A Slippery Slope

As I write this, the county I live in has been experiencing the most difficult winter weather we've had in years.  It has been - as they say - a 'real Iowa winter.'  Barely a week goes by where we haven't had some type of ice, sleet, or snow.  Not to mention a few days where apparently (according to the news media) we were colder here than at the North Pole.  As you could imagine, this also means that travel has become increasingly difficult - and I don't mean just driving.  Walking across parking lots and driveways is now treacherous.  My wife and I have both fallen flat on our backs earlier this month while attempting to leave our home, and we both have the bruises to show for it! 

In fact, there are quite a few of us walking around this town with scratches and bruises.  If I adapt this to a spiritual setting, one could ask the question: "why are we all walking around with bruises so often?"  Shouldn't our spiritual walk constitute standing on solid ground, with sure footing?  After all, isn't the Bible here to help the faithful and keep us from falling?

Good questions all around I think.  So why are so many settling for the slippery slope?  Have we become comfortable with our bruises?

If we look at the Gospel of Matthew, there is a section of Scripture where Jesus tells us about the wise and foolish builder.  Chapter 7:24-27 says, "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

And crash we surely will, if we don't listen to Jesus.  So many of us are walking around with bruises in this world.  So many of us trying to travel on uncertain ground.

I remember playing the game Jenga with my children when they were younger.  We will still pull it out every once in a while.  You may remember that this game basically consists of wooden blocks that each player stacks on top of each other, such that you end up building a tall edifice several inches high; hoping all the while that it doesn't topple over.  As the tower gets higher and higher, each time a player removes a block from the bottom in order to place it on the top ... things become more anxious.  

Sometimes (quite often actually) someone who wasn't playing the game at all, would simply walk by our table causing a slight bounce in the floor, and the whole thing would come crashing down.  Not stable whatsoever!  The kids would erupt with energetic screams of course, and then the finger pointing would begin as they tried to claim victory over one another.

But why do we fight so hard to keep the tower standing?  What exactly is at stake?  Or more importantly ... what does a house built on rock look like?

To answer what a strong house looks like, I believe we can tackle the set of Scriptures directly ahead of Matthew 7:24.  They discuss concepts like forgiveness, honoring the Golden Rule, and trying not to judge others.  Even the casual Bible reader will note that these things are quite difficult, however.  In fact, if it were up to us alone, I have a feeling there wouldn't be a single Jenga tower left standing anywhere in the world.  

It would appear that once again, we need God's help.  When it comes to repentance, if we attempt to go the distance on our own steam, it often ends up in failure.  The rains come and the wind blows - the house slips down, into a pile on the sand.  Someone need only walk next to the block tower with a bounce in their step, and it comes crashing down.  Fortunately for us, however, God appears to be an expert architect.  

The Wesleyan tradition has in it something known as prevenient grace.  Simply put, this is the idea that God knows we need His help before we do.  I cannot tell you how grateful I am for this notion. If we apply our analogy from above once more, I think it means that we have a higher power in our lives who is gracious and patient enough to sit down with us and help build our little wooden tower ... piece by piece, and step by step.  

Occasionally we will fall (i.e.: the tower will collapse).  Never mind.  Pick yourself back up and keep going.  Repentance from sin may seem like an outdated concept, but it is just as necessary today as it was two thousand years ago when Jesus walked the earth.  We need God's help, and often we need it before we realize it.  Keep going and keep fighting the good fight.  And above all, allow God's grace to carry you, especially if you didn't necessarily build your house with the correct blueprints.

How does your house look now?  Is it on sand or rock?  If we are lucky, we will allow God to teach us to live Biblical lives, to build strong houses and high towers.  Our bruises will eventually heal, especially if we depend on Him to keep us from slipping.  But if we do slip, please don't blame Him.  Look instead at the foundation of your house.  The rain is falling, and the wind is blowing; but God's house it is nice and warm inside.  Care for a game of Jenga anyone?




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A Heartfelt Hope

God’s love is a source of hope for all of us. Is it important to have hope in your life? When we are younger, we select certain things to hang our desires on. As a simple working definition, I am loosely referring here to “hope.” For example, when I used to mention going to church years ago to my 5-year-old, I am almost certain that he paired it up with good donuts and a particular set of toys in the kid’s room. On Fridays, my then 9-year-old daughter would look forward to going to her grandparents’house to see her cousins and to spend the night. She would hold this in the back of her mind all week, and by the time Thursday got here, she was all but chomping at the bit with anticipation. For them, this can represent one sort of entry level aspect of hope. 

But what about grown-ups? As we pass from the age of innocence and into a world often more difficult and less forgiving, we still place our aspirations somewhere. Daily living is usually hard enough, and then from time to time we also experience true suffering. If you haven’t experiencedthis loss or suffering yet, then go into your house, lock the door, and consider yourself lucky! 


During our lulls when things aren’t so bad and we are going through day-to-day life, maybe some of us place our hope in material things like money, entertainment—or if we are a bit wiser—people and relationships. But what happens when things don’t go so well, and we find ourselves driving down the road less traveled, in a speeding car that we don’t want to be in? 


I think that if our hope is misplaced during the quiet lulls, then it is that much harder to find God during the storms, when we really need Him. Why is this? Because often the fulfillment of hope comes from the partnership with God that occurs during the average everyday living, not only during the difficult times. God wants our attention all the time, not just when we are hurting. 


When we pin our dreams and desires to material or natural things only, and these items finally do disappear (whether it be through loss or some other means), we can become lost. But if Jesus is our light all the time, then when the dark of night comes - we have illumination instead of confusion. Notice I didn’t say happiness. Happiness is situationally dependent. If you total your new car, you aren’t going to be happy—no matter if you know God or not. But you can still have Joy. Joy is different. Your hope is now placed correctly in the Creator. Good times or bad, God is still God. Joy means that you can lose something big, but still be content. Joy is the seed that God plants and waters in your soul. Without it, you are dependent upon good fortune to be satisfied. And as we all know, good fortune is fleeting. 


I’m not sure what people do without God in their lives. I don’t say this in a boastful or naive way. I spent much of my own life refusing to look into the deeper truths of the Gospel, and when I finally didaccept a relationship with Jesus, it was a night and day difference. Jesus makes certain promises to us in the Bible. We are told that we are loved no matter what. We are told that our worth is not dependent upon how we look or how we perform for other people. But most of all, the thing that struck me when I began to allow the things that God has to say into my heart, was that I realized I am no longer alone. I don’t have to get through life by myself, on the strength of my own performance, and without any guidance from above. 


What a relief to know that I do not stand or fall on my own account only, but that someone is in my corner all the time. This I think is another facet of hope. This is what anyone can possess. It’s something that no person or event can ever take away from you. I’m not going back to that other life before Jesus; I won’t even consider it. 


Matthew chapter 12 tells us about Christ that “in his name nations will put their hope.” Is this just lip service? I don’t think so. It is my great joy to celebrate God in both the good times (when I am driving around with a full tank of gas and a happy family), as well as the bad times (when sickness or difficulty make their home with me). Is your own hope well placed? Is what you look to for comfort on a good day enough to sustain you on a bad one?


Wherever our heart is pointed, determines where we place our hope for the future. My wish is that your heart points up toward God the Father – in both good times and bad.




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The Dandelion Method

It is difficult to discuss Christianity without thinking about the concept of being re-born.  Now here I am not only referring to the saving grace of God making it possible for the believer to become born again, but something additional above and beyond that.  The idea that when it comes to God showing up in our lives, there is a profound change.  No one meets the real Jesus and stays the same.  

This type of change (or rebirth) is a difficult concept I suppose, because it often has more to do with letting our pride go, than anything else.  The stubborn person who refuses to become teachable is not a lot of help to the kingdom of heaven - much less to you and I.  And so it would seem that this process of changing - or allowing God to change us - requires a degree of humbleness and humility.  Again, this is difficult for us.  It means that before we met God, we may have had a skewed view of the world around us and how things operate.  If Jesus changes us, then we change from the inside out.  And this my friends, can look even stranger to the outside world watching a genuine believer attempt to repent and follow Christ.

One of my favorite Christian teachers is Philip Yancey.  He always manages to weave in the perfect metaphor when it comes to talking about profound Biblical truth.  In his book 'The Jesus I Never Knew', Yancey makes the bold claim that the way we learned about Jesus when we were younger, may in fact be part of this skewed worldview.  He says that some of the things we learned in Sunday School as children may in fact be up for grabs when we stop to look at the context and Gospel accounts that we have in the New Testament as adults.  

Yancey equates it to a dandelion (I told you there would be a metaphor).  When this weed takes on the form of a seed head, many children can be seen plucking it from the ground and blowing on it.  The seeds will then scatter across the open field or yard, only to rest and reproduce somewhere else.  

This process kills the dandelion flower of course, but allows many others to form in its place.  If we stop and think about it, this is exactly what Jesus' ministry did in first century Palestine.  Jesus told his followers that he must die and go to the Father in order for them to do even greater things than him.   Jesus had to be crucified so that salvation could come to the world.  It appears that in Biblical terms, a thing must die first, before it can grow.

If you are confused at this point, don't worry - you are not alone.  There are countless accounts of the disciples listening to what Jesus had to say and then scratching their heads in confusion.  It's a common phenomena when exegeting Biblical truth, I think.   

There is a famous story about a mustard seed in the Gospel of Matthew.  Chapter 13:31-32 says, "He told them another parable: 'The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.  Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.'"

In order for the kingdom of heaven to grow and mature, the seedling itself must first die.  And see how it does grow!  Scripture says it becomes a tree, large enough that the birds will come and perch in the branches.  A shrub or a bush wouldn't suffice here.  God's plan accomplishes more than that.

The story of the resurrection is central to Christian belief, and it is the story of a dying and rising God, isn't it?  We have someone who came to Earth as a child, grew into a man who began a three-year ministry that would change the world, and then all of a sudden he was crucified and died on a cross.  The Bible goes on to say that Jesus was resurrected on the third day, and then spent a number of weeks moving about the countryside and showing himself to his followers and townspeople.  What an experience this must have been.

He then ascends into heaven, but not before giving his disciples a bit of advice in the form of the Great Commission.  "Baptize all nations" he tells them, "in the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit."

Then in a blink, he was gone.  Yet we are still talking about him 2,000 years later.

And we have now come to the part where we discuss what it means for you and I to 'die to self' such that we can grow also.  Now this is no fun at all sometimes, let me assure you.  You will recall our discussion about being humble a few moments ago.  Dying to self - or letting go of earthly things in order to embrace heavenly things - requires us to be teachable.  That means we are to stop being so stubborn and prideful.  We are to let God in, and admit that He can accomplish more in our lives than we could otherwise do on our own.

I wish there was an easier way, but Jesus tells us in Matthew 16:24 that, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."  It is part of our religion; a part of our faith walk.  We do not earn our salvation, but change will surely follow this saving grace.  It is the evidence of our spiritual transition. 

Nothing stays the same in this world, does it?   The car wears out and then we need a new one.  The kids grow up and go off to college.  We get older and then retire.  But in the middle of all this change is also beauty.  How much more beautiful if God is at the center?  We ought to consider letting Him in.

I don't believe in a spiritual neutral.  God wants us to keep moving forward, keep changing, and keep improving.  We are not simply to 'hang out' spiritually in one spot for an extended period of time.  This goes for life down here on Earth also, and apparently for life in the kingdom of heaven as well.  

We may use the analogy of a dandelion if it helps; I think Philip Yancey would be proud.  But remember, we are worth far more than a flower to God.  And if we are to change our life, let it be for Him.  

Time to shift the car out of neutral and back into drive.  And while we are at it, allow God to take the wheel.



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A God Type Thing

It is my desire today to discuss a concept in the Bible known as the Trinity.  Now mind you, this task is not an easy one.  Many people smarter than I have attempted it.  Theologians, philosophers, and scholars the world over have written a wealth of information about this important idea.  And I dare say, none have nailed it perfectly.  So, with that in mind, I now undertake this task with the full realization that when writing about God, it is okay to assume that we may get some things just a bit wrong.  Nevertheless, He has laid out a path for us in Holy Scripture full of revealed truth and signposts ushering us toward these higher concepts.  It is our duty to follow the signs I think; that is why signs are posted in the first place, isn't it? 

Let's begin with the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River.  It is a famous passage for sure.  But we will now look at it in a different light, one that many readers may miss the first  time they read it.  Matthew 3:16-17 says this, "As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

At first glance, this may simply sound like a recounting of the supernatural phenomena that surrounded Christ's baptism.  But look again.  We have here - I believe - an excellent description about the veracity of the Trinitarian notion of God.  Notice the three elements going on here in this passage.  There is talk about the Father's voice, mention made of the Son rising up out of the water, and an image of the Spirit descending like a dove.  Three persons or beings, and all of them intermingling and working together in unison.  Different and distinct, but alike at the same time.

When discussing matters like this, I often find it helpful to remember that ancient man was much better prepared to handle spiritual mystery and paradox than we are today.  They were okay with apparent discrepancies like when the Bible refers to Jesus in one place as the Prince of Peace, but in another place quotes him as coming to earth to 'bring a sword' (and not peace).  The twenty-first century reader (by contrast) is always looking for things to make sense in nice, neat packages tied with a ribbon of logic and a bow made of sensibility.  We like things to line up and make perfect sense all the time.  Black and white.

Is God boring and predictable?  Does He move in ways that always agree with our personal sensitivities and our own set of values and mores?  Most assuredly not.  If He does in your mind, then I would suggest re-reading the Bible again from start to finish.  God is good and just, but He does what He wants.  He is sovereign over all. 

Nature seems to mimic this strange idea of the trinity as well.  Many of you may have heard about the water metaphor when it comes to discussing the three persons of God.  Water is one element with many uses, for example.  In it's natural state, it is of course liquid.  Once frozen, however, it becomes hard as a rock.  Still another change occurs when water is heated up and becomes vapor.  Three forms, but one element.  

Now this is a fine analogy, as far as it goes.  But once we compare it to the three persons of the Holy Trinity, there are some differences.  The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit do not require a disparity in temperature in order to enact change for example.  And which form represents God the Father?  Which to represent the Spirit or the Son?  You get the idea.  But I do think it helps us, at least in the same way that a child can be helped when its parent shows it something similar when trying to explain, let's say ... quantum physics.  We get the gist of it, and then it's fuzzy again.  But it's still enough to get us headed in the right direction.

Now mind you, an idea this odd could not be guessed at by our own intellect acting alone.  I don't think you and I would have come up with a God that acts like this without hearing about it from some place else.  In other words, if God hadn't revealed it via the Scriptures, we wouldn't have assumed it.  He has revealed this notion to us throughout the Bible again and again.  It shows up in the Great Commission, in the baptism of Christ, in the epistles, etc.  It is here to stay, and the church has picked up on it, most likely with no small degree of illumination by the Holy Spirit I'm sure.

So what can we take away from all of this theology talk?  How is this important for you and I in our day to day lives?  It matters because I believe it is God's primary example of what a loving community should look like.  I think it's important because the three persons of the trinity act like a holy family who loves one another - it shows us how we are supposed to act.  They sacrifice for each other, they work with each other, and they love each other.  Is that not how we should also behave?  

Try to think of a situation where love isn't best exemplified through community and a relationship (more than one person).  It is difficult to surmise love acting through kindness without having at least two entities, isn't it?  All the better with three.  God has set for us an example, as He so often does.  An example of how the Christian believer is to remain in fellowship with one another, and with God also.  Faith is not a solo walk.  We are supposed to seek each other out.

And I want to mention one more important thing here, and this trips up a lot of people (especially from other religions).  Because God has been revealed to us through Scripture as three persons, it doesn't mean we have three Gods.  We have one God, in three persons.  The mono-theistic approach to the God of Abraham and the God of Jacob is still very much accurate.  We worship and supplicate ourselves to only one being.  

And this I think, is where the mystery of who and what God is must come to an abrupt end.  Not because there isn't anything left to learn about Him, but because our human attempts to explain away His mystery must surely, at some point, hit a brick wall.  We have been given this concept of Him and we should think about it and study it - but good luck explaining it in a way that unpacks the true paradox of God the Father.  It is, after all, a God type thing.

As Colossians 1:17 says, "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."  I am grateful that He is holding the reigns and not me.  It would be a much different outcome for all of us if man could fully explain God.  I have a feeling we weren't meant to.  What a different type of faith we would have if that were possible. 




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What Does it Mean to be Saved?

Please take a moment and listen to my talk on Biblical salvation.  What does it mean to be "saved" and born again?  Why does it still matter so much in this day and age?

Click here and find out: The Nicodemus Effect




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Why Do We Worship?

In one of my recent ministry classes, the teacher asked a rather simple question.  Why do we worship?  It was one of those moments where I suddenly remembered that weekly worship at church was one of those things many of us take for granted.  We often don't question it anymore, especially if we have grown up in the church all our lives.  It is just something we do each Sunday.  

I believe the act of worshiping our creator is one that should come naturally and fluidly.  It is a heartfelt exchange between the adoration of the Father, and the needs of His children to be in communion with Him.  As poor luck would have it however, life often gets in the way.  There are sometimes situations where people may disagree over the individual components of a worship service.  There may be times when we argue over what a particular seasonal service should look like.  “I want five hymns instead of four for Easter,” we might hear.  Or perhaps there are even disagreements about more mundane things like whether or not someone can bring a cup of coffee into the sanctuary during the service.  All of these things are usually propagated by well meaning people of course, who care very deeply for how and why churches do the things they do.  

It also occurs to me that some people are not fortunate enough to identify the need for worship in their lives whatsoever.  Though we are built for it, I have a feeling that many people incorrectly identify this longing to give glory to God as a need for acquiring more material possessions or status.  The history of humanity attempting to substitute God for other things has lead to misery down through the generations, and in the Bible this is known as idolatry - a scenario where we put other things in our lives ahead of God’s rightful spot at the top.  This is just as common among the ‘churched’ folk as it is the unchurched I think, and something we must always be on our guard to watch for. 

            But what compels us to give our time and energy to something so peculiar as the Sunday morning service?  Surely we are designed for this type of communion, as I mentioned above.  But what keeps us coming back week after week in light of all these differing ideas  about order of worship, preaching styles, etc?  After reading an interesting article by the United Methodist Church about worship this past week, I allowed some time for the S.L.I.C.E. methodology to sink in.  This is an acronym of course, and it stands for sacramental, liturgical, indigenous, connected, and embodied.  In my opinion, all of these are basically ways in which us mortal humans use our gifts and bodies to give back to God.  In this way of thinking – worship may just literally be an act “of the people” corporately giving back to God what is already His.  Namely, filling that ‘void’ inside of us that cries out so desperately to be satisfied through properly placed adoration. 

            The article talked about ways to evaluate success in the realm of worship also.  It mentioned that Sunday morning attendance is often not the best indicator as to whether or not a church’s worship plan is vibrant and alive.  There are too many external factors that play into attendance (is it a holiday weekend, are people traveling, what is the weather like outside, etc.).  But the fascination with quantifying success through numbers is so very tempting.  It is often how we judge things in other areas of our lives.  For example, a concert was a success if it was well attended.  A college sports program is healthy if large crowds bring in money for the school.  You get the idea.

            But yet we still plan all week long for the “big show” on Sunday.  We still do it happily in most cases – indeed in a perfect world – attending the worship ceremony is also vital to our own secular contentedness as well.  The church meet-up becomes a place to call home … a place to share the very gifts that God has blessed us with in the first place.  It should feel right doing so; if it doesn’t, then something is wrong.

            We worship because we have to.  The human creature cannot be at peace unless he or she is focusing on something outside of their own desires.  Many have tried to live the selfish, inwardly focused life, and have been miserable doing so.  It is a quick fix approach that doesn’t hold up over the long run.  Worshiping God, however, fulfills something inside of us that we cannot get elsewhere.  It reveals and brings to the surface that inner thing for which God has stamped all of us – His image and His likeness.   

Really, how else could we return the favor but through living, vibrant worship?  What else could satisfy us?  What else could satisfy Him?



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A God of Surprises

I have noticed one very curious thing when it comes to listening and observing other people.  Namely, that we often like to put things into categories.  This need to label or name something comes naturally I suppose, as we tend to do it all the time.  God told the first man (Adam) to name all of the animals in the book of Genesis, and we have been classifying and categorizing things ever since.  

I believe that this tendency to categorize things ramps up when that thing is either scary or unfamiliar as well.  I have heard it said that "if you can name it, you can conquer it."  There is probably some truth to that.  Once we can safely explain something, then we know what to expect.  And once we know what to expect - we can put that thing (whatever it is) into the proverbial box.  

But are we able to do this with everything?  What about when it comes to spiritual matters?  Many who have come before us have tried - no doubt very diligently - to place Christianity in a box.  To classify it as just another belief system, and file it away on a shelf somewhere next to Islam and Buddhism maybe.  

The question then as I understand it, becomes 'is the Christian tradition just another theory, or is it something different?'  Or if you like, we may phrase the question like this: can we put God in a box and make Him predictable?

Well the God of the Bible often surprises us I think.  In fact, if we look at one of my favorite stories from the Old Testament, we see just how effective He is at turning the tables on unsuspecting people. The Biblical story in 1 Samuel, chapter 16 talks about how God used Samuel to anoint a new king over Israel.  As the story goes, Samuel visited Jesse and asked him to bring out all of his sons, such that the Lord might choose a new successor to the throne.  God proceeds to reject each of the young men that Jesse brings out.  Once this process was finished, Samuel asks him if there are any more children.  Jesse then sheepishly volunteers his youngest son.  He was embarrassed of him, but he did as Samuel commanded anyway and paraded him out in front of everyone. 

Here is what 1 Samuel 16:11-12 says, "So he asked Jesse, 'Are these all the sons you have?'  'There is still the youngest,' Jesse answered.  'He is tending the sheep.'  Samuel said, 'Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.'  So he sent for him and had him brought in.  He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.  Then the Lord said, 'Rise and anoint him; this is the one.'"

You see, God wasn't interested in those for whom the rest of the world looks upon as fit for duty.  He wanted young David, a simple servant boy tending sheep.  We know how history unfolds from there.  David goes on to defeat Goliath, outsmart Saul, and become king of Israel. Were some surprised by this outcome I wonder?  You bet they were, and probably so was David himself.

Author and scholar N.T. Wright says in his best selling book 'Surprised by Hope' that "Our God is a God of surprises."  And I believe he means exactly what he writes - that God will often surpass our limited expectations of Him in favor of performing that one last miracle, granting a prayer, or in the case of Jesus ... healing marginal people that no one else seems to care about (Mark 1:40-45).  

All of these things are examples of His mercy and grace when it comes to humanity.  

God fits neatly into a box about as well as a square peg in a round hole.  He is sovereign, makes up His own mind, and acts in accordance with prophetic Scripture to surprise and astonish us again and again.  If you asked the average Jewish person back in first century Palestine what he thought about the Messiah, he would tell you that God was going to send a powerful king with a large army to vindicate and restore the Jewish nation.  He would not (at least prior to the arrival of Jesus), tell you that the coming savior would be born in a manger somewhere in Bethlehem, to a poor carpenter, with no power or worldly status to speak of.  

And yet we have the Christmas story as it were, recorded for generations to look at and recount down through the ages.  Yet another surprise from the Father.

I will always remember the time that God woke me up out of my own spiritual slumber.  I was a young man not unlike many others, for whom God was just an idea.  A being that was up there somewhere, who held no real sway or dominion over my life.  I did what I wanted to in those days, with very little thought when it came to religious matters.  

I remember my father once invited me to hear a talk at church given by a man named Wayne Weible.  Mr. Weible traveled the country speaking in churches about God's grace and mercy, Jesus' mother Mary, and some of the healings and amazing things that he had witnessed over the last couple decades.  It was an interesting talk to say the least.  After it was over, there was a chance to come up and purchase one of his books.  

A short line quickly formed at the back of the room adjacent to the sanctuary where he had given his presentation only moments earlier.  I went up and bought a copy of the book and got in line - uncertain why I just happened to have the exact amount of money necessary in my wallet that evening.  When it was finally my turn, I shook his hand and he signed my book.  What happened next was something that will stay etched in my mind for years to come.

As he looked at me, he made a gesture and all of a sudden a very startled look came over him.  He then informed me that he felt a "nudge" from the Holy Spirit to make certain that I received a small silver emblem with the likeness of Mary holding Jesus on it.  As he placed this trinket in my hand, he also told me that many of the people he gives a medal to end up being pastors or priests.  I looked at him stunned, and laughed to myself inwardly as I placed the small medal in my pocket.  

"A pastor?  Me?", I thought as I left the church.  How silly.

As I write this, I am currently beginning my fifth month as associate pastor for a local church several miles outside of town.  This strange event at the church that night happened to me years ago, before I had even the slightest notion that God may want to use someone like me.  But I think about it often.  

God surprised me that day, and I have a feeling it won't be the last time.  What would my favorite author and Christian scholar C.S. Lewis think of this, I sometimes think to myself.  If only he were alive today, I might just ask him.

There is a piece of dialogue from Lewis' book 'The Chronicles of Narnia' where the fictional character Aslan the lion talks with some of the children who have stayed by his side for the duration of the novel.  In the book you see, Aslan is a representation of Jesus; a lion both strong and wise.  Once finished with his conversation, he leaves the children wondering what his next move will be.  They are then counseled by one of the other characters who tells them to remember that Aslan is good, but he is not a tame lion.

I cannot think of a better way to discuss the God of the Bible.  He is good and He is just, but he is not "safe."  To categorize Him as such would be to cheapen what He really is.  He is loving and righteous, but He is not a tame lion.  Our God it would seem, is full of surprises.



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Rushing Toward God

I have been thinking about the following topic for quite some time.  In fact, I swear that one of my old pastors may have even preached on this subject years ago.  It relates to a famous story about Jesus healing a paralyzed man two thousand years ago in a town called Capernaum.  It has a bit to do with the forgiveness of sins, a little to do with being prepared to follow God at any cost, and a whole lot to do with the perseverance that both of these things can require.

The passage I'm referring to is from Mark 2:1-5 and it says, "A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven."

Now what struck me about this piece of Scripture immediately was the fact that the four men who carried around this debilitated person stopped at nothing to get their friend to see this Rabbi who was traveling up and down the coast telling people about the kingdom of heaven.  There was seemingly little or no thought of their own well being, only a  singular desire to bring this man face to face with the Son of God.

It struck me right away how a good portion of people in our country today will act the same way and with the same vigor ... but for very different reasons.  Consider for example, how much trouble the average sports fan would go to in order to get tickets to see the big game.  Or the amount of money someone might pay to make sure they end up at just the right venue in order to take in a concert by their favorite band.  To many of us, entertainment and popular culture is king.

"Two hundred dollars per ticket?  No problem, I'll take two", they might say.   

But these four men - whoever they were - demonstrated this type of devotion toward something much more worthy of such perseverance.  Something pure and good, not tarnished by idol worship or misplaced adoration.  No, they had their sights set on God straight away.

The second thing I took from this Scripture was the fact that they really did show an amazing faith.  Remember verse 5 says that Jesus noticed this fact as well.  These men did whatever it took to get to God, which meant going as far as cutting a hole in the roof.  They realized that if they could simply come into contact with Jesus, he would do the rest. The specifics didn't matter - they were going to get their friend as close to Christ as possible.  

In fact, the reader will also note that this act of faith was rewarded immediately.  Jesus looked at the paralytic and said, "Son, your sins are forgiven."  

But some might say that this wasn't the same as a physical healing.  After all, to walk again is really what they were after probably, right?  The next few verses in fact, talk about how Jesus healed the man's legs as well.  But the Gospel of Mark makes certain that we know the physical healing wasn't the most important thing.  It followed only after the washing away of the man's spiritual sins.  First Jesus attended to the man's soul, and then his body after.

So what do we do with this lesson today?  Do we shift our focus from the all-encompassing sports event, to church on Sunday?  Do we change out that little place in our heart that desires to have this or that, more so than God?

Yes.  I believe that is what we do.  And probably the sooner, the better.  Author C.S. Lewis was fond of saying, "if we are on the wrong path, then the faster we turn around, the quicker we end up at home."  It is never too late to turn around and point our hearts back to God.  Never too late to return home.

Do whatever it takes to get closer to your creator.  Rush toward God.  We know from other parables such as the prodigal son and the lost sheep that God the Father will take us back immediately if we have strayed.  He will allow us back into His good graces, even after we have allowed other things to become more important to us than they should be.  He takes us back after welcoming other things into our hearts, when God should have been the rightful occupant. 

But all of this discussion about idolatry can fall flat sometimes I suppose, especially because most of us already know it.  We've had this anthem sung to us at church already at some point.  And in light of that, I will leave the discussion about idols here and stop short.

What matters really - what mattered to the four people lowering their friend through a thatch hut roof - is that nothing was going to get in the way of a face to face meeting with Jesus.  

If you are at home with God already, then revel in that joy.  You are lucky indeed.  If you are not, then sometimes turning around immediately and heading the opposite direction is the fastest way home.   Rush home toward the God that will take you back, no matter how long it has been.



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