The Prodigal God
Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith
by Tim Keller
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Parable
ONE - The People around Jesus: "All gathering around to hear him."
Two Kinds of People
Why People Like Jesus but Not the Church
TWO - The Two Lost Sons: "There was a man who had two sons."
The Lost Younger Brother
The Younger Brother's Plan
The Lost Elder Brother
THREE - Redefining Sin: "All these years I've been slaving for you."
Two ways to find happiness
Two Lost Sons
A Deeper Understanding of Sin
Both Wrong; Both Loved
FOUR - Redefining Lostness: "The older brother became angry and refused to go in."
Anger and Superiority
Slavishness and Emptiness
Who Needs to Know This?
FIVE - The True Elder Brother: "My son, everything I have is yours."
What we need
Who We need
SIX - Redefining Hope: "He set off for a far country."
Our Longing for Home
The Difficulty of Return
The Feast at the end of History
SEVEN - The Feast of the Father: "He heard music and dancing."
Salvation is Experiential
Salvation is Material
Salvation is Individual
Salvation is Communal
Babette's Feast
Monday, June 29, 2009
Review of "The Prodigal God"
The Prodigal God
Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith
by Tim Keller
The Prodigal God is one of two books I have read on the "Prodigal Son" parable (A Tale of Two Sons by John MacArthur being the other). Both books have added depth to my understanding and appreciation for what is often known as the "best short story ever written." Neither of the authors focus solely on the Younger Brother, as most discussion I have heard have done - but Tim Keller speaks to all the characters - and the audience of the parable.
One must start with the title, which probably has given many people a bit of a pause - and I think Dr. Keller did that on purpose. I know I tended to associate the word "prodigal" with the excessive lifestyle and wanderings of the younger son, but Keller points out that the definition of prodigal includes "recklessly extravagent" and "having spent everything" - both wonderful descriptions of the lavish love the Father of this story has for his wayward sons. Keller masterfully points us to Our Heavenly Father, who has been "recklessly extravagent" in his pursuit of changing sinners into sons.
Dr. Keller's treatment of the condition of the older son is masterful, and he emphasizes that though both sons are alienated from the Father in different ways, the Father loves both and calls them to reconciliation. He also explains why we are left hanging about the resolution of the Elder brother's relationship to the Father and how that related to his audience - the Pharisees.
This is another book making my top list, and it is one I would recommend to people - even people wondering about Christianity. This really does show how this parable gets to the Heart of the Christian faith - not the religion.
Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith
by Tim Keller
The Prodigal God is one of two books I have read on the "Prodigal Son" parable (A Tale of Two Sons by John MacArthur being the other). Both books have added depth to my understanding and appreciation for what is often known as the "best short story ever written." Neither of the authors focus solely on the Younger Brother, as most discussion I have heard have done - but Tim Keller speaks to all the characters - and the audience of the parable.
One must start with the title, which probably has given many people a bit of a pause - and I think Dr. Keller did that on purpose. I know I tended to associate the word "prodigal" with the excessive lifestyle and wanderings of the younger son, but Keller points out that the definition of prodigal includes "recklessly extravagent" and "having spent everything" - both wonderful descriptions of the lavish love the Father of this story has for his wayward sons. Keller masterfully points us to Our Heavenly Father, who has been "recklessly extravagent" in his pursuit of changing sinners into sons.
Dr. Keller's treatment of the condition of the older son is masterful, and he emphasizes that though both sons are alienated from the Father in different ways, the Father loves both and calls them to reconciliation. He also explains why we are left hanging about the resolution of the Elder brother's relationship to the Father and how that related to his audience - the Pharisees.
This is another book making my top list, and it is one I would recommend to people - even people wondering about Christianity. This really does show how this parable gets to the Heart of the Christian faith - not the religion.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Review of "Lost in the Middle"
Table of Contents
Preface: A New Awareness
Introduction: The Bible and Midlife
Chapter 1: Midlife: A portrait
Chapter 2: Two Midlife Psalms
Chapter 3: The Death of Invincibility
Chapter 4: The Leaves are Off the Trees
Chapter 5: Towers to the Sky
Chapter 6: Lost in the Middle: Don's Story
Chapter 7: Painful Faith: God's Story and Suffering
Chapter 8: May I Speak to the Manager Please?
Chapter 9: Golden Calves
Chapter 10: Finding the Real You
Chapter 11: Last Chapter, First Values
Chapter 12: Grace That is Greater
Preface: A New Awareness
Introduction: The Bible and Midlife
Chapter 1: Midlife: A portrait
Chapter 2: Two Midlife Psalms
Chapter 3: The Death of Invincibility
Chapter 4: The Leaves are Off the Trees
Chapter 5: Towers to the Sky
Chapter 6: Lost in the Middle: Don's Story
Chapter 7: Painful Faith: God's Story and Suffering
Chapter 8: May I Speak to the Manager Please?
Chapter 9: Golden Calves
Chapter 10: Finding the Real You
Chapter 11: Last Chapter, First Values
Chapter 12: Grace That is Greater
Review of "Lost in the Middle"
Lost in the Middle
Midlife and the Grace of God
by Paul Tripp
Life interrupted my reading of this book. I read the first three quarters of it a few months ago and put the book down in favor of other pressing responsibilities. Now that they are completed, I have had time to pick up this book again, and it was refreshing. Reluctantly, I will admit that I am now in "mid-life" - although I surmise that Paul includes just about anyone whose life has shaped up to be different than they planned, but not yet contemplating "retirement." In short, just about everyone.
I have less hair than I used to, and my beard is peppered now. I have been going to the gym to try to regain at least a rough outline of my wrestling physique. My life is certainly not the way I would have arranged it or predicted it, and this book helped me to continue to deal with the fact that the plan my loving heavenly Father has for me is better - even though I don't understand it.
I love Paul's style and his use of real life as examples. I may not be able yet to identify with all the particulars of his examples - but I can see they are just around the bend ... however, the underlying categories of struggles are more than familiar to me ...
My Story is not primarily about me, and it is not limited to my myopic view of the world. Paul points at that we must recognize that there is a larger story in history, a story that includes millions and billions of people - individuals known by name to the Lord and yet gathered as a people for His Glory. Unless I see the bigger story, and see the hand of the Lord moving in my life to make me more into the image of his son for his glory, I will not be able to make sense out of life. If I live for money, pleasure, prestige, or anything other than God, midlife has a way of exposing empty dreams and unfulfilled promises. Just as Adam and Eve fell for the serpent's lie and found much bitterness in following him, we too fall for his tricks as we live for things that will ultimately not satisfy.
God is present in the midst of our lives, and he is present in our sufferings, mistakes, and sins. He is there because He is committed to us for His name's sake more than we are committed to our folly. Thus, we must know the end of the story - where He is taking us - before we can make sense out of where we are ...
I am planning to give this book to a number of people in my life, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is between graduation and the grave ...
Midlife and the Grace of God
by Paul Tripp
Life interrupted my reading of this book. I read the first three quarters of it a few months ago and put the book down in favor of other pressing responsibilities. Now that they are completed, I have had time to pick up this book again, and it was refreshing. Reluctantly, I will admit that I am now in "mid-life" - although I surmise that Paul includes just about anyone whose life has shaped up to be different than they planned, but not yet contemplating "retirement." In short, just about everyone.
I have less hair than I used to, and my beard is peppered now. I have been going to the gym to try to regain at least a rough outline of my wrestling physique. My life is certainly not the way I would have arranged it or predicted it, and this book helped me to continue to deal with the fact that the plan my loving heavenly Father has for me is better - even though I don't understand it.
I love Paul's style and his use of real life as examples. I may not be able yet to identify with all the particulars of his examples - but I can see they are just around the bend ... however, the underlying categories of struggles are more than familiar to me ...
My Story is not primarily about me, and it is not limited to my myopic view of the world. Paul points at that we must recognize that there is a larger story in history, a story that includes millions and billions of people - individuals known by name to the Lord and yet gathered as a people for His Glory. Unless I see the bigger story, and see the hand of the Lord moving in my life to make me more into the image of his son for his glory, I will not be able to make sense out of life. If I live for money, pleasure, prestige, or anything other than God, midlife has a way of exposing empty dreams and unfulfilled promises. Just as Adam and Eve fell for the serpent's lie and found much bitterness in following him, we too fall for his tricks as we live for things that will ultimately not satisfy.
God is present in the midst of our lives, and he is present in our sufferings, mistakes, and sins. He is there because He is committed to us for His name's sake more than we are committed to our folly. Thus, we must know the end of the story - where He is taking us - before we can make sense out of where we are ...
I am planning to give this book to a number of people in my life, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is between graduation and the grave ...
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Review of "The Reason for God"
Table of Contents
Part 1: The Leap of Doubt
ONE: There Can't Be Just One True Religion
TWO: How Could a Good God Allow Suffering
THREE: Christianity Is a Straightjacket
FOUR: The Church Is Responsible for So Much Injustice
FIVE: How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell?
SIX: Science Has Disproved Christianity
SEVEN: You Can't Take the Bible Literally
Intermission
Part 2: The Reasons for Faith
EIGHT: The Clues of God
NINE: The Knowledge of God
TEN: The Problem of Sin
ELEVEN:Religion and the Gospel
TWELVE: The (True) Story of the Cross
THIRTEEN: The Reality of the Resurrection
FOURTEEN: The Dance of God
Epilogue: Where do we go from here?
Part 1: The Leap of Doubt
ONE: There Can't Be Just One True Religion
TWO: How Could a Good God Allow Suffering
THREE: Christianity Is a Straightjacket
FOUR: The Church Is Responsible for So Much Injustice
FIVE: How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell?
SIX: Science Has Disproved Christianity
SEVEN: You Can't Take the Bible Literally
Intermission
Part 2: The Reasons for Faith
EIGHT: The Clues of God
NINE: The Knowledge of God
TEN: The Problem of Sin
ELEVEN:Religion and the Gospel
TWELVE: The (True) Story of the Cross
THIRTEEN: The Reality of the Resurrection
FOURTEEN: The Dance of God
Epilogue: Where do we go from here?
Review of "The Reason for God"
The Reason for God
Belief in an age of Skepticism
by Tim Keller
It is rather remarkable to have read 4 of my top 10 books in the past six months, but that is what has happened. I had heard good things about this book from my friends and it did not disappoint, as it became the third best book I have read - and it is not far from How People Change and Desiring God, although I would be surprised to see them toppled in the coming years.
Just about everything I have read from Tim Keller's pen has been good, and much of it inspires me to think beyond my own life. I wish this book had been available 20 years ago ... but God planned for me to read this book right at this point in my walk with Him, and so I shall not grumble ...
One can tell from Keller's book that he has had much interaction with real people asking real questions. I don't know how to go about describing this book without writing one myself, so let me share a few quotes that I wrote down as I read:
"Jesus does not tell us how to live so we can merit salvation. He comes to forgive us and save us through his life and death in our place." (p.19)
"God's grace does not come to those who morally outperform others but to those who admit their failure to perform and who acknowledge their need for a Savior." (p.19)
"Religion operates on the principle 'I obey - therefore I am accepted by God." But the operating principle of the gospel is "I am accepted by God through what Christ has done - therefore I obey." (p. 179-180)
"If I was saved by my good works then there would be a limit to what God could ask of me or put me through. I would be like a taxpayer with "rights" - I would have done my duty and now would deserve a certain quality of life. But if I am a sinner saved by sheer grace - then there's nothing he cannot ask of me." (p. 183)
"The latter is ... an effort to get control of God through your prayers and practices ... approaching God as a means to an end ... using God rather than trusting him." (p. 228)
Obviously, those are sections that stuck out to me, based on my history and where I am currently in my walk with God. There are plenty of other great sections of the book that others will highlight. Dr. Keller has done a great job of taking the most profound objections to Christianty and turning them around to show the logical inconsistencies in the argument against the Christian God.
While I wouldn't recommend this for my daughter quite yet, I would definitely recommend this to any teen or adult who wants to have a serious discussion about faith in the God of the Bible.
Belief in an age of Skepticism
by Tim Keller
It is rather remarkable to have read 4 of my top 10 books in the past six months, but that is what has happened. I had heard good things about this book from my friends and it did not disappoint, as it became the third best book I have read - and it is not far from How People Change and Desiring God, although I would be surprised to see them toppled in the coming years.
Just about everything I have read from Tim Keller's pen has been good, and much of it inspires me to think beyond my own life. I wish this book had been available 20 years ago ... but God planned for me to read this book right at this point in my walk with Him, and so I shall not grumble ...
One can tell from Keller's book that he has had much interaction with real people asking real questions. I don't know how to go about describing this book without writing one myself, so let me share a few quotes that I wrote down as I read:
"Jesus does not tell us how to live so we can merit salvation. He comes to forgive us and save us through his life and death in our place." (p.19)
"God's grace does not come to those who morally outperform others but to those who admit their failure to perform and who acknowledge their need for a Savior." (p.19)
"Religion operates on the principle 'I obey - therefore I am accepted by God." But the operating principle of the gospel is "I am accepted by God through what Christ has done - therefore I obey." (p. 179-180)
"If I was saved by my good works then there would be a limit to what God could ask of me or put me through. I would be like a taxpayer with "rights" - I would have done my duty and now would deserve a certain quality of life. But if I am a sinner saved by sheer grace - then there's nothing he cannot ask of me." (p. 183)
"The latter is ... an effort to get control of God through your prayers and practices ... approaching God as a means to an end ... using God rather than trusting him." (p. 228)
Obviously, those are sections that stuck out to me, based on my history and where I am currently in my walk with God. There are plenty of other great sections of the book that others will highlight. Dr. Keller has done a great job of taking the most profound objections to Christianty and turning them around to show the logical inconsistencies in the argument against the Christian God.
While I wouldn't recommend this for my daughter quite yet, I would definitely recommend this to any teen or adult who wants to have a serious discussion about faith in the God of the Bible.
Summer Reading Plan
Here's my summer reading plan:
Galatians (8 times)
Romans
Psalms 1-12
Psalms 138-150
Exodus 20-33
The Expositor's Greek NT Commentary: Galatians
Galatians (MacArthur)
Galatians (Ramsay)
Galatians (Calvin)
Galatians (Ryken)
Galatians (Bible Knowledge Commentary)
Galatians (Wiersbe)
Galatians (Matthew Henry)
Sections on Justification in Chafer, Hodge, Grudem, Tennet
Sections on Sanctification in Chafer, Hodge, Grudem, Tennet
Sections on Just./Sanct. by Edwards, Van Til, Warfield
The Justification of God (Piper)
NT Wright and Piper
Sproul on Faith alone
Just./Sanct. in Paul:An Outline of His Theology (Ridderbos)
Whiter than Snow (Tripp)
The Reason for God (Keller)
Lost in the Middle (Tripp)
A tale of two sons (MacArthur)
The Prodigal God (Keller)
A Quest for More (Tripp)
Step by Step (Petty)
War of Words (Tripp)
Future Grace (Piper)
When People are Big and God is small (Welch)
Let the Nations Be Glad (Piper)
The Dispensational/Covenental Rift (Mangum)
Speaking Truth in Love (Powlison)
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ (Owen)
Seeing with New Eyes (Powlison)
Depression: A stubborn darkness (Welch)
Maybe overly ambitious ... we'll see
Galatians (8 times)
Romans
Psalms 1-12
Psalms 138-150
Exodus 20-33
The Expositor's Greek NT Commentary: Galatians
Galatians (MacArthur)
Galatians (Ramsay)
Galatians (Calvin)
Galatians (Ryken)
Galatians (Bible Knowledge Commentary)
Galatians (Wiersbe)
Galatians (Matthew Henry)
Sections on Justification in Chafer, Hodge, Grudem, Tennet
Sections on Sanctification in Chafer, Hodge, Grudem, Tennet
Sections on Just./Sanct. by Edwards, Van Til, Warfield
The Justification of God (Piper)
NT Wright and Piper
Sproul on Faith alone
Just./Sanct. in Paul:An Outline of His Theology (Ridderbos)
Whiter than Snow (Tripp)
The Reason for God (Keller)
Lost in the Middle (Tripp)
A tale of two sons (MacArthur)
The Prodigal God (Keller)
A Quest for More (Tripp)
Step by Step (Petty)
War of Words (Tripp)
Future Grace (Piper)
When People are Big and God is small (Welch)
Let the Nations Be Glad (Piper)
The Dispensational/Covenental Rift (Mangum)
Speaking Truth in Love (Powlison)
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ (Owen)
Seeing with New Eyes (Powlison)
Depression: A stubborn darkness (Welch)
Maybe overly ambitious ... we'll see
Top 10 books
My Top 10 recommended books that I have personally read ...
10. The Dispensational-Covenantal Rift (R. Todd Mangum)
9. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (CS Lewis)
8. When Sinners Say "I Do" (Dave Harvey)
7. Mere Christianity (CS Lewis)
6. Whiter than Snow (Paul Tripp)
5. Instruments in the Hands of the Redeemer (Paul Tripp)
4. Death By Love (Mark Driscoll)
3. The Reason for God (Tim Keller)
2. How People Change (Tim Lane)
1. Desiring God (John Piper)
10. The Dispensational-Covenantal Rift (R. Todd Mangum)
9. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (CS Lewis)
8. When Sinners Say "I Do" (Dave Harvey)
7. Mere Christianity (CS Lewis)
6. Whiter than Snow (Paul Tripp)
5. Instruments in the Hands of the Redeemer (Paul Tripp)
4. Death By Love (Mark Driscoll)
3. The Reason for God (Tim Keller)
2. How People Change (Tim Lane)
1. Desiring God (John Piper)
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
The Path ...
You have hurt me
You have wronged me
What you have done deserves death
You deserve to die a painful death
You deserve hell
The path I travel is a painful one
A path of remembering
A path of looking behind more often than ahead
A path of pain
A path of sorrow
A path of brokenness
A path of unfulfilled potential
A path of tarnished dreams
A path that should never have been
I will be your everlasting judge
Whenever you come near me, you will face my wrath
I will cover my contempt with smiles and hugs
But you will know my loathing for you
At times, I will actively hate you
I will work for your undoing
I will seek your demise
I will pluck the flesh off your bones
Every day will be life-sucking
Other times I will ignore you
I will not think of you
You will not enter my thoughts
It will be as if you never existed
You will not have the joy of my companionship
You will not be comforted
You are exiled
Someday, you will get yours
When that day comes, I will cackle
Over your broken body
I will rejoice in your demise
I will send gifts to those I love
Rejoicing that your name will soon be forgotten
But not by me
For your name will be a curse
A word I will use to show contempt
A word that I will use callously and trivially
I will dream of your screams
I will know the sound of your bones being crushed
Justice
For all you have done
This is a path of stinking dung
Dung so deep my legs sink in to my knees
Muck so thick that I struggle to take the next step
Each time I labor to lift my foot
There is a sucking sound
As if the muck tries to pull me in
If I stand still
All is lost
I will drown
And I will be added to the muck and mire
Seeking to bring others down to me
My sin
My sin is against the One who is love
My sin is against the Creator and sustainer of all things
My sin is high treason against a good and perfect King
My sin is worse than despicable
My sin stinks up the whole universe
My sin wraps around my neck like the vines of a rose bush
Promising flowers but delivering piercing thorns dripping with blood
It pulls me down to the grave like so many science fiction monsters
But this is real
It pulls me down into the depths of the grave
Into hell itself
My very name
Is a curse to me
I have chosen my own way … rather than the way of one who loves me perfectly
I have chosen to try to rule my own life … rather than to trust Him
I have chosen to set up my own Kingdom … rather than build His
I have chosen to pursue my own comforts … rather than serve Him
I have chosen my foolishness … rather than His wisdom
I have chosen darkness ... rather than light
I have chosen death … over life
Death
Darkness
Silent screams full of terror
Disorientation
Not knowing which way is up
Unable to breathe
Flames lapping at my feet
But never quenched
Justice
For all I have done
Despair
Hope
A light piercing the darkness
The last word not yet spoken
Destinies can be changed
If only
If only there was a King
A King greater than our sin
A King more loving than our hatred
A King committed to Himself
And all that is right and good and true
More than we are committed to our folly
A King with grace and mercy as his companions
A King whose word is his bond
And whose heart is true
Where is this King
We look for this King
Could he be the One
Whom we have disregarded
Whom we have spat upon
Whom we have flogged
Whom we have forsaken
Whom we have cursed
Who has forgiven us freely
For no other reason than He wanted to
We who have brought shame to His Name
We who have insisted on making our own path
We who have judged others
We who call on mute idols to save us
Like riches, power, position, pleasure, or independence
We who fought to be the Captain of our souls
And then shipwrecked upon those jagged rocks of sin
Always seen, rarely feared
We who scourged him
We who drove the nails in
We who crowned him with thorns
We who pierced his side
And mocked his nakedness
And watched him die
No justice
For what had he done to deserve this
For the joy
For the joy set before him
For the joy of bringing many sons and daughters into the Kingdom
For the joy of forgiveness
For the joy of restoration
Forgiveness is not free
Someone paid my debt
Someone took my punishment
Someone took my death
That I fully deserved
That I fully earned
That someone is him
While I was still his enemy
While I was still a rebel
While I was still a thieving murderer loose in his kingdom
He died
He died for me
He died in my place – not just that I might live
Not just that I might be a good slave
Not just that I might have a second chance
He died to make me His
He died to make me His child
He gave me full rights as a child of God
Where I go, I do not deserve
Where he leads, I go – and rejoice
His people resemble him
His children rise and call him blessed
His people call him Faithful and True
Compassionate and Loving
Just and Merciful
Righteousness clothed in unrighteousness
Beauty clothed in ugliness
Majesty crowned in criminality
Paradox
Wonder of wonders!
Life clothed in death
Justice upheld
Mercy triumphant
Love fulfilled
Grace granted
Only believe
The path of a citizen
The path of one forgiven so much
The path of an adopted one
People of the Kingdom forgive
Ambassadors of the King forgive
Children of the King forgive
The path of a beloved
The path of a son
His path
Forgiveness
Not because they must, but because they want to
They want to resemble their King, their Savior, their Father …
We are most like God when we forgive those who have wronged us
Those who have hurt us
Those who have done things that deserve punishment and condemnation
Forgiveness is the loosing of the hand on the noose
The dropping of the whip to scourge
The burning of the ledger of debts
Forgiveness is setting down the hammer and spikes
Time and time again
As you find them in your hands
Forgiveness is remembering the price paid for my great debt
and the smallness of the debt before me
and doing holy math
completing the divine equation
letting flow from my heart what has flowed into it
receiving grace as I kneel before the King
and freely offering it to my worst enemy
Forgiveness frees us from hanging on to the one who hurt us
Bitterness binds us to them every step they take
Forgiveness allows us to see the world again
Bitterness draws the one who hurt us nose to nose that we might extract vengeance … and see nothing else
I’m remembering the hurt … again
The pain … the tears …
I need to remember
Remember the great debt you forgave me
That I might not see this debt through a microscope
Making small things large
And yet, this pain is so overwhelming
It is impossible to forgive
Father, you excel in the impossible
You make your great name and power known
Through change
Change in people like me
To do impossible things
Father forgive us our sins
As we forgive those who sin against us
Father cleanse me
As I release others from my grasp
This path is hard
This path is painful
This path is self-denying
This path
Leads
To
Life
This path
Leads from a cross
To the throne
Of our Father
We must walk it
More than once
And lead others
Through it
This path
Is good
You have wronged me
What you have done deserves death
You deserve to die a painful death
You deserve hell
The path I travel is a painful one
A path of remembering
A path of looking behind more often than ahead
A path of pain
A path of sorrow
A path of brokenness
A path of unfulfilled potential
A path of tarnished dreams
A path that should never have been
I will be your everlasting judge
Whenever you come near me, you will face my wrath
I will cover my contempt with smiles and hugs
But you will know my loathing for you
At times, I will actively hate you
I will work for your undoing
I will seek your demise
I will pluck the flesh off your bones
Every day will be life-sucking
Other times I will ignore you
I will not think of you
You will not enter my thoughts
It will be as if you never existed
You will not have the joy of my companionship
You will not be comforted
You are exiled
Someday, you will get yours
When that day comes, I will cackle
Over your broken body
I will rejoice in your demise
I will send gifts to those I love
Rejoicing that your name will soon be forgotten
But not by me
For your name will be a curse
A word I will use to show contempt
A word that I will use callously and trivially
I will dream of your screams
I will know the sound of your bones being crushed
Justice
For all you have done
This is a path of stinking dung
Dung so deep my legs sink in to my knees
Muck so thick that I struggle to take the next step
Each time I labor to lift my foot
There is a sucking sound
As if the muck tries to pull me in
If I stand still
All is lost
I will drown
And I will be added to the muck and mire
Seeking to bring others down to me
My sin
My sin is against the One who is love
My sin is against the Creator and sustainer of all things
My sin is high treason against a good and perfect King
My sin is worse than despicable
My sin stinks up the whole universe
My sin wraps around my neck like the vines of a rose bush
Promising flowers but delivering piercing thorns dripping with blood
It pulls me down to the grave like so many science fiction monsters
But this is real
It pulls me down into the depths of the grave
Into hell itself
My very name
Is a curse to me
I have chosen my own way … rather than the way of one who loves me perfectly
I have chosen to try to rule my own life … rather than to trust Him
I have chosen to set up my own Kingdom … rather than build His
I have chosen to pursue my own comforts … rather than serve Him
I have chosen my foolishness … rather than His wisdom
I have chosen darkness ... rather than light
I have chosen death … over life
Death
Darkness
Silent screams full of terror
Disorientation
Not knowing which way is up
Unable to breathe
Flames lapping at my feet
But never quenched
Justice
For all I have done
Despair
Hope
A light piercing the darkness
The last word not yet spoken
Destinies can be changed
If only
If only there was a King
A King greater than our sin
A King more loving than our hatred
A King committed to Himself
And all that is right and good and true
More than we are committed to our folly
A King with grace and mercy as his companions
A King whose word is his bond
And whose heart is true
Where is this King
We look for this King
Could he be the One
Whom we have disregarded
Whom we have spat upon
Whom we have flogged
Whom we have forsaken
Whom we have cursed
Who has forgiven us freely
For no other reason than He wanted to
We who have brought shame to His Name
We who have insisted on making our own path
We who have judged others
We who call on mute idols to save us
Like riches, power, position, pleasure, or independence
We who fought to be the Captain of our souls
And then shipwrecked upon those jagged rocks of sin
Always seen, rarely feared
We who scourged him
We who drove the nails in
We who crowned him with thorns
We who pierced his side
And mocked his nakedness
And watched him die
No justice
For what had he done to deserve this
For the joy
For the joy set before him
For the joy of bringing many sons and daughters into the Kingdom
For the joy of forgiveness
For the joy of restoration
Forgiveness is not free
Someone paid my debt
Someone took my punishment
Someone took my death
That I fully deserved
That I fully earned
That someone is him
While I was still his enemy
While I was still a rebel
While I was still a thieving murderer loose in his kingdom
He died
He died for me
He died in my place – not just that I might live
Not just that I might be a good slave
Not just that I might have a second chance
He died to make me His
He died to make me His child
He gave me full rights as a child of God
Where I go, I do not deserve
Where he leads, I go – and rejoice
His people resemble him
His children rise and call him blessed
His people call him Faithful and True
Compassionate and Loving
Just and Merciful
Righteousness clothed in unrighteousness
Beauty clothed in ugliness
Majesty crowned in criminality
Paradox
Wonder of wonders!
Life clothed in death
Justice upheld
Mercy triumphant
Love fulfilled
Grace granted
Only believe
The path of a citizen
The path of one forgiven so much
The path of an adopted one
People of the Kingdom forgive
Ambassadors of the King forgive
Children of the King forgive
The path of a beloved
The path of a son
His path
Forgiveness
Not because they must, but because they want to
They want to resemble their King, their Savior, their Father …
We are most like God when we forgive those who have wronged us
Those who have hurt us
Those who have done things that deserve punishment and condemnation
Forgiveness is the loosing of the hand on the noose
The dropping of the whip to scourge
The burning of the ledger of debts
Forgiveness is setting down the hammer and spikes
Time and time again
As you find them in your hands
Forgiveness is remembering the price paid for my great debt
and the smallness of the debt before me
and doing holy math
completing the divine equation
letting flow from my heart what has flowed into it
receiving grace as I kneel before the King
and freely offering it to my worst enemy
Forgiveness frees us from hanging on to the one who hurt us
Bitterness binds us to them every step they take
Forgiveness allows us to see the world again
Bitterness draws the one who hurt us nose to nose that we might extract vengeance … and see nothing else
I’m remembering the hurt … again
The pain … the tears …
I need to remember
Remember the great debt you forgave me
That I might not see this debt through a microscope
Making small things large
And yet, this pain is so overwhelming
It is impossible to forgive
Father, you excel in the impossible
You make your great name and power known
Through change
Change in people like me
To do impossible things
Father forgive us our sins
As we forgive those who sin against us
Father cleanse me
As I release others from my grasp
This path is hard
This path is painful
This path is self-denying
This path
Leads
To
Life
This path
Leads from a cross
To the throne
Of our Father
We must walk it
More than once
And lead others
Through it
This path
Is good
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
A truly different funeral ...
I went, last Thursday to the funeral of the 24-year old niece of one of our Elders. She was killed in a car accident on February 7 at about 10 AM. I went along with 3 other Elders primarily to support our fellow Elder, his daughter, his son, and the rest of his family. Funerals are obviously something you never want to go to - especially for someone so young.
This funeral was different than any I had ever been to before. First, there were, at my rough estimate, at least 1500 people there. While that is a lot, one might attribute it to a sudden death of someone so young. Second, the funeral lasted 3 and 1/2 hours - and there was really only one ten-minute section or so where I felt it was dragging a bit, with all due respect. For the rest of the time, the pastors did a wonderful job incorporating meaningful music (surprisingly upbeat for a funeral one might say) and the chosen representative speakers spoke from the heart and spoke well. I did not know the young woman, and so I was somewhat emotionally detached from the sudden tragedy, but I left there actually feeling ministered to. It was different than anything I've ever been to before. It was a funeral I would want to have at my time to minister to my friends and family - especially those who do not know the Lord.
Some of the details of her life I remember are this: She had grown up in this particular church and spent years in the youth group and young adult ministries. She went on missions trips to China, where she befriended many Chinese nationals - one in particular. Apparently this young lady was not just attractive and had a good personality, but had a way about her that made those around her feel valued. She went to college, where she continued to make friends and reach out to those around her. After graduating last May, she spent about a year looking for employment in her field - looking back, the family said that they were grateful for this past year and the time they could spend together. About two months ago, she got a job in her chosen field and was adjusting to it well. On that Saturday morning, she was on her way to do something (I forget if it was shopping or something else). The same morning, a husband and wife had an argument elsewhere in her city. The wife took off in her car, and the husband sped after her in his. Apparently, he lost control of his vehicle, crossing the median and hitting this young woman head on. She did not die immediately, and some of the paramedics were there at her funeral to be honored for their efforts at saving her. But she died at the scene.
As I reflect upon this incident, there are questions and thoughts that come to my mind - perhaps the same ones as yours. Why did this happen to someone so young? Why didn't she get delayed in her driveway and therefore miss the oncoming car? Why did someone who was apparently living well for the Lord die like this? Who can protect their children from tragedy in this world? If it can happen to her, what about my kids? What greater purpose could there be in this rather than letting her live out her life on the apparent track she was on? If this might happen at any time, is it better not to have kids? Who has any real control over anything in their lives?
Humanly speaking, this man and his wife are culpable for this death. From what I know, there was no wrong doing - not even a minor traffic infraction - by this young woman. Do you feel the wrongness of this? Do you see that this is just another example of a world gone mad by sin? Do you have that "righteous indignation" that this was so WRONG for this child to be taken like this! Does your heart want justice for this family? Do you not want to see our human justice system perform correctly here? Do you not want God to intervene in this family's life - to right the wrongs, to undo the damage, to restore vibrant life to where it was? Does not your heart long for this? My heart rages against the seeming senselessness of this ...
But then I consider ... Do you (I) see yourself (myself) as "different" from the husband and wife? Do you see that perhaps this could have been you after an argument with someone? Do you see in yourself the seeds of such sin of disregard for others around you? Do you sense your self-absorption to the exclusion of foresight of the tragedy you may inadvertently cause because of adherence to your agenda or your consumption in your fears, tears, or anger? Do you see the unintended consequences that could befall a moment of distracted driving?
I certainly don't have answers to the ultimate questions. The self-introspective ones I may have an inkling, but I don't like the answers. I'm not sure anyone does. The family stated that they were having a hard time themselves seeing this as from the Lord - and yet, in faith, they affirmed verses like "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will return. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh. Blessed be the name of the Lord." I'm not sure I could say the same thing looking at my child's coffin. I know I don't want to find out. I'd rather have my arms and legs cut off than lose one of my kids - and I would gladly die for them. But I don't know the danger around them, nor the danger coming at them - and I can't control their environment enough to guarantee safety. All I can do is trust - trust the Lord that His sovereign hand is at work in even this and that there is some greater plan to life than just my personal happiness. But, wow, I so do not want to go anywhere near the pain this family has gone through. God's answer is always best - but I do not have the ability to understand this one.
One might be able to be cynical and say "everyone says nice things at a funeral" or "it is easy to put together a show and not reflect the reality in their lives." One might be right, too. But something came through that night that these were not just empty sayings and religious words - these really seemed to reflect the people's hearts. The depth of pain, in my opinion, stripped away any veneer and I think we got a glimpse into her family's heart. They are certainly hurting, probably more so now that the shock is wearing off and life returns to "normal" - as normal as it can get knowing that you will never see your youngest daughter walk through the door this side of eternity again.
How do you make sense of a tragedy like this? I don't think you can. It's a bit of an overused word picture, but I think it is accurate to say that the bottom side of a beautiful tapestry makes no sense until you see the top. I believe the Bible teaches that God is sovereign over all things - which means at the very least, he allowed this to happen. But this really is where theology meets life. Can one affirm in the darkest places what one is taught in the light? How does the Bible teach us to deal with tragedy in light of the truth presented about God's sovereignty? God himself does not back away from the hard answers sovereignty points to. It would be far too easy to remain sterile and academic about this and rattle off the "right answers." But how would you help this grieving family?
Would you try to find "the right words" to say? Or would you refrain from speaking any words - choosing to weep with those who weep? Would you try to answer a grieving father's cries as he questions why his daughter was taken in this manner? Or would you believe there is no suitable answer to tragedy - no intellectual reason that can make it OK at this moment - and seek to just enter the pain with him?
Would you quote Bible verses to them? Would you try to tell them of a time when you faced a tragedy? Would you try to tell them they just need "more faith?" Would you assume (even if you never said it) that they or this woman must have done something to deserve this? How would you minister to them at this time? Would your words (or silence) add to his grief, comfort him, or just be empty like dusty cobwebs in the corner of the ceiling which no one can reach?
You see, I think our understanding of the gospel has got to be able to handle even these tragedies. If the gospel cannot answer the pain of this family, the gospel has no real power. Christ must be savior in the midst of tragedy, or He is no savior. This should drive us to seek deep answers to hard questions. There are answers. God can handle the tough questions. Don't give a 5 cent answer to a hundred dollar question. Trite phrases and glib quotes won't help pain this deep. There must be something to our faith to help people like this.
This was a tragedy. The family and friends are grieving deeply. They grieve with hope, however. They know their God is trustworthy, that this life is fleeting, and that one day, they will see their daughter/sister/friend again. One day, God will set all things right. That day is not today however. I don't think I have the strength to go through what they did - and yet, I am powerless to prevent such a thing from happening. I have no other choice but to throw myself on his mercy and love and know that whatever comes into my life, comes to my life through nail-pierced hands. I shudder and beg, but I try to trust ...
This funeral was different than any I had ever been to before. First, there were, at my rough estimate, at least 1500 people there. While that is a lot, one might attribute it to a sudden death of someone so young. Second, the funeral lasted 3 and 1/2 hours - and there was really only one ten-minute section or so where I felt it was dragging a bit, with all due respect. For the rest of the time, the pastors did a wonderful job incorporating meaningful music (surprisingly upbeat for a funeral one might say) and the chosen representative speakers spoke from the heart and spoke well. I did not know the young woman, and so I was somewhat emotionally detached from the sudden tragedy, but I left there actually feeling ministered to. It was different than anything I've ever been to before. It was a funeral I would want to have at my time to minister to my friends and family - especially those who do not know the Lord.
Some of the details of her life I remember are this: She had grown up in this particular church and spent years in the youth group and young adult ministries. She went on missions trips to China, where she befriended many Chinese nationals - one in particular. Apparently this young lady was not just attractive and had a good personality, but had a way about her that made those around her feel valued. She went to college, where she continued to make friends and reach out to those around her. After graduating last May, she spent about a year looking for employment in her field - looking back, the family said that they were grateful for this past year and the time they could spend together. About two months ago, she got a job in her chosen field and was adjusting to it well. On that Saturday morning, she was on her way to do something (I forget if it was shopping or something else). The same morning, a husband and wife had an argument elsewhere in her city. The wife took off in her car, and the husband sped after her in his. Apparently, he lost control of his vehicle, crossing the median and hitting this young woman head on. She did not die immediately, and some of the paramedics were there at her funeral to be honored for their efforts at saving her. But she died at the scene.
As I reflect upon this incident, there are questions and thoughts that come to my mind - perhaps the same ones as yours. Why did this happen to someone so young? Why didn't she get delayed in her driveway and therefore miss the oncoming car? Why did someone who was apparently living well for the Lord die like this? Who can protect their children from tragedy in this world? If it can happen to her, what about my kids? What greater purpose could there be in this rather than letting her live out her life on the apparent track she was on? If this might happen at any time, is it better not to have kids? Who has any real control over anything in their lives?
Humanly speaking, this man and his wife are culpable for this death. From what I know, there was no wrong doing - not even a minor traffic infraction - by this young woman. Do you feel the wrongness of this? Do you see that this is just another example of a world gone mad by sin? Do you have that "righteous indignation" that this was so WRONG for this child to be taken like this! Does your heart want justice for this family? Do you not want to see our human justice system perform correctly here? Do you not want God to intervene in this family's life - to right the wrongs, to undo the damage, to restore vibrant life to where it was? Does not your heart long for this? My heart rages against the seeming senselessness of this ...
But then I consider ... Do you (I) see yourself (myself) as "different" from the husband and wife? Do you see that perhaps this could have been you after an argument with someone? Do you see in yourself the seeds of such sin of disregard for others around you? Do you sense your self-absorption to the exclusion of foresight of the tragedy you may inadvertently cause because of adherence to your agenda or your consumption in your fears, tears, or anger? Do you see the unintended consequences that could befall a moment of distracted driving?
I certainly don't have answers to the ultimate questions. The self-introspective ones I may have an inkling, but I don't like the answers. I'm not sure anyone does. The family stated that they were having a hard time themselves seeing this as from the Lord - and yet, in faith, they affirmed verses like "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will return. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh. Blessed be the name of the Lord." I'm not sure I could say the same thing looking at my child's coffin. I know I don't want to find out. I'd rather have my arms and legs cut off than lose one of my kids - and I would gladly die for them. But I don't know the danger around them, nor the danger coming at them - and I can't control their environment enough to guarantee safety. All I can do is trust - trust the Lord that His sovereign hand is at work in even this and that there is some greater plan to life than just my personal happiness. But, wow, I so do not want to go anywhere near the pain this family has gone through. God's answer is always best - but I do not have the ability to understand this one.
One might be able to be cynical and say "everyone says nice things at a funeral" or "it is easy to put together a show and not reflect the reality in their lives." One might be right, too. But something came through that night that these were not just empty sayings and religious words - these really seemed to reflect the people's hearts. The depth of pain, in my opinion, stripped away any veneer and I think we got a glimpse into her family's heart. They are certainly hurting, probably more so now that the shock is wearing off and life returns to "normal" - as normal as it can get knowing that you will never see your youngest daughter walk through the door this side of eternity again.
How do you make sense of a tragedy like this? I don't think you can. It's a bit of an overused word picture, but I think it is accurate to say that the bottom side of a beautiful tapestry makes no sense until you see the top. I believe the Bible teaches that God is sovereign over all things - which means at the very least, he allowed this to happen. But this really is where theology meets life. Can one affirm in the darkest places what one is taught in the light? How does the Bible teach us to deal with tragedy in light of the truth presented about God's sovereignty? God himself does not back away from the hard answers sovereignty points to. It would be far too easy to remain sterile and academic about this and rattle off the "right answers." But how would you help this grieving family?
Would you try to find "the right words" to say? Or would you refrain from speaking any words - choosing to weep with those who weep? Would you try to answer a grieving father's cries as he questions why his daughter was taken in this manner? Or would you believe there is no suitable answer to tragedy - no intellectual reason that can make it OK at this moment - and seek to just enter the pain with him?
Would you quote Bible verses to them? Would you try to tell them of a time when you faced a tragedy? Would you try to tell them they just need "more faith?" Would you assume (even if you never said it) that they or this woman must have done something to deserve this? How would you minister to them at this time? Would your words (or silence) add to his grief, comfort him, or just be empty like dusty cobwebs in the corner of the ceiling which no one can reach?
You see, I think our understanding of the gospel has got to be able to handle even these tragedies. If the gospel cannot answer the pain of this family, the gospel has no real power. Christ must be savior in the midst of tragedy, or He is no savior. This should drive us to seek deep answers to hard questions. There are answers. God can handle the tough questions. Don't give a 5 cent answer to a hundred dollar question. Trite phrases and glib quotes won't help pain this deep. There must be something to our faith to help people like this.
This was a tragedy. The family and friends are grieving deeply. They grieve with hope, however. They know their God is trustworthy, that this life is fleeting, and that one day, they will see their daughter/sister/friend again. One day, God will set all things right. That day is not today however. I don't think I have the strength to go through what they did - and yet, I am powerless to prevent such a thing from happening. I have no other choice but to throw myself on his mercy and love and know that whatever comes into my life, comes to my life through nail-pierced hands. I shudder and beg, but I try to trust ...
Sunday, February 15, 2009
New Meanings ...
I was at a gathering today with a bunch of Yankee fans. It was SO SWEET for the first time in my adult life to be able to talk to Yankee fans from the position of having the World Championship trophy reside in Philadelphia!!! Ohhhh, how sweet!!!
While certainly not mean-spirited, I did unleash at least 28 years worth of pent-up frustration in little barbs and some good-natured trash talking. In that vein, I now dub new meaning for the following words:
Met verb. 1. to choke 2. to blunder in a big way at least twice
usage: "Make sure you know the Heimlich maneuver in case your child Mets." "Believe it or not, the runner Metted when he failed to touch both first and second on his game-winning home run trot, and his team lost the game!"
Yankee adj. 1. something that cost a lot of money but is ineffective in its execution or a fake 2. a spectacular blunder
usage: "I sure hope the new plan congress has passed is not Yankee for the sake of the country" "Scientists have recently renamed iron pyrite, commonly known as 'fool's gold' as 'Yankee gold" "Bill Buckner was finally let off the hook for his famous Yankee when the Red Sox won it all in 2004"
Phillie adj. 1. something that is reasonable in price and performs extremely well and is genuine 2. a spectacular play, performance, or eventusage: "The top-ranked car in Consumer reports is Phillie!" "Going to see Phantom of the Opera on Broadway is Phillie" "Phillie gold is the opposite of Yankee gold"
While certainly not mean-spirited, I did unleash at least 28 years worth of pent-up frustration in little barbs and some good-natured trash talking. In that vein, I now dub new meaning for the following words:
Met verb. 1. to choke 2. to blunder in a big way at least twice
usage: "Make sure you know the Heimlich maneuver in case your child Mets." "Believe it or not, the runner Metted when he failed to touch both first and second on his game-winning home run trot, and his team lost the game!"
Yankee adj. 1. something that cost a lot of money but is ineffective in its execution or a fake 2. a spectacular blunder
usage: "I sure hope the new plan congress has passed is not Yankee for the sake of the country" "Scientists have recently renamed iron pyrite, commonly known as 'fool's gold' as 'Yankee gold" "Bill Buckner was finally let off the hook for his famous Yankee when the Red Sox won it all in 2004"
Phillie adj. 1. something that is reasonable in price and performs extremely well and is genuine 2. a spectacular play, performance, or eventusage: "The top-ranked car in Consumer reports is Phillie!" "Going to see Phantom of the Opera on Broadway is Phillie" "Phillie gold is the opposite of Yankee gold"
Thursday, January 22, 2009
World Series Trophy ...
Yesterday, I was able to go to a local restaurant and see the Philliesw 2008 World Series Trophy on display. You could get your picture taken with the trophy, and so I got my number - #208. I wish my children or my dad or brother or someone could have gone with me - these things are always better when shared ...
Although I did not touch it - I wanted to, but refrained - I was inches away from the trophy as someone snapped my picture for me. Why is it that things like this draw so much attention? Why do they attract middle-aged men and young boys, little old ladies and young girls - people of all ages? One could be pessimistic and say that we have a out-of-proportional view of sports, and perhaps one would be right. But I think there is something else going on - at least for me. Why do people so identify with their teams that they think that eating a hot dog in 3 bites will affect the outcome of the game (I'm sure many have seen the commercial a few years back capitalizing on this phenomena)? Why do our hopes rise with the team's success - only to be crushed if they fall short (Hello, Eagles) or culminating in euphoria if they win (Hello, Phillies)?
I think it is that Quest to belong to something bigger than oneself, the quest to matter in the universe. Pascal said that we all have a God-shaped void in our heart and I think he is right - we will try to fill it with anything we can get our "hands" on. To have someone know our name, to have someone care - to live on past our life ... are these not the things so many people live for? There are few truly consistent atheists who have the integrity of Nitzche - "The only question with which modern man has to struggle with is whether or not to commit suicide." If there is no God, what does anything matter? Why do we seek after these things? If there is no God, being a Phillie or Yankee or Cub fan does not matter one second after you die ...
But I think even for those who believe in God, who know the true and living God, there is still a proper place for cheering for a sports team (or something else if you're not into sports). The greed and corruption at all levels taints everything, yet we still cheer. Is it not because we yearn for anything that echoes the majesty of God? Do we not have our breath taken away by the Grand Canyon or by a perfect game or by our team putting everything together and winning it all? Does it not give us an echo of the true majesty and coming victory of our King? Is it not a small glimpse into the real reality of life - those things that are currently unseen, but will be revealed in due time?
Yes, keep sports in their proper place - but don't forget to teach your children that the greatness of sport glory, the perfection on display with champions is only the palest of glimpses at what truly will satisfy your heart - the Lord of Glory coming in all His splendor. And, if you are his, one day you will see Him as He truly as - and be transformed to be like him yourself. What glory and mystery is this!
Although I did not touch it - I wanted to, but refrained - I was inches away from the trophy as someone snapped my picture for me. Why is it that things like this draw so much attention? Why do they attract middle-aged men and young boys, little old ladies and young girls - people of all ages? One could be pessimistic and say that we have a out-of-proportional view of sports, and perhaps one would be right. But I think there is something else going on - at least for me. Why do people so identify with their teams that they think that eating a hot dog in 3 bites will affect the outcome of the game (I'm sure many have seen the commercial a few years back capitalizing on this phenomena)? Why do our hopes rise with the team's success - only to be crushed if they fall short (Hello, Eagles) or culminating in euphoria if they win (Hello, Phillies)?
I think it is that Quest to belong to something bigger than oneself, the quest to matter in the universe. Pascal said that we all have a God-shaped void in our heart and I think he is right - we will try to fill it with anything we can get our "hands" on. To have someone know our name, to have someone care - to live on past our life ... are these not the things so many people live for? There are few truly consistent atheists who have the integrity of Nitzche - "The only question with which modern man has to struggle with is whether or not to commit suicide." If there is no God, what does anything matter? Why do we seek after these things? If there is no God, being a Phillie or Yankee or Cub fan does not matter one second after you die ...
But I think even for those who believe in God, who know the true and living God, there is still a proper place for cheering for a sports team (or something else if you're not into sports). The greed and corruption at all levels taints everything, yet we still cheer. Is it not because we yearn for anything that echoes the majesty of God? Do we not have our breath taken away by the Grand Canyon or by a perfect game or by our team putting everything together and winning it all? Does it not give us an echo of the true majesty and coming victory of our King? Is it not a small glimpse into the real reality of life - those things that are currently unseen, but will be revealed in due time?
Yes, keep sports in their proper place - but don't forget to teach your children that the greatness of sport glory, the perfection on display with champions is only the palest of glimpses at what truly will satisfy your heart - the Lord of Glory coming in all His splendor. And, if you are his, one day you will see Him as He truly as - and be transformed to be like him yourself. What glory and mystery is this!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Tired of divisions ...
I'm so tired of all the infighting. Every area of doctrine that can be disputed has been disputed and it so often degenerates into "us" versus "them" - and "them" is always two-headed purple monsters who eat children. I guess I should be glad I wasn't born into another time or another part of the world where they kill those who disagree. Religion has been blamed by so many for causing many ills in this world. At a cursory glance, one might agree. But I really believe that true, Biblical Christianity is not a cause. There are always false followers, bad followers, and followers who sin and stumble. I can't say what went on in the hearts of the crusaders, in the hearts of those who persecuted the reformers, the anabaptists, and the like, but the evidence seems to say, at best, they missed the point.
Yet, I do believe in truth. I believe it matters what you believe. You can believe you are a rocket ship, but good luck making it to outer space. You can believe you can fly, but don't test that by jumping off a 50-story building. It matters whether we believe in God, whether we believe in sin, in redemption, in justification ... whether we believe the gospel. It matters whether we are trinitarian, unitarian, atheistic, monotheistic, or polytheistic. It matters whether you think you are saved by baptism, or whether it is symbolic of an inner reality.
So we do need to strive for the truth, to know the truth, to contend for the truth. Is there a way, though, to believe and contend for the truth without being contentious and divisive? Is there a way to avoid arguments over secondary matters while still holding convictions?
Lord, you are the truth .. and you are love. You are patient, kind, and so on. You are far more than a warm fuzzy feeling. You are a rock that will fall and crush your enemies - and it is good that you are. Help me to know how I should think, act, and contend for truth - for You. You are King and some day there will bee a decree to carry out death sentences on your enemies. But that is not today - help me to see how to get along with my brothers and sisters ... for Your Name's Sake ...
Yet, I do believe in truth. I believe it matters what you believe. You can believe you are a rocket ship, but good luck making it to outer space. You can believe you can fly, but don't test that by jumping off a 50-story building. It matters whether we believe in God, whether we believe in sin, in redemption, in justification ... whether we believe the gospel. It matters whether we are trinitarian, unitarian, atheistic, monotheistic, or polytheistic. It matters whether you think you are saved by baptism, or whether it is symbolic of an inner reality.
So we do need to strive for the truth, to know the truth, to contend for the truth. Is there a way, though, to believe and contend for the truth without being contentious and divisive? Is there a way to avoid arguments over secondary matters while still holding convictions?
Lord, you are the truth .. and you are love. You are patient, kind, and so on. You are far more than a warm fuzzy feeling. You are a rock that will fall and crush your enemies - and it is good that you are. Help me to know how I should think, act, and contend for truth - for You. You are King and some day there will bee a decree to carry out death sentences on your enemies. But that is not today - help me to see how to get along with my brothers and sisters ... for Your Name's Sake ...
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Turning 40 ...
Well, I did it. It wasn't much, really - all I had to do was watch the clock and keep breathing. As simple as it gets - and yet utterly beyond my control. If it had been the Lord's will for me to stop breathing the moment just before I was "officially" 40, what could I have done about it? Not a thing. But here I am, still breathing, but becoming more aware of the preciousness of every breath. Someday, barring the Lord's return, my breathing will stop. Personally, I hope it's not for about 50 years. I'd like to see my kids grow in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man. I would like to see them get married. I would like to have time with my grand-kids, should I be so blessed. More than anything, though, I want them to be there. I want to spend eternity with them praising the Lord who made us, saved us, and gave us every heavenly blessing in Christ. What tragedy it would be to spend a cherished lifetime with them, only to have them absent throughout eternity. 40 years is nothing in light of that - and so is 90. A billion years in the face of an eternity is but a blinking eye. What a strange reality the Lord has us in! 60, 70, maybe 80 or more years of this reality - this physical reality that tempts us to believe the temporal is all there is - and then ... forever.
Turning 40 doesn't mean a whole lot. We fall in love with our base 10 round numbers - just like Y2K and 100 and so on. But in base 7, I'm 55 ... and in base 12, I'm 34. Not so round. In binary, I'm 101000 - now that looks "big" and "round" - ooooh, must be significant. It's funny how we think of our lives. Yes, I'm halfway to 80 - and as my brother pointed out, a third of the way to 120. I'm closer to retirement age than my pre-teen years, and the wrinkles around my eyes show when I smile. The people I love are also getting older, and, unfortunately, loss is right around the corner - which corner, I don't know. But I know whom I have trusted with my soul, and for the number of days I have left, and for the care of my children's souls - the Lord is good.
My life has been grouped into 4 sets of 10 - I'm now marking off that fifth set day by day. The Lord knows the number of hairs on my head, as well as the days left in my life. He sees everything, knows everything, and works out his will in everything. Someday soon - it is only a moment from now - and He will reveal himself in full splendor! Will my eyes see for themselves what up until now my heart can only see through faith?
Turning 40 doesn't mean a whole lot. We fall in love with our base 10 round numbers - just like Y2K and 100 and so on. But in base 7, I'm 55 ... and in base 12, I'm 34. Not so round. In binary, I'm 101000 - now that looks "big" and "round" - ooooh, must be significant. It's funny how we think of our lives. Yes, I'm halfway to 80 - and as my brother pointed out, a third of the way to 120. I'm closer to retirement age than my pre-teen years, and the wrinkles around my eyes show when I smile. The people I love are also getting older, and, unfortunately, loss is right around the corner - which corner, I don't know. But I know whom I have trusted with my soul, and for the number of days I have left, and for the care of my children's souls - the Lord is good.
My life has been grouped into 4 sets of 10 - I'm now marking off that fifth set day by day. The Lord knows the number of hairs on my head, as well as the days left in my life. He sees everything, knows everything, and works out his will in everything. Someday soon - it is only a moment from now - and He will reveal himself in full splendor! Will my eyes see for themselves what up until now my heart can only see through faith?
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