I'm impressed by the prayers of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 1:15-21 and 3:14-21.
We can learn from him how to pray more effectively when we intercede for others.
For instance, this man of God lets people know that he's praying for them. That's bound to bring encouragement in itself. But he takes it a step further and informs them as to just what he's asking the Lord to do on their behalf. That means that he's thought seriously about his petitions and is probably much more likely to follow through on his pledge to pray. It reveals his diligent care and gives those who are the recipients of his prayer support not only some insight into what their intercessor senses that they need but a way to measure the results of the praying.
In both prayers Paul is specific in his requests. No bland, generic, half-hearted petitions here. Sometimes I wonder if God gets weary of our lazy "Lord, bless all the missionaries" or "Father, heal all the sick" or "God, save the lost" prayers. We can get so comfortable just beseeching the Lord to "bless" somebody without visualizing what it would look like for that individual to be blessed. It's almost an easy, apathetic, lack of genuine concern. The Apostle is quite focused. He concentrates on nuanced needs, areas, and possibilities as he intercedes. He's gone to the trouble of trying to ascertain exactly where divine aid and intervention would be most beneficial in the lives of his readers. It takes more effort to pray like that but it is much more successful. Prayer is often work, anyway(Colossians 4:12). Approaching God's throne with trite, generalized phrases probably accomplishes very little.
It's interesting, too, that Paul prays about their souls and not their bodies. He prays for their spiritual condition. He petitions the Father for their inner growth and well-being. Usually we do just the opposite. Most of our prayer meetings are consumed by supplications for the physical needs of others, typically that the sick among us will be healed. There's absolutely nothing wrong with requesting that God restore those who are ill to health. In fact, we are commanded to do so(James 5:14). We should do more of that kind of intercession. However, if that is the bulk of our praying we are missing tremendous opportunities. Our brothers and sisters have great needs in their spirits as well as their physiques. Many are lonely and grieving and discouraged. Many are doubting and drifting. All of us are tempted daily, some heavily. We desperately need the prayer support of fellow believers that we will be "strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man"(Ephesians 3:16). Intense intercession should go up regularly for Christian friends, by name, that they will have God's guidance or comfort or nurturing or conviction or challenge. It wouldn't be a bad idea to pray more often for revival, too.
We could probably have no better tutor in our praying than the Apostle. He surely sets a good example.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Caring Ministry
Sometimes God's people are not as sensitive and caring as they should be toward hurting persons.
Just ask Hannah, in I Samuel 1.
This Old Testament woman was sad and depressed because of the rivaling presence in her home of her husband's other wife, Peninah. Her real pain and disappointment, though, resulted from the fact that she was childless. In her grief and tears she went to the Tabernacle one day to pray. There Eli the priest observed her passionate pleas and drew the conclusion that she was drunk. He scolded her.
Later the man of God saw his error and changed his approach, but he almost missed a chance to be a help and blessing to a burdened individual.
Why was this spiritual leader initially so out of touch, and why did he choose a ministry plan that was cold and condemning instead of listening with grace and compassion and then reaching out with beneficial resources? We can only speculate.
Maybe he was so immersed in Tabernacle culture that he had lost the ability to understand the needs of everyday people. This Jewish center of religious life was his job and his world. It is just as possible for Christians today to be insulated from the struggles and heartaches of our surrounding communities. We have our Christian friends and beliefs and lingo and activities, and tend to forget what it's like for those outside the bubble. We get a fortress mentality.
Or maybe Eli's problem was that he was looking at this troubled woman through the lens of his personal issues. We learn that his own family was dysfunctional. His sons, themselves priests, were greedy and cynical and immoral and gluttonous and perhaps drunkards. He couldn't do anything with them. This lady's animated pleadings may have triggered feelings of guilt or anger or frustration that blinded him to her real need. Psychologists tell us that sometimes we unconsciously project onto others those parts of us that we do not like. It's difficult, then, to genuinely relate with interest and care to the actual concerns that are presented.
It could've been burnout. You can't give out and give out and serve, serve, serve without taking some time for yourself. Stress and overwork can destroy your ministry, whether you're a pastor or a layperson. You've got to have rest and diversion and inner refueling. It might be that Eli had lost his passion and just couldn't accept it in her.
Obviously he didn't discern what was happening in her heart since he just made a snap judgement based on her actions. We're good at that, too. Maybe the "worship wars" in our churches would end if we stopped looking at styles and started focusing on hearts. Maybe if we remembered that everybody is wrestling with something we'd be more patient with one another. Just about anyone you meet is struggling with some private grief or hurt or pain.
I'm so glad that Jesus didn't minister like Eli did. More and more we should learn to try to help people like our Lord must have.
Just ask Hannah, in I Samuel 1.
This Old Testament woman was sad and depressed because of the rivaling presence in her home of her husband's other wife, Peninah. Her real pain and disappointment, though, resulted from the fact that she was childless. In her grief and tears she went to the Tabernacle one day to pray. There Eli the priest observed her passionate pleas and drew the conclusion that she was drunk. He scolded her.
Later the man of God saw his error and changed his approach, but he almost missed a chance to be a help and blessing to a burdened individual.
Why was this spiritual leader initially so out of touch, and why did he choose a ministry plan that was cold and condemning instead of listening with grace and compassion and then reaching out with beneficial resources? We can only speculate.
Maybe he was so immersed in Tabernacle culture that he had lost the ability to understand the needs of everyday people. This Jewish center of religious life was his job and his world. It is just as possible for Christians today to be insulated from the struggles and heartaches of our surrounding communities. We have our Christian friends and beliefs and lingo and activities, and tend to forget what it's like for those outside the bubble. We get a fortress mentality.
Or maybe Eli's problem was that he was looking at this troubled woman through the lens of his personal issues. We learn that his own family was dysfunctional. His sons, themselves priests, were greedy and cynical and immoral and gluttonous and perhaps drunkards. He couldn't do anything with them. This lady's animated pleadings may have triggered feelings of guilt or anger or frustration that blinded him to her real need. Psychologists tell us that sometimes we unconsciously project onto others those parts of us that we do not like. It's difficult, then, to genuinely relate with interest and care to the actual concerns that are presented.
It could've been burnout. You can't give out and give out and serve, serve, serve without taking some time for yourself. Stress and overwork can destroy your ministry, whether you're a pastor or a layperson. You've got to have rest and diversion and inner refueling. It might be that Eli had lost his passion and just couldn't accept it in her.
Obviously he didn't discern what was happening in her heart since he just made a snap judgement based on her actions. We're good at that, too. Maybe the "worship wars" in our churches would end if we stopped looking at styles and started focusing on hearts. Maybe if we remembered that everybody is wrestling with something we'd be more patient with one another. Just about anyone you meet is struggling with some private grief or hurt or pain.
I'm so glad that Jesus didn't minister like Eli did. More and more we should learn to try to help people like our Lord must have.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Trouble In Paradise
It sure would be nice if the worship wars would just go away.
Disagreement over styles and techniques of worship has brought wrenching conflict to a lot of congregations. Usually, but not always, the tension and divide has been between different generations. Opposing views on types of music and instruments and order of service and whether or not to clap hands and lift hands and whether to stay traditional or go contemporary or try a blended approach have all sometimes brought serious turmoil in some churches and even resulted in fractures and splits. At the very least, unity is often jeopardized.
It seems so surreal that local fellowships whose high calling and chief purpose is to praise and adore the living God can't come together and cooperate in how to do it.
Two events in the life of Old Testament king David, both recorded in 2 Samuel 6, may provide some insight and guidance on this subject.
In the first half of the chapter we find this relatively new monarch attempting to transport the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. This box symbolized the presence and power of the Lord and the spiritually sensitive king wanted it known that God reigned in the capital city. He leads an exuberant, festal procession as the ark is moved. But in his exhilaration and sincere passion he makes a terrible mistake. Instead of having the ark carried by the Kohathites with poles on their shoulders, as the OT law prescribed, David mounted it on a new cart pulled by oxen for the journey. At some point, the animals stumbled and it appeared that the sacred chest was about to slide off the cart. A man by the name of Uzzah, with the very best of intentions, quickly reaches out to steady the ark and is instantly struck dead in an act of God's judgement. Despite his innocence and benevolence, he had violated God's requirement that this special box not be touched because it was a symbol of the Lord's holiness and because adequate preparation must be made before approaching Him. David was angry and then confused and then fearful at this tragic incident, but as he reflected he got the message!
We can learn something here. God values His holiness. He is concerned about the details. It matters to Him in what manner we draw close to Him. If our worship is just shallow emotionalism or just continual efforts to try something new or just going through the motions without genuine heart conditioning we may end up actually displeasing the Lord. Changing our methods simply to attract the culture around us or to make church more suitable to our evolving tastes will not necessarily honor the God we profess to love. We dare not forget that true worship is work. It takes discipline and focus.It must not be done in a flippant, cavalier way and it certainly should never turn into mere entertainment for ourselves. It's serious business because it's directed toward a lofty, majestic, transcendant God.
There is a flip side, however. In the second half of the chapter, David, after a few months, gets his act together. He resumes the delivery of the ark to Jerusalem. This time he does it right.
Now he is even more passionate and excited. There's not only music and a parade, but dancing(he couldn't have been Baptist!) before the Lord. Another problem surfaces, though. The king's wife, Michal, is awaiting his arrival back in Jerusalem and watching for him from a window. When she sees his joyful, unbridled dancing she is repulsed. She impugns his motives, criticizes his actions, and labels them as undignified and improper. David tries to explain that his jubilant movements were spiritually, not sensually, inspired, and that he planned to continue with even greater intensity. The story ends with the statement that Michal remained childless the rest of her life. Either their marital intimacy died that day or else God judged her cold, negative heart in this area.
Again lessons emerge. We can get so stiff and staid in our worship that the joy evaporates. We can allow ourselves to get locked into the same old traditional patterns of offering praise and we lose the life and the vibrancy. We might even catch ourselves becoming critical of those who desire to yield their worship in fresh, creative ways. If our worship becomes stale and halfhearted and routine we could potentially lose our sensitivity to the voice of the Lord. Churches are dying because they insist on keeping everything the same. But if God is always on the move, we've got to be willing to explore and experiment. We've got to be open to varying styles and expressions so that a new generation coming behind us can feel included, too. Dazzling creativity and celebration should characterize our church praise gatherings as we mix different musical genres and utilize the arts and diverse instruments and even, like the ancient king, sometimes incorporate sacred dance into our worship. But the key, as in David's case, is to do what we do from the heart, a heart truly focused on glorifying Him and bringing Him delight.
I call for a truce in the worship battles. It's time we stop demanding what we've become comfortable with or what makes us feel good and start seeking God's pleasure and what will build up the whole congregation.
Disagreement over styles and techniques of worship has brought wrenching conflict to a lot of congregations. Usually, but not always, the tension and divide has been between different generations. Opposing views on types of music and instruments and order of service and whether or not to clap hands and lift hands and whether to stay traditional or go contemporary or try a blended approach have all sometimes brought serious turmoil in some churches and even resulted in fractures and splits. At the very least, unity is often jeopardized.
It seems so surreal that local fellowships whose high calling and chief purpose is to praise and adore the living God can't come together and cooperate in how to do it.
Two events in the life of Old Testament king David, both recorded in 2 Samuel 6, may provide some insight and guidance on this subject.
In the first half of the chapter we find this relatively new monarch attempting to transport the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. This box symbolized the presence and power of the Lord and the spiritually sensitive king wanted it known that God reigned in the capital city. He leads an exuberant, festal procession as the ark is moved. But in his exhilaration and sincere passion he makes a terrible mistake. Instead of having the ark carried by the Kohathites with poles on their shoulders, as the OT law prescribed, David mounted it on a new cart pulled by oxen for the journey. At some point, the animals stumbled and it appeared that the sacred chest was about to slide off the cart. A man by the name of Uzzah, with the very best of intentions, quickly reaches out to steady the ark and is instantly struck dead in an act of God's judgement. Despite his innocence and benevolence, he had violated God's requirement that this special box not be touched because it was a symbol of the Lord's holiness and because adequate preparation must be made before approaching Him. David was angry and then confused and then fearful at this tragic incident, but as he reflected he got the message!
We can learn something here. God values His holiness. He is concerned about the details. It matters to Him in what manner we draw close to Him. If our worship is just shallow emotionalism or just continual efforts to try something new or just going through the motions without genuine heart conditioning we may end up actually displeasing the Lord. Changing our methods simply to attract the culture around us or to make church more suitable to our evolving tastes will not necessarily honor the God we profess to love. We dare not forget that true worship is work. It takes discipline and focus.It must not be done in a flippant, cavalier way and it certainly should never turn into mere entertainment for ourselves. It's serious business because it's directed toward a lofty, majestic, transcendant God.
There is a flip side, however. In the second half of the chapter, David, after a few months, gets his act together. He resumes the delivery of the ark to Jerusalem. This time he does it right.
Now he is even more passionate and excited. There's not only music and a parade, but dancing(he couldn't have been Baptist!) before the Lord. Another problem surfaces, though. The king's wife, Michal, is awaiting his arrival back in Jerusalem and watching for him from a window. When she sees his joyful, unbridled dancing she is repulsed. She impugns his motives, criticizes his actions, and labels them as undignified and improper. David tries to explain that his jubilant movements were spiritually, not sensually, inspired, and that he planned to continue with even greater intensity. The story ends with the statement that Michal remained childless the rest of her life. Either their marital intimacy died that day or else God judged her cold, negative heart in this area.
Again lessons emerge. We can get so stiff and staid in our worship that the joy evaporates. We can allow ourselves to get locked into the same old traditional patterns of offering praise and we lose the life and the vibrancy. We might even catch ourselves becoming critical of those who desire to yield their worship in fresh, creative ways. If our worship becomes stale and halfhearted and routine we could potentially lose our sensitivity to the voice of the Lord. Churches are dying because they insist on keeping everything the same. But if God is always on the move, we've got to be willing to explore and experiment. We've got to be open to varying styles and expressions so that a new generation coming behind us can feel included, too. Dazzling creativity and celebration should characterize our church praise gatherings as we mix different musical genres and utilize the arts and diverse instruments and even, like the ancient king, sometimes incorporate sacred dance into our worship. But the key, as in David's case, is to do what we do from the heart, a heart truly focused on glorifying Him and bringing Him delight.
I call for a truce in the worship battles. It's time we stop demanding what we've become comfortable with or what makes us feel good and start seeking God's pleasure and what will build up the whole congregation.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Mixed Reviews
Two events in the reign of Old Testament king Hezekiah are instructive for church life today.
One was a decisive, positive, necessary action. The other was a harmful, selfish attitude.
In 2 Kings 18 we read of how this monarch came to power in Judah and instituted some needed religious reforms. In verse 4 it is mentioned that among these changes was the breaking into pieces of the bronze serpent that Moses had made centuries earlier. Bear in mind that this object had been a great help to the people at a critical time. Remember that it was God who had directed Moses to fashion it. Don't forget that at the time it was originally set up it was a powerful symbol and reminder of the Lord's presence and mercy and healing. And yet years down the road, here is Hezekiah destroying it?
To us it seems odd. It appears to be a sacrilegious act. That is, until we read a little further and discover that as time had elapsed the people had begun to worship this thing. A tool that had been designed to get individuals focused on God was now itself an object of veneration. It clearly had to go. It had become an idol. It needed immediate removal, regardless of its sentimental value or traditional feel, so that the people once again could concentrate on worshipping the living, invisible God who is not stationary or manageable. Hezekiah gets a thumbs up. He does what is right here.
There's a lesson for contemporary congregations in this. We sometimes set up policies and organizations and programs in our churches that are very useful and effective at the time of their launching but that may tend to lose their impact as the years roll by in terms of their drawing us closer to Christ and making us stronger disciples. Our tendency, though, is to hang on to these instruments and procedures because we've gotten comfortable with them. They make us feel safe and secure. We've used them for so long that we've gotten in a rut. When someone suggests that we tweak them or discard them to see if there might be a fresher, more up to date, more creative way to meet the same need, we often cling tenaciously to the familiar, to what worked in the past. We almost get to the point where we worship our traditions and our buildings and our order of service and our worship styles and our bylaws and even our same seats in church rather than the always moving and unpredictable and sovereign God. Frankly, we develop a church culture that can actually be out of step with, and opposed to, the ways of the Lord!
But wise, farsighted Hezekiah blunders a couple of chapters later. In 2 Kings 20 he makes a bad mistake and exhibits a wrong attitude.
On one occasion he unthinkingly shows all his treasures to some visiting Babylonians. The prophet Isaiah verbally chastises him for that and predicts that a day is coming when this eventual enemy will show up and seize all this material wealth from a future generation. Hezekiah's selfish response to that dire warning was to remark, in essence, that at least it wasn't going to happen in his time so he could just relax and enjoy the present. Sadly, many senior saints in our congregations today think similarly. Their position seems to be "we realize that our way of doing church will probably not draw younger people, but please leave us alone and let us maintain our established, comfortable ways of leadership and structure for now. Then after we're gone, the folks coming behind us can do whatever they want to. It'll just be more peaceful this way."
I gotta tell you that that is a prescription for losing time, momentum, and ground. It's a recipe for church failure and even death. It puts security above Kingdom business, ease before reaching a new generation for Jesus, coziness in place of doing the sometimes difficult work of finding out what God wants us to do in these challenging days of flux and fluidity. Each of us only gets one life, one shot at making a difference in the time period that the Lord has given us. We dare not waste or fritter away our opportunity! We can't afford to be so chained to the past and so settled in the present that we're not constantly dreaming and envisioning and reshaping for the future that is coming at us at breakneck speed.
Thanks, Hezekiah, for letting us learn from your successes and your errors.
One was a decisive, positive, necessary action. The other was a harmful, selfish attitude.
In 2 Kings 18 we read of how this monarch came to power in Judah and instituted some needed religious reforms. In verse 4 it is mentioned that among these changes was the breaking into pieces of the bronze serpent that Moses had made centuries earlier. Bear in mind that this object had been a great help to the people at a critical time. Remember that it was God who had directed Moses to fashion it. Don't forget that at the time it was originally set up it was a powerful symbol and reminder of the Lord's presence and mercy and healing. And yet years down the road, here is Hezekiah destroying it?
To us it seems odd. It appears to be a sacrilegious act. That is, until we read a little further and discover that as time had elapsed the people had begun to worship this thing. A tool that had been designed to get individuals focused on God was now itself an object of veneration. It clearly had to go. It had become an idol. It needed immediate removal, regardless of its sentimental value or traditional feel, so that the people once again could concentrate on worshipping the living, invisible God who is not stationary or manageable. Hezekiah gets a thumbs up. He does what is right here.
There's a lesson for contemporary congregations in this. We sometimes set up policies and organizations and programs in our churches that are very useful and effective at the time of their launching but that may tend to lose their impact as the years roll by in terms of their drawing us closer to Christ and making us stronger disciples. Our tendency, though, is to hang on to these instruments and procedures because we've gotten comfortable with them. They make us feel safe and secure. We've used them for so long that we've gotten in a rut. When someone suggests that we tweak them or discard them to see if there might be a fresher, more up to date, more creative way to meet the same need, we often cling tenaciously to the familiar, to what worked in the past. We almost get to the point where we worship our traditions and our buildings and our order of service and our worship styles and our bylaws and even our same seats in church rather than the always moving and unpredictable and sovereign God. Frankly, we develop a church culture that can actually be out of step with, and opposed to, the ways of the Lord!
But wise, farsighted Hezekiah blunders a couple of chapters later. In 2 Kings 20 he makes a bad mistake and exhibits a wrong attitude.
On one occasion he unthinkingly shows all his treasures to some visiting Babylonians. The prophet Isaiah verbally chastises him for that and predicts that a day is coming when this eventual enemy will show up and seize all this material wealth from a future generation. Hezekiah's selfish response to that dire warning was to remark, in essence, that at least it wasn't going to happen in his time so he could just relax and enjoy the present. Sadly, many senior saints in our congregations today think similarly. Their position seems to be "we realize that our way of doing church will probably not draw younger people, but please leave us alone and let us maintain our established, comfortable ways of leadership and structure for now. Then after we're gone, the folks coming behind us can do whatever they want to. It'll just be more peaceful this way."
I gotta tell you that that is a prescription for losing time, momentum, and ground. It's a recipe for church failure and even death. It puts security above Kingdom business, ease before reaching a new generation for Jesus, coziness in place of doing the sometimes difficult work of finding out what God wants us to do in these challenging days of flux and fluidity. Each of us only gets one life, one shot at making a difference in the time period that the Lord has given us. We dare not waste or fritter away our opportunity! We can't afford to be so chained to the past and so settled in the present that we're not constantly dreaming and envisioning and reshaping for the future that is coming at us at breakneck speed.
Thanks, Hezekiah, for letting us learn from your successes and your errors.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Insight For Living
It's amazing how you can plop down just about anywhere in Psalm 119 and get a verse that really speaks to life issues.
This long poem right in the center of the Bible is all about scripture. It was obviously written by someone who loved God's Word and wanted to laud its authority, beauty, power, and helpfulness. Each of its 176 statements points out the relevance and the aid of the Bible for the varied concerns that we face daily, like suffering and temptation and persecution and decisionmaking.
Take verse 32, for example. It says "I will run in the way of your commandments, for you shall enlarge my heart." I see the text highlighting 2 matters of crucial import to those who are followers of Christ and on the journey with Him.
Notice that the writer speaks of running. We're accustomed to the metaphor of walking to describe the Christian life, but here a much more energetic, accelerated pace is endorsed by this particular lover of God. He is exuberant about his faith and finds exhiliration in it. It is not a chore or a burden or simply a duty, but a lifestyle in which he delights.
What a contrast this is with the attitudes exhibited by many contemporary believers who seem to be bored with church and prayer and Bible study. Their pilgrimage is a drudgery. There is little enthusiasm. They appear to be just going through the motions. Somewhere along the way they have veered off into a ditch and gotten stuck in the mud spiritually, maybe due to sin or sorrow or disappointment or pressure. They need somehow to reconnect with the Lord in such a way that they sense again the joy, freedom, and lift that come when the daily walk becomes a sprint. This Lenten season would be a terrific time to do some reflection and evaluation and make some fresh commitments to this athletic race of the soul.
But it's critical to observe, too, that the psalmist mentions the proper running track. He refers to eagerly springing forward "in the way of your commandments" which gives him a definite lane to run in and a finish line to attain. It's not haphazard. It's not just zest and momentum and perspiration. There is direction and discipline. Here is a clear focus. This writer moves toward greater levels of obedience to the principles and precepts that he discovers in scripture. He advances and makes progress by living out the knowledge that he acquires in God's Word.
Lots of present-day Christians, different from the cold, half-hearted crowd mentioned earlier, have boundless excitement. They may shout in church. Say "amen" and "praise the Lord" frequently. Smile constantly or shed tears at a moving gospel song or get emotional or volunteer for all kinds of church jobs. They may sincerely love Jesus and desire to please Him. But if they don't immerse themselves in the Bible and build their lives around its practical teachings sooner or later they will get tired and run out of spiritual energy. Burnout will occur. They'll stumble into some sin. Discouragement will set in and their run will slow to a crawl. They'll meet up with stresses or struggles that they don't have the resources to deal with because they've been living on fumes rather than on the fuel of scriptural insights.
What all of us really have to have is enlarged hearts. Only God can do that kind of soul remodeling and expansion in us. He has to do it before we can be saved(regeneration) and He has to do it before we can grow as believers(sanctification). His methods can sometimes be uncomfortable and painful. He has our best interests at heart, though, and so is far more concerned with our holiness than with our happiness. If we are the runners then He is the trainer. Let's remember, too, that He is the prize at the end of the marathon.
This long poem right in the center of the Bible is all about scripture. It was obviously written by someone who loved God's Word and wanted to laud its authority, beauty, power, and helpfulness. Each of its 176 statements points out the relevance and the aid of the Bible for the varied concerns that we face daily, like suffering and temptation and persecution and decisionmaking.
Take verse 32, for example. It says "I will run in the way of your commandments, for you shall enlarge my heart." I see the text highlighting 2 matters of crucial import to those who are followers of Christ and on the journey with Him.
Notice that the writer speaks of running. We're accustomed to the metaphor of walking to describe the Christian life, but here a much more energetic, accelerated pace is endorsed by this particular lover of God. He is exuberant about his faith and finds exhiliration in it. It is not a chore or a burden or simply a duty, but a lifestyle in which he delights.
What a contrast this is with the attitudes exhibited by many contemporary believers who seem to be bored with church and prayer and Bible study. Their pilgrimage is a drudgery. There is little enthusiasm. They appear to be just going through the motions. Somewhere along the way they have veered off into a ditch and gotten stuck in the mud spiritually, maybe due to sin or sorrow or disappointment or pressure. They need somehow to reconnect with the Lord in such a way that they sense again the joy, freedom, and lift that come when the daily walk becomes a sprint. This Lenten season would be a terrific time to do some reflection and evaluation and make some fresh commitments to this athletic race of the soul.
But it's critical to observe, too, that the psalmist mentions the proper running track. He refers to eagerly springing forward "in the way of your commandments" which gives him a definite lane to run in and a finish line to attain. It's not haphazard. It's not just zest and momentum and perspiration. There is direction and discipline. Here is a clear focus. This writer moves toward greater levels of obedience to the principles and precepts that he discovers in scripture. He advances and makes progress by living out the knowledge that he acquires in God's Word.
Lots of present-day Christians, different from the cold, half-hearted crowd mentioned earlier, have boundless excitement. They may shout in church. Say "amen" and "praise the Lord" frequently. Smile constantly or shed tears at a moving gospel song or get emotional or volunteer for all kinds of church jobs. They may sincerely love Jesus and desire to please Him. But if they don't immerse themselves in the Bible and build their lives around its practical teachings sooner or later they will get tired and run out of spiritual energy. Burnout will occur. They'll stumble into some sin. Discouragement will set in and their run will slow to a crawl. They'll meet up with stresses or struggles that they don't have the resources to deal with because they've been living on fumes rather than on the fuel of scriptural insights.
What all of us really have to have is enlarged hearts. Only God can do that kind of soul remodeling and expansion in us. He has to do it before we can be saved(regeneration) and He has to do it before we can grow as believers(sanctification). His methods can sometimes be uncomfortable and painful. He has our best interests at heart, though, and so is far more concerned with our holiness than with our happiness. If we are the runners then He is the trainer. Let's remember, too, that He is the prize at the end of the marathon.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Generational Partnership
There is a place at the table for both younger people and older folks when it comes to ministry in the church and in associational life.
At least that's what Acts 2:17 seems to suggest.
On the day of Pentecost the apostle Peter quotes from the Old Testament prophet Joel to describe to curious and confused onlookers what has just happened to the disciples in the upper room with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the launching of the Church. There is that intriguing line that mentions young men seeing visions and old men dreaming dreams as a result of the life-giving, energizing work of the Spirit.
Clearly both age groups are to be vitally involved in the leadership and mission of the Christian movement. It is regrettable, then, that in congregational life and associational affairs there is often a tension and occasionally even outright conflict between generations. Older adults sometimes say that the young are too green, too immature, too radical, too bent on change. Younger people speak of their elders as being too old fashioned and resistant to anything new and unwilling to share power and embrace fresh directions in the midst of a culture that is fluid and diverse and in constant flux, quite unlike any other period in our history. Lines get drawn. Cooperation suffers. The incredible impact of a united team with each age demographic offering its unique gifts and abilities is missing.
Proverbs 20:29 shouts at us that young and old both bring crucial contributions to bear on Christian work. It says that the "glory of young men is their strength, and the splendor of old men is gray hair" which indicates that we need the energy and zest and creativity of the younger set and the wisdom and depth and experience of the older crowd in order to have balance and cohesion. To neglect either generation's input and inspiration and integration is to make the body less potent than it could be. Whether it's worship styles or ministry approaches or methodology, we need to listen to each other and learn and find common ground and share together in reaching our communities for Christ. This applies to individual churches and to our Peninsula Baptist Association in this critical transitional moment.
Scripture highlights for us 2 mistakes that need to be avoided.
The young must be careful not to repeat the error of new king Rehoboam, Solomon's son, in 2 Chronicles 10 when he foolishly ignored the wise counsel of his older advisors and accepted the shortsighted advice of his contemporaries. That ultimately resulted in the division of the United Kingdom! There was a time when the monarch should have paid attention to the more seasoned reflections of his mature consultants.
But older church leaders must strenuously seek to guard against the attitude of king Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20. On one occasion he unwisely showed all his treasures to some visiting Babylonians. The prophet Isaiah chastised him for that and predicted that a day was coming when the enemy would show up and seize all that material wealth from a future generation. Hezekiah's selfish response to that dire warning was to remark, in essence, that at least it wasn't going to happen in his time so he could just relax and enjoy the present. Sadly, many senior saints in our congregations think similarly. Their position seems to be "We realize that our way of doing church will probably not draw younger people, but we want to maintain our comfortable ways of leadership and procedures for now. After we're gone, the folks coming after us can do whatever they want to.It's more peaceful this way." That's a prescription for losing time, momentum, and ground. It's a recipe for church and associational failure. It puts security above Kingdom business, ease before reaching people for Jesus.
Even if it takes effort and work and patience, let's find ways to come together generationally. These are such exciting days to be alive and involved in ministry. We must not miss our opportunity. After all, this is the only time we will have to make our mark and leave our legacy. Right now the PBA needs the fresh ideas of young people about techniques and strategies. We need their enthusiasm, too. We also need the accumulated insights of our older folks, who shouldn't back out but rather should reinvest and renew their commitment in their freer retirement years to helping make our association strong and vibrant, sharp and focused, effective and successful.
It's a joy and privilege to try and be of help during these months. Feel free to call on me.
At least that's what Acts 2:17 seems to suggest.
On the day of Pentecost the apostle Peter quotes from the Old Testament prophet Joel to describe to curious and confused onlookers what has just happened to the disciples in the upper room with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the launching of the Church. There is that intriguing line that mentions young men seeing visions and old men dreaming dreams as a result of the life-giving, energizing work of the Spirit.
Clearly both age groups are to be vitally involved in the leadership and mission of the Christian movement. It is regrettable, then, that in congregational life and associational affairs there is often a tension and occasionally even outright conflict between generations. Older adults sometimes say that the young are too green, too immature, too radical, too bent on change. Younger people speak of their elders as being too old fashioned and resistant to anything new and unwilling to share power and embrace fresh directions in the midst of a culture that is fluid and diverse and in constant flux, quite unlike any other period in our history. Lines get drawn. Cooperation suffers. The incredible impact of a united team with each age demographic offering its unique gifts and abilities is missing.
Proverbs 20:29 shouts at us that young and old both bring crucial contributions to bear on Christian work. It says that the "glory of young men is their strength, and the splendor of old men is gray hair" which indicates that we need the energy and zest and creativity of the younger set and the wisdom and depth and experience of the older crowd in order to have balance and cohesion. To neglect either generation's input and inspiration and integration is to make the body less potent than it could be. Whether it's worship styles or ministry approaches or methodology, we need to listen to each other and learn and find common ground and share together in reaching our communities for Christ. This applies to individual churches and to our Peninsula Baptist Association in this critical transitional moment.
Scripture highlights for us 2 mistakes that need to be avoided.
The young must be careful not to repeat the error of new king Rehoboam, Solomon's son, in 2 Chronicles 10 when he foolishly ignored the wise counsel of his older advisors and accepted the shortsighted advice of his contemporaries. That ultimately resulted in the division of the United Kingdom! There was a time when the monarch should have paid attention to the more seasoned reflections of his mature consultants.
But older church leaders must strenuously seek to guard against the attitude of king Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20. On one occasion he unwisely showed all his treasures to some visiting Babylonians. The prophet Isaiah chastised him for that and predicted that a day was coming when the enemy would show up and seize all that material wealth from a future generation. Hezekiah's selfish response to that dire warning was to remark, in essence, that at least it wasn't going to happen in his time so he could just relax and enjoy the present. Sadly, many senior saints in our congregations think similarly. Their position seems to be "We realize that our way of doing church will probably not draw younger people, but we want to maintain our comfortable ways of leadership and procedures for now. After we're gone, the folks coming after us can do whatever they want to.It's more peaceful this way." That's a prescription for losing time, momentum, and ground. It's a recipe for church and associational failure. It puts security above Kingdom business, ease before reaching people for Jesus.
Even if it takes effort and work and patience, let's find ways to come together generationally. These are such exciting days to be alive and involved in ministry. We must not miss our opportunity. After all, this is the only time we will have to make our mark and leave our legacy. Right now the PBA needs the fresh ideas of young people about techniques and strategies. We need their enthusiasm, too. We also need the accumulated insights of our older folks, who shouldn't back out but rather should reinvest and renew their commitment in their freer retirement years to helping make our association strong and vibrant, sharp and focused, effective and successful.
It's a joy and privilege to try and be of help during these months. Feel free to call on me.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
At The Movies
Three currently popular Hollywood films deal with some pretty heavy issues.
There Will Be Blood is set in the early 1900's and is a story about discovering and drilling for oil in the American West and how that affected two men, an entrepeneur and a young preacher. It is a tale of unbridled desire and greed. Deceit, manipulation, and hypocrisy show up, too. I'm reminded of the pointed inquiry of Jesus in Mark 8:36, "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"
The movie Atonement is a drama about guilt and trying to find a way to deal with it. It concerns a young girl's misunderstanding and misrepresentation of some facts, perhaps in adolescent jealousy, and the bitter consequences that ripple out and impact several lives. The devastation that can result from one simple, brief moment of deception is vividly demonstrated. The painful tug of a tortured conscience and the intense efforts to assuage its gnawings are skillfully portayed here.
A little lighter but nevertheless still compelling is Bucket List. Two men, different in every way, are thrown together by sickness in the same hospital room. They each learn that their illness is terminal and that they only have a few months left to live. The bittersweet narrative has them teaming up and becoming partners in an attempt to enjoy the the short time they have remaining before they "kick the bucket". They draw up a list of all the things they'd like to do and then set out to accomplish them. There are lots of travels and exploits that keep them busy but along the way lots of discussions about life, death, relationships, unfinished business, and eternity come up, too. The film has you laughing and maybe shedding a tear or two as well.
I mention all this because it reminds us again that the secular culture around us, as dark and pagan as it is, grapples with deep matters of the soul and spirit. People are searching. They are questioning and looking for answers and sometimes their inner yearnings and longings spill out in the art that they create. We Christians need to constantly be alert and prepared to point them to the truth as the apostle challenged us in I Peter 3:15. Right now, as our friends and neighbors view these motion pictures, they're gonna be thinking all over again about these intensely spiritual concerns. We have a chance to move into their vacuum and void and offer hope and direction. Just like Paul did in Acts 16:30 when a desperate, almost suicidal man cried out "What must I do to be saved?" and just like he did in Acts 17 when he encountered the religious and philosophical confusion of Athens and presented the life-altering message of the Gospel that can transform the morass of godless thinking.
Of course we need to learn to be adept at asking questions, too. Questions that will open doors and springboard us into conversations about serious heart issues. That will move us beyond trivial, surface chatter about the weather and sports and politics and propel us into dialogue about those things that really matter, like what you do about sin and where can you find peace and how can you face death. Philip the evangelist, in Acts 8:30, asked one little cleverly placed question that initiated a chat and steered the discussion into fertile territory for a consideration of crucial topics. As a result, an Ethiopian government official became a Christ-follower and went back to his nation and made a difference. Sometimes an inquiry as simple as "do you ever give much thought to spiritual matters" can launch you into a talk that will enable you to sow a lot of seed and turn on a lot of light and may, just may, end up with your friend praying to receive Christ.
Let's always be sensitive to the opportunities right around us to bear a witness for Jesus. Even if it means using movie plots as ice breakers.
There Will Be Blood is set in the early 1900's and is a story about discovering and drilling for oil in the American West and how that affected two men, an entrepeneur and a young preacher. It is a tale of unbridled desire and greed. Deceit, manipulation, and hypocrisy show up, too. I'm reminded of the pointed inquiry of Jesus in Mark 8:36, "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"
The movie Atonement is a drama about guilt and trying to find a way to deal with it. It concerns a young girl's misunderstanding and misrepresentation of some facts, perhaps in adolescent jealousy, and the bitter consequences that ripple out and impact several lives. The devastation that can result from one simple, brief moment of deception is vividly demonstrated. The painful tug of a tortured conscience and the intense efforts to assuage its gnawings are skillfully portayed here.
A little lighter but nevertheless still compelling is Bucket List. Two men, different in every way, are thrown together by sickness in the same hospital room. They each learn that their illness is terminal and that they only have a few months left to live. The bittersweet narrative has them teaming up and becoming partners in an attempt to enjoy the the short time they have remaining before they "kick the bucket". They draw up a list of all the things they'd like to do and then set out to accomplish them. There are lots of travels and exploits that keep them busy but along the way lots of discussions about life, death, relationships, unfinished business, and eternity come up, too. The film has you laughing and maybe shedding a tear or two as well.
I mention all this because it reminds us again that the secular culture around us, as dark and pagan as it is, grapples with deep matters of the soul and spirit. People are searching. They are questioning and looking for answers and sometimes their inner yearnings and longings spill out in the art that they create. We Christians need to constantly be alert and prepared to point them to the truth as the apostle challenged us in I Peter 3:15. Right now, as our friends and neighbors view these motion pictures, they're gonna be thinking all over again about these intensely spiritual concerns. We have a chance to move into their vacuum and void and offer hope and direction. Just like Paul did in Acts 16:30 when a desperate, almost suicidal man cried out "What must I do to be saved?" and just like he did in Acts 17 when he encountered the religious and philosophical confusion of Athens and presented the life-altering message of the Gospel that can transform the morass of godless thinking.
Of course we need to learn to be adept at asking questions, too. Questions that will open doors and springboard us into conversations about serious heart issues. That will move us beyond trivial, surface chatter about the weather and sports and politics and propel us into dialogue about those things that really matter, like what you do about sin and where can you find peace and how can you face death. Philip the evangelist, in Acts 8:30, asked one little cleverly placed question that initiated a chat and steered the discussion into fertile territory for a consideration of crucial topics. As a result, an Ethiopian government official became a Christ-follower and went back to his nation and made a difference. Sometimes an inquiry as simple as "do you ever give much thought to spiritual matters" can launch you into a talk that will enable you to sow a lot of seed and turn on a lot of light and may, just may, end up with your friend praying to receive Christ.
Let's always be sensitive to the opportunities right around us to bear a witness for Jesus. Even if it means using movie plots as ice breakers.
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