We’ve all seen it – the churches that turn the corner from maintaining a nice building to becoming a cathedral. When does it happen? As a pastor, I struggle with this. Resources need to be used, but when does it become excessive? I know that part of being a good steward of the things of God is to make sure buildings look nice, that they are accessible, that they show a loving concern for neighbors and visitors. But when does it turn the corner and become excessive and extravagant?
Our church is in the final stages of a remodeling project, one that I am fully on board with. We needed to make it more accessible to those who have trouble walking or are in wheelchairs. The full body needs to be able to gather together. Also, there were parts of the building that needed updating and there's nothing wrong with doing it right. I am convinced that those involved have the right motives in place. But during the entire process, I felt a wariness - watching closely to make sure we didn't begin to use money and energy to build our kingdom.
It makes me think of my own life - we need to keep a close eye on our pursuit of personal kingdom building under the guise of the will of the Lord. It's an easy deception to fall into, because we can justify almost any expenditure as a necessity when in reality it may be a luxury.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Saturday, August 8, 2009
The Loss of Now
I Samuel 15:27, 28 "As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. Samuel said to him, 'The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors - to one better than you.'"
There's a silly game I play once in a while when I'm out with my kids. They're still at a young age and we can do things like go to the park, the zoo, etc, and sometimes when I'm getting the sense that these years are flying by, I pretend that I was an old man and asked God to bring me back to this particular day, this particular moment. It probably seems foolish, I'm aware of that, but it has the surprising ability to bring me into that moment, to draw me into the NOW, and appreciate what I'm doing with them without the distracting thoughts that can cause these moments to pass without engagement.
Today was one of those days. There's nothing like a crisp, clear, 70 degree August day in Boston. I was watching my kids in a local park and my mind was elsewhere. So I played my little mind game and sat there enjoying the simplicity of them laughing on the swingset, as if it were an answer to an old man's prayers. God has an amazing ability to regift the present.
The loss of Now is a frightening thing. That's why Saul is so desperate in I Samuel 15. He loses now. He's done - as of that very moment. It's not a vague, disconnected future loss, the kind that seldom seems to affect or move us. The kingdom is pulled away from him - now.
So many people sacrifice the future because they can’t see it’s immediacy. Athletes and steroids. Rock stars and drugs. Young people and sex/drugs/alcohol - and tanning booths. We all do it, so I can understand Saul not being too upset when Samuel pronounces in chapter 13 that his future kingdom will be pulled from his family. But chapter 15 is an entirely different story - he's frantic. He pulls at the old prophet's robes, pleading with him for another chance. Why? Because of that one word that Samuel uses: TODAY. "Don't take today away from me!"
NOW is a wonderful gift from God. Don't go through today in a haze of a million un-doable and unknowable things. Sit with your kids and enjoy them. Empty out your resources to advance God's kingdom. Pour yourself into His Word and His work. Call, visit, write, forgive, move, give, help, lift, touch, embrace, feed, clean, clothe, love . . . . anything but nothing. If NOW is so precious that it will bring a king to tears, why are we wasting it?
There's a silly game I play once in a while when I'm out with my kids. They're still at a young age and we can do things like go to the park, the zoo, etc, and sometimes when I'm getting the sense that these years are flying by, I pretend that I was an old man and asked God to bring me back to this particular day, this particular moment. It probably seems foolish, I'm aware of that, but it has the surprising ability to bring me into that moment, to draw me into the NOW, and appreciate what I'm doing with them without the distracting thoughts that can cause these moments to pass without engagement.
Today was one of those days. There's nothing like a crisp, clear, 70 degree August day in Boston. I was watching my kids in a local park and my mind was elsewhere. So I played my little mind game and sat there enjoying the simplicity of them laughing on the swingset, as if it were an answer to an old man's prayers. God has an amazing ability to regift the present.
The loss of Now is a frightening thing. That's why Saul is so desperate in I Samuel 15. He loses now. He's done - as of that very moment. It's not a vague, disconnected future loss, the kind that seldom seems to affect or move us. The kingdom is pulled away from him - now.
So many people sacrifice the future because they can’t see it’s immediacy. Athletes and steroids. Rock stars and drugs. Young people and sex/drugs/alcohol - and tanning booths. We all do it, so I can understand Saul not being too upset when Samuel pronounces in chapter 13 that his future kingdom will be pulled from his family. But chapter 15 is an entirely different story - he's frantic. He pulls at the old prophet's robes, pleading with him for another chance. Why? Because of that one word that Samuel uses: TODAY. "Don't take today away from me!"
NOW is a wonderful gift from God. Don't go through today in a haze of a million un-doable and unknowable things. Sit with your kids and enjoy them. Empty out your resources to advance God's kingdom. Pour yourself into His Word and His work. Call, visit, write, forgive, move, give, help, lift, touch, embrace, feed, clean, clothe, love . . . . anything but nothing. If NOW is so precious that it will bring a king to tears, why are we wasting it?
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Why Not
"Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few."
In I Samuel 14:6, Jonathan basically says, "Why not?" Why not move forward - we've been hiding in ditches and caves and in the thickets. God is the one who saves and brings victory, so why not be very simple and trust Him and move forward against the enemy?
It's a very strange thing that Christians sing and talk about victory, yet don't advance against the forces of darkness, fully expecting strongholds in our lives and the lives of others to crumble before the Lord. We plan, we study, we discuss - but we don't move. Is it a lack of faith? Cowardice? Laziness? Love of personal comfort?
All of the above. But read in this chapter as Jonathan casts all caution to the wind and says, "Today I will move forward. It's all in God's hands anyway." What happens when he does this is awesome, as a tidal wave of redemption follows - death is swallowed up in victory.
1) v7 His armor-bearer says: "Go ahead, I am with you heart and soul." When we move out in faith, those with us will move as well. It's like we're all looking at each other waiting for someone to make the first move. Be that one.
2) v21 "Those Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and gone up with them to their camp went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan." When we move out, weaker Christians who have caved back into the world and into their own darkness and addictions come crawling back out into the Light. We can bring back from captivity our fallen brothers - and there are many out there.
3) v22 "When all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were on the run, they joined in hot pursuit." When we move out, those who have been discouraged and are hiding in the churches will step out boldly as well.
One man. One man believing that God is real and powerful and present tense - one man stepping out in faith, can lead a charge that will embolden lost and discouraged brothers and sisters to step out of the enemy territory defeated and into enemy territory victorious. We are to be in enemy territory, but standing in love and victory, not on our knees in weakness and submission.
Sometimes faith is very simple. "Today I will crawl out of the rocks and move forward."
In I Samuel 14:6, Jonathan basically says, "Why not?" Why not move forward - we've been hiding in ditches and caves and in the thickets. God is the one who saves and brings victory, so why not be very simple and trust Him and move forward against the enemy?
It's a very strange thing that Christians sing and talk about victory, yet don't advance against the forces of darkness, fully expecting strongholds in our lives and the lives of others to crumble before the Lord. We plan, we study, we discuss - but we don't move. Is it a lack of faith? Cowardice? Laziness? Love of personal comfort?
All of the above. But read in this chapter as Jonathan casts all caution to the wind and says, "Today I will move forward. It's all in God's hands anyway." What happens when he does this is awesome, as a tidal wave of redemption follows - death is swallowed up in victory.
1) v7 His armor-bearer says: "Go ahead, I am with you heart and soul." When we move out in faith, those with us will move as well. It's like we're all looking at each other waiting for someone to make the first move. Be that one.
2) v21 "Those Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and gone up with them to their camp went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan." When we move out, weaker Christians who have caved back into the world and into their own darkness and addictions come crawling back out into the Light. We can bring back from captivity our fallen brothers - and there are many out there.
3) v22 "When all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were on the run, they joined in hot pursuit." When we move out, those who have been discouraged and are hiding in the churches will step out boldly as well.
One man. One man believing that God is real and powerful and present tense - one man stepping out in faith, can lead a charge that will embolden lost and discouraged brothers and sisters to step out of the enemy territory defeated and into enemy territory victorious. We are to be in enemy territory, but standing in love and victory, not on our knees in weakness and submission.
Sometimes faith is very simple. "Today I will crawl out of the rocks and move forward."
Thursday, July 30, 2009
What Happened At the Cross?
John 8:32 "If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth set you free."
John 8:36 "If the Son sets you free, you are free indeed."
Do you feel free? I don't. Not completely. I still feel hindered by myself and by the world around me. Even by the church. I still have a drag on me, like a racecar with a parachute at the back, and I'm not sure what it is. I have some suspicions, and they appear to be tied in to the fact that I don't think I completely understand what happened at the cross. I know something mystical happened there and that in understanding and embracing it I will be set free - free indeed.
But the 'drag' on my life is still there, so my understanding of the truth is limited. We're missing something. Yes - He took the penalty for my sins. Yes - His justice was satisfied. Yes - He conquered death. I get all that. I've been taught it from birth. But what haven't I been taught? What am I missing? What else happened there? Why do I have the nagging feeling that I'm still far short of what is possible?
I want the truth, because as He said, it's the only thing that will set me free. Jesus said that if I hold to His teachings I will become His disciple. It appears that too many are holding to traditions and teachings of the church instead of to Christ. Therefore they are disciples of the church. Therefore they are not set free.
Again - do you really feel free? I think Paul did - and it's no coincidence that he had as his stated goal to "know Christ and the power of His resurrection." He only preached Christ and Him crucified. So I put all this together and I come to the conclusion that I better zone in on the teachings of Christ, the life of Christ, and what happened at the cross. The Truth lives there. Find that, and you find freedom.
John 8:36 "If the Son sets you free, you are free indeed."
Do you feel free? I don't. Not completely. I still feel hindered by myself and by the world around me. Even by the church. I still have a drag on me, like a racecar with a parachute at the back, and I'm not sure what it is. I have some suspicions, and they appear to be tied in to the fact that I don't think I completely understand what happened at the cross. I know something mystical happened there and that in understanding and embracing it I will be set free - free indeed.
But the 'drag' on my life is still there, so my understanding of the truth is limited. We're missing something. Yes - He took the penalty for my sins. Yes - His justice was satisfied. Yes - He conquered death. I get all that. I've been taught it from birth. But what haven't I been taught? What am I missing? What else happened there? Why do I have the nagging feeling that I'm still far short of what is possible?
I want the truth, because as He said, it's the only thing that will set me free. Jesus said that if I hold to His teachings I will become His disciple. It appears that too many are holding to traditions and teachings of the church instead of to Christ. Therefore they are disciples of the church. Therefore they are not set free.
Again - do you really feel free? I think Paul did - and it's no coincidence that he had as his stated goal to "know Christ and the power of His resurrection." He only preached Christ and Him crucified. So I put all this together and I come to the conclusion that I better zone in on the teachings of Christ, the life of Christ, and what happened at the cross. The Truth lives there. Find that, and you find freedom.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Self-Compelled
I've been preaching through I Samuel in my Sunday evening trek through the OT, and as I came to chapter 13 I was reminded of how important it is to have "community" around you to discuss Scriptures and point out things you missed. Or else your own heart begins to compel you in directions that are not in line with the Truth.
For example, Dave C. told me he was really struck by Saul's statement in I Samuel 13:12 that he "felt compelled" to offer the sacrifices, when he was specifically told by God to wait for Samuel. As Saul watched his troops disappear, his heart told him something opposite to what God was telling him. So he acted in fear and disobedience instead of waiting on God.
Without true community around us, we can start to feel compelled by our own heart to make decisions that are contrary to God's word and think that this inner compelling must make it right. Our voice becomes the dominant voice in our heart and there's no one there to snap us out of it. We watch fearfully as our 'troops' begin to disappear. Maybe it's money, or health, or relationships, or just the steady drip of time (and thus our dreams) and we feel compelled to act on our own instead of waiting upon God.
Without the Voice of Truth and the voices of the Body, it's easy to fall into the trap that Saul fell into: the self-delusion of our own compelling. Get into a community and wait upon the Lord. I never would have meditated upon this passage if someone in my community had not pointed it out, and I am richer for that. Hopefully this will now be transferred on Sunday night to an even larger community as many are worried about their 'troops' disappearing in this economy. See how it works? The Body enables me to hear the Father with greater clarity, and His word can spread even further.
"It is not good for man to be alone." He will eventually become self-compelled - a very dangerous dwelling place.
For example, Dave C. told me he was really struck by Saul's statement in I Samuel 13:12 that he "felt compelled" to offer the sacrifices, when he was specifically told by God to wait for Samuel. As Saul watched his troops disappear, his heart told him something opposite to what God was telling him. So he acted in fear and disobedience instead of waiting on God.
Without true community around us, we can start to feel compelled by our own heart to make decisions that are contrary to God's word and think that this inner compelling must make it right. Our voice becomes the dominant voice in our heart and there's no one there to snap us out of it. We watch fearfully as our 'troops' begin to disappear. Maybe it's money, or health, or relationships, or just the steady drip of time (and thus our dreams) and we feel compelled to act on our own instead of waiting upon God.
Without the Voice of Truth and the voices of the Body, it's easy to fall into the trap that Saul fell into: the self-delusion of our own compelling. Get into a community and wait upon the Lord. I never would have meditated upon this passage if someone in my community had not pointed it out, and I am richer for that. Hopefully this will now be transferred on Sunday night to an even larger community as many are worried about their 'troops' disappearing in this economy. See how it works? The Body enables me to hear the Father with greater clarity, and His word can spread even further.
"It is not good for man to be alone." He will eventually become self-compelled - a very dangerous dwelling place.
Monday, July 13, 2009
In Remembrance of Me
Of all the things that Christ did in His life, He asked His disciples to remember Him in His weakest moment (from an earthly viewpoint). He asked them, and all future generations, to remember Him as He willingly set His life aside, poured out, for those who hated Him. He asked them to remember Him as He "sheepishly" went to a publicly humiliating death, never raising His hand or His voice to those who were continually mocking Him.
He could have asked them to remember the time that He went face to face with Satan, in a weakened physical state, and defeated everything he threw at Him. He could have asked them to remember the time that He went into the Temple and cleared out all the hypocrisy and compromise with a whip. He could have asked them to remember the time He stood on the Mount of Transfiguration in all of His glory. He could have asked them to remember the countless times that He displayed His power in healings and miracles.
But He didn't. He asked them to remember the time He poured Himself out for all of mankind in an act of personal sacrifice that the world has never seen. He asked them to remember the time that He hung naked in front of friends and family covered in blood and His own filth.
There has to be a reason for the Lord's Supper beyond a piece of bread and a cup of wine. I think we should stop worrying about the methods (yeast? no yeast? grape juice? wine? once a week? once a month? ) and seek out the meaning. I imagine it has something to do with pouring ourselves out for our enemies, for bearing on our body the marks of the One who suffered and died for us.
He could have asked them to remember the time that He went face to face with Satan, in a weakened physical state, and defeated everything he threw at Him. He could have asked them to remember the time that He went into the Temple and cleared out all the hypocrisy and compromise with a whip. He could have asked them to remember the time He stood on the Mount of Transfiguration in all of His glory. He could have asked them to remember the countless times that He displayed His power in healings and miracles.
But He didn't. He asked them to remember the time He poured Himself out for all of mankind in an act of personal sacrifice that the world has never seen. He asked them to remember the time that He hung naked in front of friends and family covered in blood and His own filth.
There has to be a reason for the Lord's Supper beyond a piece of bread and a cup of wine. I think we should stop worrying about the methods (yeast? no yeast? grape juice? wine? once a week? once a month? ) and seek out the meaning. I imagine it has something to do with pouring ourselves out for our enemies, for bearing on our body the marks of the One who suffered and died for us.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Hidden in the Baggage
I Samuel 10:22 "He has hidden himself among the baggage."
Saul has been chosen and anointed as king. He has been given three very clear and powerful signs from God, including an empowering by the Spirit. Yet when the time comes for him to step forward as the king of Israel, he is nowhere to be found. He is hiding in the baggage.
At some point we have to embrace the call upon our lives and quit hiding in the baggage. The baggage of our past or the fears of our present. Humility and cowardice are two very different traits but they can often be mistaken for each other. If you have been called out of the crowd and anointed to be a servant of the Lord, you do no one any good by continuing to hide under the pretense of humility.
Not one of us deserves the place God has brought us to, or the task He has empowered us to do. Understanding that is humility. But an unwillingness to step away from the baggage and advance the kingdom of Jesus, living out publicly what He has done for us privately is not humility, it is fear and cowardice.
Saul has been chosen and anointed as king. He has been given three very clear and powerful signs from God, including an empowering by the Spirit. Yet when the time comes for him to step forward as the king of Israel, he is nowhere to be found. He is hiding in the baggage.
At some point we have to embrace the call upon our lives and quit hiding in the baggage. The baggage of our past or the fears of our present. Humility and cowardice are two very different traits but they can often be mistaken for each other. If you have been called out of the crowd and anointed to be a servant of the Lord, you do no one any good by continuing to hide under the pretense of humility.
Not one of us deserves the place God has brought us to, or the task He has empowered us to do. Understanding that is humility. But an unwillingness to step away from the baggage and advance the kingdom of Jesus, living out publicly what He has done for us privately is not humility, it is fear and cowardice.
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