Are you a believer?
Justin Bieber has his Beliebers. "Believers" have been known in some countries as groups fully committed to a cause, often one of anarchy and anti-government. The Monkeys crooned that seeing a woman's face made them believers. Christians have long identified themselves as believers. But what does this "belief" really mean? Where does it lead?
Seminary lends itself to plenty of opportunities for questioning belief and answer questions with more questions. After three blitzkrieg months of lectures, papers and readings a person could pull out whatever hair remained and move on to another career or school just for a break. So the greatest question before a seminarian must be, "Why are you here? Why are you in school for three years of graduate work? Why not something else? Why not a different school?"
Today our professor in Church History put it to our class this way: If you don't believe the Bible, and ultimately religion, has the power to change lives, then go to law school or business school to gain advantage in the areas where worldly power lies. If your religion and your religious education is your way of gaining advantage and power for yourself you are wasting your time at seminary. Power in the world is wielded through money, law and politics. If your goal is power, advantage and control, you are better suited for law school or business school.
So, are you a believer? Am I a believer? Do we really believe the Bible has the power to change lives? Have we actually experienced a change through our search of the Scriptures and our religious education?
No, our religion cannot be grounded in experience. It must be grounded in something unchanging (i.e. the Word - Scripture/Jesus). But, interaction with the Word means simultaneous experience or action. Bonhoeffer writes, "In the gospels the very first step a man must take is an act which radically affects his whole existence." (The Cost of Discipleship, p. 65) A change must occur (immediately, according to Bonhoeffer) or the "interaction" is one-sided and pointless.
Now to stop avoiding the question...am I a believer in the Word, in His ability to change me, in His power to change others?
Some days I want to believe more than anything else. Other days I don't want to believe because of what I think it will mean for my life. There are days full of total surrender and commitment to God's plan, but there are days of personally dictating what God should and shouldn't plan. Yesterday I may have relished the change in me through the Word and today I resent it.
The Word declares itself an active change-agent. "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Heb. 4:12) "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Tim. 3:16,17)
Jesus, the Word of God in human form, is active. He is dividing the holy from the natural and preparing it for the righteous work on earth. He is looking into what we really are, reading our thoughts and intentions, determining our motives and correcting us, pouring a foundation in the immovable Word and teaching us to search for the everlasting Kingdom of God first of all.
I am not a Be-lieber (sorry, Rich). I am not an anarchist. And though my wife's face does stir up powerful emotion and feeing, it is only Christ Himself, the Living Word, that qualifies me as a believer today. And He must everyday.
Are you a believer?
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
The True Fan
Long ago I was a "true" baseball fan. The Chicago White Sox were my favorite team with Robin Ventura at third base, Ozzie Guillen at shortstop, Ray Durham at second base and Frank Thomas, my favorite player, at first base. Living in Kansas City meant I like a division rival. (In reality I liked the White Sox just to annoy my all-KC-fan friends.) I knew statistics and followed box scores. I dreamed of playing for the White Sox and even winning the World Series wearing the white and black pin stripe jerseys.
A fan is "a person who has compulsion toward" something in particular. (reference) Thesaurus.com shows similar words: buff, devotee, enthusiast, fanatic, freak, nut and junkie. This certainly described my love of baseball, and especially the White Sox, when I was 8-11 years old. As I grew older my loyalties morphed and I've become less fanatical for specific teams and more appreciative of the sport. In the mind of the "true fans" out there, I would most likely be seen as a turn-coat or lazy fan. Maybe I'm seen as a bandwagon fan.
Where does your devotion to Jesus rank on the Christian "fan-dom" scale? Much like my evolving baseball enthusiasm my devotion to Christianity and Jesus ebbs and flows. Admittedly my commitment waxes and wanes from day to day and moment to moment. There are times I can name the players on God's team with confidence and pride. Other times I couldn't care less. And though my wavering allegiances to baseball teams means little in the long run, I recognize the importance of choosing Christ's "team" and sticking with it.
It can be difficult to look around the bench (in church we call them pews) and wondering how we could possibly win a single game, let alone a championship. Our uniforms don't match or look like their from another era. Our signals are crossed and many players seem uncoordinated or uninterested in the action on the field. In short, we are screwed. But if watching sports comeback movies has taught me anything it's that the manager makes a huge difference.
Jesus Christ has a plan for this eclectic line-up of players in His dugout. He knows where each one fits. We cannot expect to win being fair-weather fans (or players). God's long-term quest for an eternal championship will be realized. Do not cast aside your confidence in your Manager. Keep showing up to the game, playing for the right team and waiting for Jesus Christ to bring in the greatest closer of all-time.
A fan is "a person who has compulsion toward" something in particular. (reference) Thesaurus.com shows similar words: buff, devotee, enthusiast, fanatic, freak, nut and junkie. This certainly described my love of baseball, and especially the White Sox, when I was 8-11 years old. As I grew older my loyalties morphed and I've become less fanatical for specific teams and more appreciative of the sport. In the mind of the "true fans" out there, I would most likely be seen as a turn-coat or lazy fan. Maybe I'm seen as a bandwagon fan.
Where does your devotion to Jesus rank on the Christian "fan-dom" scale? Much like my evolving baseball enthusiasm my devotion to Christianity and Jesus ebbs and flows. Admittedly my commitment waxes and wanes from day to day and moment to moment. There are times I can name the players on God's team with confidence and pride. Other times I couldn't care less. And though my wavering allegiances to baseball teams means little in the long run, I recognize the importance of choosing Christ's "team" and sticking with it.
It can be difficult to look around the bench (in church we call them pews) and wondering how we could possibly win a single game, let alone a championship. Our uniforms don't match or look like their from another era. Our signals are crossed and many players seem uncoordinated or uninterested in the action on the field. In short, we are screwed. But if watching sports comeback movies has taught me anything it's that the manager makes a huge difference.
Jesus Christ has a plan for this eclectic line-up of players in His dugout. He knows where each one fits. We cannot expect to win being fair-weather fans (or players). God's long-term quest for an eternal championship will be realized. Do not cast aside your confidence in your Manager. Keep showing up to the game, playing for the right team and waiting for Jesus Christ to bring in the greatest closer of all-time.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Captured
I am enamored with Instagram. Truth be told it's not the app itself that captures my attention...pictures do.
I love looking at pictures. Funny faces, frozen faces, smiling faces, sad faces, weird faces, wild faces. Automobiles, barns, cats, dogs, ears, feet, groups, houses, igloos, jokes, kangaroos, laughter, monstrous mountains, nerdy nephews, orbiting orbs, pitchers, quacks, restrooms, saloons, toddlers, universes, valentines, washboards, exes, yokels, and the Zambezi zinger. All may be imprisoned forever.
The "magic" of photography first was recorded by Aristotle and Euclid in the 5th and 4th centuries BC. (Wikipedia makes everyone sound so stinking smart.) Societies the world over have wondered after the marvel of piece of history frozen in time. Photos are fascinating.
Pictures to me are the antithesis of a Christian's life. While pictures take hold of points in time and captures them for eternity, a Christian's life is fluid, moving, ever-changing. The enemy loves to present pictures of who we have been as evidence of why we cannot be something different. But the truth is we cannot allow points in our past define who we can/will be today. Sure, we deal with the consequences of the events recorded in the pictures of our past, but those effigies of history are forgotten by God at our request.
Thankfully our sinfulness is not (generally) plastered on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter for the world's consumption. But even if it is, do not let the weight of the evidence seared in your memory cripple your walk with Jesus Christ. Your journey continues despite the pictures of the past.
I love looking at pictures. Funny faces, frozen faces, smiling faces, sad faces, weird faces, wild faces. Automobiles, barns, cats, dogs, ears, feet, groups, houses, igloos, jokes, kangaroos, laughter, monstrous mountains, nerdy nephews, orbiting orbs, pitchers, quacks, restrooms, saloons, toddlers, universes, valentines, washboards, exes, yokels, and the Zambezi zinger. All may be imprisoned forever.
The "magic" of photography first was recorded by Aristotle and Euclid in the 5th and 4th centuries BC. (Wikipedia makes everyone sound so stinking smart.) Societies the world over have wondered after the marvel of piece of history frozen in time. Photos are fascinating.
Pictures to me are the antithesis of a Christian's life. While pictures take hold of points in time and captures them for eternity, a Christian's life is fluid, moving, ever-changing. The enemy loves to present pictures of who we have been as evidence of why we cannot be something different. But the truth is we cannot allow points in our past define who we can/will be today. Sure, we deal with the consequences of the events recorded in the pictures of our past, but those effigies of history are forgotten by God at our request.
Thankfully our sinfulness is not (generally) plastered on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter for the world's consumption. But even if it is, do not let the weight of the evidence seared in your memory cripple your walk with Jesus Christ. Your journey continues despite the pictures of the past.
Monday, June 25, 2012
It's Time to Start Over
Life seems to go through multiple resets. Graduations (Kindergarten, 8th grade, Junior High, Senior High, College, Graduate, Doctorate), marriage(s), birth(s), divorce(s), break-ups and make-ups all provide opportunities for a clean slate, per se. We lose jobs, change jobs, buy new cars, new houses, and new-to-you toys. We cannot take for granted to chances we have to reset our lives.
It's been several months since I last wrote an entry for this blog. It's been far longer than I anticipated or wished. But life changes and it is only now that, thankfully, I can "start over" in regard to Saturday Morning.
I thank God for His willingness to allow us a reset in life. He knows I've needed them before and I'll need them until He comes. Relish your resets.
It's been several months since I last wrote an entry for this blog. It's been far longer than I anticipated or wished. But life changes and it is only now that, thankfully, I can "start over" in regard to Saturday Morning.
I thank God for His willingness to allow us a reset in life. He knows I've needed them before and I'll need them until He comes. Relish your resets.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Life Isn't DisneyWorld
Last March our family made the trip to DisneyWorld outside Orlando, Florida. The trip was phenomenal. We stayed in a Disney property overlooking a savannah created specifically for certain African animals. Our baggage magically appeared in our rooms upon arrival. At breakfast we were greeted with incredible choices for food. The buses for the parks made sure we never had to worry about transportation. Food was always available with the swipe of our Disney Passport card (room key/meal ticket/park tickets).
Every staffer greeted us with a smile and in the appropriate culture represented by their area (save a rambunctious waitress who demanded I try my dessert before signing my lunch bill). The park is kept immaculately clean and everyone, even the guests, act like they are the nicest people in the world. Our entire trip was simply amazing.
Our arrival at the airport for the return trip jolted us back to reality. People were as rude as ever. The sunburned faces of fellow tourists scowled at us from under their Goofy hats and Mickey/Minnie ears. My phone rang with work encroaching on the last precious moments of my vacation. I realized immediately life isn't DisneyWorld.
Life does not magically all work out. Life is not your friend. Life magically loses your bags on the way to your crummy hotel with bad food, dirty sheets, rude desk clerks and obnoxious neighbors. Life punches you in the gut, pokes you in the eye, kicks you in the knee and laughs in your face on the ground. Life is dirty. Life is hard. Life is far from fair.
So it's hard for us, who know just what life is, to take Jesus seriously when He says, "I came to bring you life, and life more abundant." Really, Jesus, I've found myself thinking. More of the same? Or better yet, an overflowing abundance of the same mess?
Jesus wants us to experience life unlike the life of earth. Heaven will be worth the wait. The streets will be translucent gold. The people friendly and filled with awe and joy. The food will be exquisite. And they won't lose your luggage because you can't take any with you.
Some are tempted to say DisneyWorld is like heaven. It may well be...just without the cartoon characters.
Every staffer greeted us with a smile and in the appropriate culture represented by their area (save a rambunctious waitress who demanded I try my dessert before signing my lunch bill). The park is kept immaculately clean and everyone, even the guests, act like they are the nicest people in the world. Our entire trip was simply amazing.
Our arrival at the airport for the return trip jolted us back to reality. People were as rude as ever. The sunburned faces of fellow tourists scowled at us from under their Goofy hats and Mickey/Minnie ears. My phone rang with work encroaching on the last precious moments of my vacation. I realized immediately life isn't DisneyWorld.
Life does not magically all work out. Life is not your friend. Life magically loses your bags on the way to your crummy hotel with bad food, dirty sheets, rude desk clerks and obnoxious neighbors. Life punches you in the gut, pokes you in the eye, kicks you in the knee and laughs in your face on the ground. Life is dirty. Life is hard. Life is far from fair.
So it's hard for us, who know just what life is, to take Jesus seriously when He says, "I came to bring you life, and life more abundant." Really, Jesus, I've found myself thinking. More of the same? Or better yet, an overflowing abundance of the same mess?
Jesus wants us to experience life unlike the life of earth. Heaven will be worth the wait. The streets will be translucent gold. The people friendly and filled with awe and joy. The food will be exquisite. And they won't lose your luggage because you can't take any with you.
Some are tempted to say DisneyWorld is like heaven. It may well be...just without the cartoon characters.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Sound Advice
Too many people think their own advice is the best advice. I've fallen into the same trap before. We like to think we know what's best and everyone else should think, act or believe like we do. Actually the best advice I could give you is develop a broad network of sound advisors. They should challenge you to think of different approaches, angles and perspectives. They should lead you closer to God and Scripture, not away from it. You should disagree at times with true advisors. (Healthy disagreement is important to development.) Your advisors should not just tell you your the greatest and your idea is always the best. They need to be given rein to honestly address your questions and weaknesses.
"A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, to understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:5-7)
The more perspective you gain from others the better your decisions will be.
"A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, to understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:5-7)
The more perspective you gain from others the better your decisions will be.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Beatitudinal Adjustment: The Merciful
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." -Matthew 5:7
Every theologian and writer begins their analysis of the fifth Beatitude by drawing from Psalm 41:1. The psalmist writes, "Happy is he who helps the poor, for the LORD will deliver him when he is in trouble." (Clear Word) Jesus speaks directly to those of means on the mount and tells them they would be blessed, be happy, if they look after the needy. Jesus doesn't only mean financially poor, though.
There are people who are morally bankrupt which need direction and encouragement to be deposited. There are people whose health fails them and they require patient care and love from those around them. There are people who are uneducated which need the careful instruction in the way of life. And certainly there are folks who cannot provide for themselves who need a hand providing the simplest of things for their existence.
At times we become callous and skeptical of those who continually ask for help. We have given and not received in return. We have been taken advantage of and it left a foul taste in our mouths. Our oath has been made to not be used again. But God has other ideas regarding the poor.
"Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back." (Luke 6:30) Jesus doesn't limit our generosity to those we love or even to those we know. Everyone in need is the recipient of our help. We aren't supposed to decide whether they are worthy of our help. We are not charged with searching out their motives (although as a faithful steward I sometimes wonder if we shouldn't conduct at least a little due diligence). We are charged with giving. God's concern is a cheerful, giving heart.
Christ talks of storing our treasures in heaven and Proverbs tells you how to direct deposit for eternity. "He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given." (Proverbs 19:17 NKJV) God is faithful with His return of merciful gifts.
My thought is this: Give freely, whether mercy or money, compassion or coins, forgiveness or fruit baskets; you never know when you will be the one asking for mercy.
Every theologian and writer begins their analysis of the fifth Beatitude by drawing from Psalm 41:1. The psalmist writes, "Happy is he who helps the poor, for the LORD will deliver him when he is in trouble." (Clear Word) Jesus speaks directly to those of means on the mount and tells them they would be blessed, be happy, if they look after the needy. Jesus doesn't only mean financially poor, though.
There are people who are morally bankrupt which need direction and encouragement to be deposited. There are people whose health fails them and they require patient care and love from those around them. There are people who are uneducated which need the careful instruction in the way of life. And certainly there are folks who cannot provide for themselves who need a hand providing the simplest of things for their existence.
At times we become callous and skeptical of those who continually ask for help. We have given and not received in return. We have been taken advantage of and it left a foul taste in our mouths. Our oath has been made to not be used again. But God has other ideas regarding the poor.
"Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back." (Luke 6:30) Jesus doesn't limit our generosity to those we love or even to those we know. Everyone in need is the recipient of our help. We aren't supposed to decide whether they are worthy of our help. We are not charged with searching out their motives (although as a faithful steward I sometimes wonder if we shouldn't conduct at least a little due diligence). We are charged with giving. God's concern is a cheerful, giving heart.
Christ talks of storing our treasures in heaven and Proverbs tells you how to direct deposit for eternity. "He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given." (Proverbs 19:17 NKJV) God is faithful with His return of merciful gifts.
My thought is this: Give freely, whether mercy or money, compassion or coins, forgiveness or fruit baskets; you never know when you will be the one asking for mercy.
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