to help me.” 

Nice lady: “But the computer doesn’t allow us to go against policy and sell you that service.”

Me: “Well, could anyone allow it?” I ventured. 

NL: “I guess, theoretically, it could be done (ears begining to hear?) but what if the service fails?” 

Me: “Ma’am, that’s a chance I’m willing to take and gladly pay for!” 

NL: “Let me connect you to Miss X.  Hold one moment.”

And the next thing I heard?

“I’m either on the phone or away from my desk right now……” 

I just finished a book (I’m a reader if you’re wondering) by Bill Hybels called JUST WALK ACROSS THE ROOM.  The author is the pastor of a humongus church near Chicago called Willow Creek that is both very influential and very controversial for their emphasis on “seeker” events and services.  Their mindset is very evangelistic, but then Jesus seemed to be interested in people coming to know God, too.  The book is about being open and available and active in engaging with people at every opportunity, with the ultimate object of pointing them towards God somehow.  It’s intentional, lifestyle evangelism and Hybels says it’s something we all can and should do if we really believe Jesus was all that.  Cool book and I recommend it.

Fooled you.  Touting evangelism is not the point of the post.  What struck me most in the book was what Hybels calls a “silly spiritual discipline” that I think I badly need and I’m gonna try.  From the book:

Some of you may know that a few years back I started a rather silly spiritual discipline in order to balance the activist side of my personality.  The commitment was this: every morning, the first part of my body to hit the floor would be, without fail, my knees.  This may sound easy but I dare you to try it.  It takes a little finagling to get your hips and legs to swing just right so that your knees come down before your feet.  Before making that commitment, I had learned that if my feet hit the floor first, I was off to the races….. So to right my Type-A tendencies, I decided to roll out of bed each day and, as a representation of my submitted spirit, will and attitude, adopt a posture of prayer.  It’s of symbolic import to me because it sends a message to me and to all of heaven that I’m in this thing - this life, this ministry, this day - soli Deo gloria, for God’s glory.

How can you NOT love that?!

Many of His disciples said, “This is hard to understand.  How can anyone accept it?”  John 6:60 (NLT)

If you read the gospel of John, you’ll find Jesus saying things that are really hard and some of it is pretty far out there, frankly.  We tend to look down on the Jews of the day, especially the bad ol’ Pharisees because they were hyper-religeous hypocrits.  But they were three-dimensional people, not cardboard cutouts and Jesus just didn’t quite fit their conrete concept of what their Messiah was supposed to say and do, and yet He did all these miraculous things that they evidently couldn’t deny.  The were confused and didn’t like it.

But if you actually take the time to read the gospels for yourself, you might find that what Jesus said and did are not necessarily the kinds of things YOU or I expect either!  To a degree, maybe were supposed to be a little confused?  I struggle with what it all means…..yet I believe He did these miraculous things (the resurrection bit was the topper, of course) and I know I feel His presence in my life.  Jesus was and is Someone different from anyone or anything ever.  If and when you think you’ve got Him all figured out and nothing about God, or Jesus, or the Holy Spirit amazes and confuses you, I think you can be pretty sure you’ve lost sight of the reality of who He is and what He’s up to and substituted something of your own making in His place.

And now a word to you fathers.  Don’t make your children angry by the way you treat them.  Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction approved by the Lord.   Ephesians 6:4 (NLT)

Chris, Patrick & Shelby -

I feel like this is my biggest downfall as your father and I’m sorry for the anger I bring into my parenting, and for the response that sometimes brings out in you.  I’m pleased with and proud of you all, and I couldn’t ask for a better threesome. 

You are, however, like your father, prone to sin and rebellion and that leads to death.  My job as “Dad” is to provide discipline and warning when I see things in your life that will take you down a path that will be harmful to you.  Whether you like it or not, and whether you like me or not in the process, I’m gonna do that because I love you and it’s my job. 

The problem for me comes in when I mix that Godly conviction with the ungodly impatience and frustration that is part of my character.  I really am working on it whether it seems that way or not.  My intent is always for your good, but my technique is really flawed a lot of the time and I’m sorry.

One day you’ll have kids of your own.  I suspect they will be very different from you, and they will have tremendous God-given potential, and you will love them like crazy, and they will drive you up the wall sometimes.  They will think you are ridiculous and way too picky and strict.  And you will bring them to visit your mom and I and we’ll spoil then.  When they complain about you we’ll tell them just to be patient with you, that they’re lucky you aren’t any more screwed up than you are….given the father that tried to raise you.

Dad

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.  Romans 12:1 (NIV)

The idea of our worship and our lives being a sacrifice to God has been on my mind lately and our pastor taught from this verse Sunday.  (Boy’s good, by the way…)

I found this poem that I think speaks to that subject  by a 19th century Scotish poet.  If it improves your opinion of me to think I’m a literary scholar, feel free, but that’s really not me.  The following is by George McDonald, who C. S. Lewis claimed as an important influence.  Since I’m a huge Lewis fan, I’ve been reading this book by McDonald and found this poem between chapter.  I just absolutely love this because it describes what my sacrifice to God feels like most of the time.

SMOKE (George McDonald)

Lord, I have laid my heart upon Thy altar

But cannot get the wood to burn;

It hardly flames ere it begins to falter

And to the dark return.

Old sap, or night-fallen dew, makes damp the fuel;

In vain my breath would flame provoke;

Yet see - at every poor attempt’s renewal

To Thee ascends the smoke!

‘Tis all I have - smoke, failure, foiled endeavour,

Coldness and doubt and palsied lack:

Such as I have I send Thee - perfect Giver,

Send Thou Thy lightening back.