Category: Recovered Blogs

Do It Again!

I spent some time yesterday on a video call with my precious granddaughters. Sophia will soon be three; she would especially want you to know that fact and one of her favorite games right now is hide-and- seek. Yesterday she “hid” by burying her head in the sofa cushions and putting her bunny blanket over her head.  The game was even more fun when grandma (me, via my face on the cell phone) got to join in the fun and hide with her.  I think I may also have been face down in the cushions as well since that was all I could see. But I could hear the giggles and squeals when Daddy found “us”. Such a joy!

I was reminded this morning of one of my favorite G. K. Chesterton quotes. It is a bit long, but I would like to share it with you.

“The thing I mean can be seen, for instance, in children, when they find some game or joke that they specially enjoy… Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we. The repetition in Nature may not be a mere recurrence; it may be a theatrical ENCORE.”

Since my husband has been home more recently dealing with some family issues, we have begun an evening ritual of watching the sun set. We even bought a park bench so we could sit facing west and watch the ENCORE of God each evening over the valley below our hilltop. It is amazing that no two sunsets are the same and some of the most spectacular happen when the sky is troubled with storms. Yet each evening He does it again!

I think I need to let some of this childish anticipation creep over into my spiritual life.  I find this generation to be so jaded, so sure that there is nothing new under the sun.  I want to share a wink with God and say “Do it again!” Send the movements of God I remember from my childhood! Movements of conviction and power, when people’s lives were so dramatically changed that no one seemed beyond the grip of grace.  Heal bodies and souls so that the watching world will see your glory! What could we see if we would only ask and believe?

However, I feel the rebuke in my spirit when the Creator of the universe looks down at mere mortals who think there is “nothing new under the sun”; while every evening viewing a uniquely glorious sunset. Once again the voice of God echoes from the ancient book of Job, Chapter 38

(God speaking) I will question you, and you make it known to me.

4“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding…
7when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Psalm 19:1 states, “The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”

God says even this, Himself revealed through nature, is enough or us to know Him.

Romans 1:19 “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

I ask God to show Himself to those I love again. So He lets there be another sunset. ENCORE!

Watch Your Mouth!

Recently my attention has been drawn back to the ancient book of Isaiah. When Isaiah saw the Lord seated on the throne in all his power and holiness (Isaiah 6), his response was as follows:

5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

Why did Isaiah see his sin as focused on his lips, speech, or conversation? Perhaps it has something to do with the truth that Jesus spoke that it is from the outflow of the heart that the mouth speaks.

Luke 6:45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

The problem I find is that if I am not spending time in the presence of a Holy God- I don’t even recognize when my speech is wrong.  I get so used to the unclean voices of the world around me that it no longer grates on my soul like fingernails on the chalkboard.

Most Christians would agree that certain things are sins. In Colossians 3, Paul gives a list of the big ones:

Col.3:5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

But he doesn’t stop there, he goes further into the areas that are harder in these days of social media:

8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

Do our post/tweets, or responses fit any of these categories?

What about when we are truly attempting to cope with a difficult situation? Can’t we just be honest about our concerns?

Yes, in the right place, at the right time. We know Job said a lot of things to God that seem pretty confrontational. Yet God specifically said to Job’s friends, “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” Through all the loss he experienced God says, 1:22 “In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong”. Unlike Job’s wife who did want him to “curse” God.

My point is that when Job poured out his questions and frustrations with God in front of his friends they were not drawn closer to the truth about God. They started speaking out of their understanding and spouting theories regarding God and Job.  Job did not sin…but first he had to get into the presence of God and learn to shut his mouth!

40:3 Then Job answered the Lord and said:

4 “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?
I lay my hand on my mouth.
5 I have spoken once, and I will not answer;
twice, but I will proceed no further.”

THEN- he was able to have a clear enough picture of who God is to pray for his friends’ salvation.

8 And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.”

Confession: I heard recently that words of mine had caused another to doubt the goodness and faithfulness of God. My indulgence in a pity party, my wanting to receive sympathy and support, my pathetic inability to wait on God to carry me through a particular storm without whining; caused me to question God in front of someone whose faith was not strong enough to handle my crisis of faith. Please God, forgive me and have mercy!

Sitting recently before God with the weight of this on my heart has been difficult because more than anything I desire for this person’s faith to be restored. That they would come to know who God truly is and not the distorted picture of Him that I and others have shown them. Please God, before I utter another word send a coal from the altar and purify my lips!

Living in the “Dog Days”

It’s hot and humid and the days are long.  The humidity hanging over the valley below our house seems perpetually replenished by the steam rising from the Chattahoochee River. The garden droops and all creatures great and small seem to wilt with the effort of movement. It is that time of year we in America call the “dog days of summer”.

Defined by factmonster.com as follows:

Dog Days is the name for the most sultry period of summer, from about July 3 to Aug. 11. Named in early times by observers in countries bordering the Mediterranean, the period was reckoned as extending from 20 days before to 20 days after the conjunction of Sirius (the dog star) and the sun.

The problem is that in the “dog days” it takes effort to get anything accomplished other than sitting in the shade or the air con with a tall glass of sweet tea.

I thought of that when I read the first line of My Utmost for His Highest devotional today. “We are all capable of being spiritual sluggards”.

Sometimes it seems like it is all just too much effort. We don’t want to enter the spiritual struggle for souls; we really just want to go nap in the hammock. Especially if we have during times of great enthusiasm entered the fray and gotten knocked around a bit; we may be even more reluctant.  I think that is why Paul wrote this admonition to the Galatians,

Galatians 6:9-10 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

In the middle of the dog days of summer in can make one weary to have to keep watering the garden and pulling the weeds, but if you want a harvest, it must be done.  It is essential spiritually as well.  We need to keep on doing good to those we want to know God.  Then as if he truly understood life in the church he adds, “Especially to those of the household of faith”.  Those who we think should know better who seem to be along for the ride spiritually. Yep, especially to them we should do good. 

Not only that, but in Hebrews the writer takes it a step further. Hebrews 10:24-25 “and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works; not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day drawing nigh.”

Not only should we stir ourselves up to keep on doing the good, but we should provoke others until they do too. It is so easy to get lulled to sleep and begin floating along with the world around us. Instead, the Scripture says, get together and keep the momentum of spiritual growth alive. Go ahead and stir things up! As Proverbs 27:17 states, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” That implies a noisy operation with sparks flying.

If you or your church are experiencing the spiritual doldrums, let me make some suggestions:

Start an in-depth Bible study.

Begin a prayer meeting.

Reach out to the poor, or marginalized people groups in your community.

Then MEMORIZE Ephesians 6:10-20, because you are going to need it!  When you begin to take God’s word seriously, prayer and outreach, you had better be prepared for things to get interesting.  The enemy is never pleased when we wake up and begin to step into his territory. Various members of the body of believers will begin to come under attack, but that is not the time to go curl up and hide. It is the time to begin to stand up on the authority of God and His word. 

Jesus said in Matthew 28:18 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

He has all we would ever need, and He is with us!

So let’s shake off the dog days, drag ourselves from the doldrums’, and quit accepting defeat by opting for the hammock instead of the conflict! Here is my prayer myself and all of you today:

Colossians 1:9 “…we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,  10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

The Finger of God

I have always loved Michelangelo’s portrayal of God reaching out to touch man. The effort and determination to establish contact are depicted as coming from God toward mankind. Until recently though I had not realized how Biblical the concept is.  Yes, I know that God does not actually have fingers, but the description of His activity and characteristics represented by the imagery is very vivid to me.

God creates with His fingers:

Psalm 8:3, When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

Isaiah 48:13, My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens

He wrote the law with his finger:

Exodus 31:18, And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

That was not the only time He wrote with his finger. In Daniel 5, the fingers of a hand wrote judgment on the wall of King Belshazzar’s party. Daniel in his interpretation states, “From His presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed.”

During the plagues of Egypt, while the Pharaoh would not acknowledge the activity of the God of heaven, the local magicians were only too aware of it. Exodus 8:19, “Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, ‘This is the finger of God.’”

This evidence of the overwhelming sovereignty of God was expressed again through Jesus in Luke 11:20, when His opponents were challenging His authority. “But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

In other words, the Almighty Creator of the Universe, the Giver of the Law of Moses, the One who has the right and authority to set up and remove kings; was present there to exercise that same authority over the powers of evil!

So why was it so difficult for people to recognize Jesus for who He was then, and why is it so difficult now? Faith is required.

“Faith removes the veil and uncovers eternal truth. When souls are given the understanding of faith, God speaks to them through all of creation, and the universe becomes for them a living testimony which the finger of God traces before their eyes, the record of every passing moment, a sacred scripture.” Jean-Pierre de Crussade

God refuses to overwhelm our free will with the tsunami of the fullness of His divine presence and authority. Instead, He dips His finger in the water of our souls sending the ripples of His presence into our small pools of existence.

Take then, this little drop of the knowledge that you have of God and act on it. That is faith! The finger of God has reached out and touched your life even simply by your reading this blog. Now, what will you do about it?

Being Brave

Here in the U.S., today is Memorial Day. A day set aside to honor those in our military who died fighting for our country. Whatever one believes regarding the US involvement militarily around the world, one has to acknowledge that these soldiers are brave. In fact, our national anthem speaks of this country as being the “home of the brave”.

All of this emphasis has got me thinking about bravery.  What does it mean to be brave? What does it mean for “me” to be brave? Well, to be honest, I have very little life experience to refer to because I have not been brave very often.  I do have one or two experiences, but that’s not very much over 50+ years.

In one of my favorite old chick flick movies, You’ve Got Mail, Meg Ryan’s character says the following, “Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life. Well valuable, but small. And sometimes I wonder do I do it because I like it, or because I haven’t been brave. So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn’t it be the other way around.”

Looking back in this somewhat pensive mood, I have to acknowledge in so many ways that my “small” life has also resulted from me not being brave.  I have not been brave enough to risk rejection or ridicule, brave enough to embrace change or even to seek it, brave enough to try new things or even to meet new people.

Now, I find the confines of my “rut” are comfortable for me, and the courage, bravery that it would require for me to break out of it seems monumental. In fact, if there is any personal momentum in my life at the moment it would be in retreat.  I am experiencing a tremendous desire to succumb to the solitude of my hilltop and to let the rest of the world “go to hades in a handbasket”.

Honestly, I don’t believe it is laziness.   As the old, rather militantly metaphoric, hymn, Am I a Soldier of the Cross states,

Must I be carried to the skies
On flowery beds of ease?

Um no. I am opposed to anyone carrying my load for me. Thank you very much, but I think I can handle it myself.

It is more that I have never enjoyed the rush others seem to find in adventure and danger.  Being brave doesn’t thrill me; it scares me to death, and I beg God not to make me do it again. Maybe I am short for a reason since I seem to have much in common with hobbits.

“I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it’s very difficult to find anyone.’
I should think so — in these parts! We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty, disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!” [1]

Yet, I am forced to acknowledge that even as Bilbo could not be left in his hole in the ground, I cannot be left hugging my hilltop.  There doesn’t seem to be a retirement program in scripture, and the desert fathers are not accepting new members for life as a hermit. There is still much that God wants me to do, or He would already have taken me home. So I need to be brave…

Psalm 27 is David’s statement of courage in the face of his enemies.

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
    of whom shall I be afraid?

How could David say the following?

Though an army encamp against me,
    my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
    yet I will be confident.

First he says his one desire was to dwell in the house of the Lord forever and gaze at His beauty and inquire in His temple. In other words, to live in a place of constant communion with God.

Second he determines to follow God’s command to seek Him.

8 You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
    “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”

Thirdly, he recognizes his limitations and asks for instructions.

11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
    and lead me on a level path

Finally, he recognizes God’s timetable is best.
   
14 Wait for the Lord;
    be strong, and let your heart take courage;
    wait for the Lord!

 For some of us, life doesn’t have to actually BE life-threatening for us to require courage to face it. Yes, I am weak…but HE is strong. I guess I have my marching orders, and I would pray along with the words of the old song,

Increase my courage, Lord.
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by Thy Word.

[1] Tolkien, J..R.R. The Hobbit. Houghton Mifflin, 2002.

Unveiled Faces

There is controversy around the world regarding the wearing of the “veil” by women. While women in some countries are fighting for the right to wear a veil as an expression of their belief, there are others who simply want the freedom to choose whether or not they should have to wear one.  https://www.facebook.com/StealthyFreedom

Many people do not understand the significance of a veil covering the face from a Christian perspective. The Bible first mentions it in Exodus 34. Moses had been up on Mount Sinai for forty days and night receiving the law and commandments from God.

29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.30 Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him… 33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.

34 Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, 35 the people of Israel would see the face of Moses that the skin of Moses’ face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

So in Moses case, the use of the veil was not to protect a woman’s modesty, obviously. It was because being in the power and presence of God caused Moses’s face to glow to such a degree that he scared the people! “Dude your face is glowing! Cover it up! You’re freaking me out!” (modern interpretation)

In 2 Corinthians 3:4-18 the writer, Paul uses this incident to illustrate the difference between being under the law in the time of Moses, to being under grace through Christ.

4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter (law) but of the Spirit. For the letter (law) kills, but the Spirit gives life.

7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone (law), came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory?…

12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lordis the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

It is that last verse that I would like to focus on with this blog.  We can be transformed by being in the presence of the Lord! We do not have to veil our faces in His presence.  We can come boldly before God in prayer.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

When we spend time in His presence, the very Creator God of the Universe who spoke light into existence shines into our hearts!

2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

I have watched a group of women as they left a time of prayer together.  I have seen that light and glory on their faces! It reminds me of the gospel song,

Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.
I can feel His mighty power and His grace.
I can hear the brush of angels’ wings.
I see glory on each face.
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place

Wouldn’t it be amazing, if rather than using a veil to hide ourselves from the world, we instead had so much of the glory of the Lord radiating from our face that we had to cover it because it overwhelmed people with the power of God?

Working in the Garden

It is no secret that I love gardening. From my earliest memories toddling along behind my grandfather, I have loved being outdoors, feeling the soil and mostly, watching things grow. 

From the very beginning, this was the task God first gave to humans. Genesis 2:15 “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”  It has always seemed to me that followers of God should be the most committed to the care of the planet, but that is a topic for another post.

Jesus took the concepts that the farmers and shepherds of his day were familiar with and used them to teach spiritual concepts.  In particular concerning ministry and outreach to others.

In Matthew 13 the farmer sows the seed that falls on the path, the rocks, among thorns and on the good soil. He explains that where the seed falls represents the various responses of people to the message of Jesus.

In the same chapter, he talks about the weeds that an enemy might plant among the good grain. Revealing that judging who is a true follower and who is a “weed” is not for us to determine but will be dealt with in the coming day of separation.

John 4:35-38 is where I would like to focus for this blog.

35“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

Anyone who has ever had a garden knows that it is WORK! There is labor involved. In our instant society, we often want to pay and instantly receive.  That is not the way of the gardener or of ministry. As verse 38 indicates, if someone responds to your message and comes to know God, you can be assured that either you or someone else has put some labor into it.

I am not a gardening expert by any means, but I know that before you plant, the soil has to be prepared.  It has to be broken up and softened, rocks, weeds, and other impediments have to be removed.

Often when you approach a person or a new ministry, it is the same.  Their hearts have to be softened in some way; the hurts and misconceptions that they have about God have to be removed. The weeds of worry, fear, and doubt must be uprooted.

It is not just a matter of what must be removed, but also what must be added.  Like soil, some people have become depleted and leached by life.  Their lives must be enriched with love, acceptance, truth, and compassion. This restoration can often require years of labor before enough trust is restored for there to be a harvest.

My point is that you cannot reap a harvest of faith with a person or group without WORK! 

My youngest son and I have been building a garden on a rocky hillside. This effort has required hours of hauling rocks to build garden beds, multitudinous bags of soil and mulch, and so far, the destruction of two wheelbarrows and a shovel. It has also cost blisters, sore muscles, sunburn and other minor inconveniences. Though often reluctant, my good son has “entered into my labor” with me.

In ministry as well, we need to be working together, entering into one another’s labor lest we become weary in well doing.  It is especially important that we involve the younger generation.  They need to work beside us in ministry.  Not so much to learn techniques, but rather to absorb the work ethic of the kingdom.  How do we go about loving, caring, and keeping people?

In the Genesis passage, God said Adam needed to tend the garden and “Keep” it. This is an area of ministry where we have often failed.  The grapes and olives, and even the poor fig tree of Jesus time were long-term, even lifetime projects.  Our ministry and outreach needs to have a long-term caring-keeping focus.  How can we care for our spiritual gardens so that they will continue to bear fruit, growing stronger and more productive year by year?

Paul gives us the answer in Ephesians 3:14-19 “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

All of our efforts have only one design in mind.  Harvest, fruit, growth, beauty.  The result is always more than worth work.

Psalm 126:5-6

Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
6 He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.

When the Body Suffers

The apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, 1 Corinthians 12: 24-27 “But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it,that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

Paul was not referring to an actual physical body, but rather to the body of all believers.  We who follow Him in some mysterious way become part of a whole, which he refers to as the “body of Christ”.  We are not all in the same location nor do we have the same function, but we are in the body.  Lately it seems there have been repeated blows to the body.

Romans 14 says it even more directly “7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.  8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.”

Lately, our hearts are broken for those who have died for the Lord.  Either directly because they carried the name of Christians or indirectly because the calling on their lives has sent them to places where they will be hated or despised simply because they cared enough to want to meet the needs of those in distress.

For years, it seemed we needed to drag out Foxes Book of Martyrs to discuss those who were willing to die rather than renounce their faith. Not so anymore, we only have to turn on the news.  It is not that these instances did not occur in the meantime. It is rather that we did not know or maybe even did not care to know the degree to which the other members of our body were suffering.

I confess to feeling a tremendous amount of empathy for the family of the young aid worker killed recently.  Because she came from my country, she was of my race; she was the age of my children or because I have a family member who travels to that region for nearly the same reason; I can identify.  However, that ancient family of believers, the Coptic Church, now has widows and fatherless children who will have to live with trauma and loss as well as continued threats to their own lives. The young girls kidnapped in Africa who are now slaves or forced to ‘marry’ their terrorist captors. Are they as often in my prayers?

Even, if I may step into dangerous territory here, if I had been as concerned for those innocents killed who are not of my faith, my country.  Whose simple, humble lives have been destroyed by bombs and drones and terrorists for reasons that, lacking internet and access to the outside world, they cannot possibly understand. Death came through no fault of their own. John Donne wrote many years ago.

No man is an island, Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thy friend’s
Or of thine own were:
Any man’s death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind,
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.

Do I truly feel that any man’s death diminishes me? Could it ever be that the death of innocent school children in Pakistan is as traumatic for me as a school shooting in my home town? When Jesus cried over Jerusalem, he wasn’t just concerned for his own followers.  “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem… How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”

It is Lent and on this Ash Wednesday I feel the need to repent for the callousness of my petty concerns.  Even for the amount of my prayer time that is consumed by myself and my small world.

Lord, what part of your body is hurting, even facing death? Please be close to that one! What innocent child is away from Your body that You long to gather to Yourself? Please have mercy on that one!  

Tangled and Entangled

Having recently returned from a ten-day visit with my wonderful granddaughter Sophia, I am quite sure I could quote verbatim the entire Disney movie Tangled.  You see, Grandma (me) only has a few movies on her iPad, and this is Sophia’s favorite from my selection.  Apart from the magical element of Rapunzel’s long mane of hair, navigating with all that dragging behind her meant she faced challenges the shorter haired princesses would never have experienced.  When was the last time someone stepped on your hair?

The scripture warns us about carrying around something which would lead to our being entangled.  Hebrews 12:1-2 offers this challenge, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”

In a sense, if you are living with sin in your life, go get a spiritual haircut! Cut it out! Throw it off!

There are also entanglements that do not qualify as outright sin. Paul mentions this to Timothy in a military analogy. 2 Timothy 2:4, “No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.”  The problem is not with having civilian pursuits. In our lives, there is nothing wrong with pursuing careers, relationships, goals, etc. unless they take us away from our primary allegiance and keep us from being available to God to be called upon for service at any moment.

Another entanglement is the sort poor Martha experienced in Luke Chapter 10.  In all her care for Jesus, the disciples, the house, the meals she ended up being, “anxious and troubled about many things.” Jesus rebuked her kindly and said that her sister Mary had chosen the better part, which was to sit at His feet and listen.  Oswald Chambers describes it in the following quote:

“The great enemy of the life of faith in God is not sin, but the good which is not good enough. The good is always the enemy of the best.”

How easy it is to get entangled in all the “good” stuff we think we NEED to accomplish and to miss our time with Jesus!

The natural spiritual outflow of spending time with Jesus is that His love will begin to flow out from our lives to others.  Thomas a` Kempis describes this love and how it changes our desires to keep us from entanglements.

Love is a great thing, yea, a great and thorough good.
By itself it makes that which is heavy light;
and it bears evenly all that is uneven.
It carries a burden which is no burden;
it will not be kept back by anything low and mean;
It desires to be free from all worldly affections,
and not to be entangled by any outward prosperity,
or by any adversity subdued.
Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of trouble,
attempts what is above its strength,
pleads no excuse of impossibility.
It is therefore able to undertake all things,
and it completes many things and warrants them to take effect,
where he who does not love would faint and lie down.
Though weary, it is not tired;
though pressed it is not straightened;
though alarmed, it is not confounded;
but as a living flame it forces itself upwards and securely passes through all.
Love is active and sincere, courageous, patient, faithful, prudent, and manly.

by Thomas à Kempis.

Think about it, Rapunzel was never free to love until she lost all that hair which entangled her. Then she discovered that the gift was something which was inside of her. Ok I know, that might be a bit of a theological stretch….

However, loving also requires our risking entanglements as C.S. Lewis states,

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”

What are we tangled up in today; sin, our own agenda, or even good works? Instead, may God give us grace to allow our lives to become lovingly entangled in the lives of those He has placed around us.

Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Chambers, Oswald. My Utmost for His Highest. Uhrichville: Barbour Publishing Inc., 1963.

Lewis, C.S. The Four Loves. Harcourt, 1971.

Tangled. Dir. Byron Howard Nathan Greno. Walt Disney. 2010. Film.

If you love me…

We are past Valentine’s Day, and it’s not Mother’s Day, so this is not a pathetic attempt at “guilting” my nearest and dearest to call me…although I wouldn’t mind. It is really just me having one of those, “why haven’t I seen this before” moments with God.

Jesus said,

John 14:5, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

That is not a difficult concept for me to understand. Accepting the great gift of God’s love and forgiveness for me means that I want to live my life according to what the One, who loves me, says is best for me. I do not want to live in a way that would damage our relationship.

There is another passage that presents the question another way. In John 21, Jesus is speaking to Peter as follows:

“Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”

Sooo, if I love God, a sure sign is that I am caring for his sheep? God will know that I love him if I follow His guidelines for living, AND I take care of His sheep.

Oswald Chambers says, “And Jesus has some extraordinarily funny sheep, some bedraggled, dirty sheep, some awkward, butting sheep, some sheep that have gone astray!” [i]

How true! We cannot just care for the “little lamb whose fleece is white as snow.” Most of the Father’s sheep are not fluffy and cute! Jesus even indicated that sometimes we may need to leave the safety and warmth of the fold to head out into the badlands searching for the ones who get lost. This may make us uncomfortable and may even cost us some sleepless nights. Search and rescue missions usually do. It sounds exhausting to take care of the sometimes difficult sheep in the fold while periodically chasing after those who willfully wander. How can one maintain this level of care?

Chambers again, “It is impossible to weary God’s love, and it is impossible to weary that love in me if it springs from the one center. The love of God pays no attention to the distinctions of natural individuality. If I love my Lord I have no business to be guided by natural temperament; I have to feed His sheep.”

In other words, the Spirit of God within me will reach out to love His sheep. I may not personally care for their appearance, temperament, choices, but basically that doesn’t matter. Will I cooperate with God who wants to pour out love? Or will I refuse because maybe I don’t like the look of that crusty old sheep, or of that willful wanderer who looks like he would rather butt you than talk to you?

In the Chinese calendar, this is the year of the sheep. So I wonder if what God is telling me is that this year I need to focus on feeding His sheep. After all, they all belong to Him. They are either found sheep, or lost sheep. “Do you love me?” He says. “Well then you know what to do.”
[i]
Chambers, Oswald. My Utmost for His Highest. Uhrichville: Barbour Publishing Inc., 1963.t