Crushed by 9

The Perplexing Tale of Ishmael

2011-02-16T13:09:00.000-08:00

*Disclaimer: The following thoughts are all just that - - thoughts. No in-depth study or commentary cross-checking has been done. This entry will more likely lead to more questions than answers, but hopefully also to more praise.

Background is assumed here – read Genesis 16 for more. (Cliff’s notes: Sarai tries to move God’s promise of a son forward through their servant, Hagar. The resulting son is Ishmael. ) Chapter 21 is where my musings have centered. This is where God’s chosen son for Abraham and Sarah enters the picture – Isaac.

At Isaac’s weaning, Abraham threw a party. At the party, Sarah saw Ishmael laugh (this particular laughter might be in mockery, says the ESV notes). In anger, she has Abraham banish Hagar and Ishmael into the wilderness. Ishmael is around 15 years old and is banished from his father’s house only left with his mother and a skin of water between them – in the desert. At this point of the story, it grabs my attention that Ishmael has not been named once. “Son of Hagar.” “Son of this slave woman.” “The boy.” “The child.” Never “Ishmael,” as opposed to Isaac, who is distinctly called by name throughout the passage.

Why is he not named?

I honestly don’t know, but it seems to be an intentional omission in the text.

My wonderings have led me to praise. It seems to me that when we become sons and daughters of God’s promises in Christ (or recipients of His electing love), our identities are cemented. We are God’s…intimately…by name. Ishmael was not the son of the promise. But before we get bent out of shape about ‘fairness’ of God’s love, look at the next interesting nuance in the passage.

Not only is Ishmael banished by his father (for laughing!!) but when the water runs out and life is fading, his mother abandons him. We know she is deeply saddened to watch her son die, but think of the self-absorption to walk away from a dying son—banished, now abandoned. Then look at the narration’s wonderful twist in the text:

Hagar: “'Let me not look on the death of the child.' And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy.” (emphasis added)

The narration clearly calls out her voice, but says God heard the boy’s voice. God’s common grace draws Him near to the brokenhearted in mercy—even though he was not the son of the glorious promise. His mercy extends to the ends of the earth!

For me, personally, I am speechlessly thankful, and not thankful enough, all at the same time, that I am “named” by God. It is with absolute humility that I say this, because it is Jesus’ doing. I am named as a son only because He was named with my curse. I will never be ultimately banished and abandoned to the wilderness because He was abandoned and banished in my place. And just as God ultimately provided an oasis of water in the desert for Ishmael, God has also provided a Living Fountain of water for me in the person of Jesus Christ.

Pug Petitions

2011-02-03T08:47:00.000-08:00

I actually laid hands on our pug for prayer two nights ago. Our eight year old pug has a myriad of issues, the most recent apparently being nocturnal insomnia (**disclaimer-not an actual vet approved diagnosis). This issue leads to click-clacking doggie paws on wood floors all through the night, whining at our bedroom door, and consequently – my own resulting sleep deprivation.

Now that we are into about week four of this, I am wearing down. A temporary solution has been for me to sleep on the couch. Proximity to a human seems to calm him down to a degree. But as this removes me from my marriage bed, it is not a good long-term solution.

So at 2:something in the morning, I found myself laying hands on my pug and audibly praying to God about the situation.

It seemed a little ridiculous and strange to me, but I don’t think it should. It has been a nagging, trying issue for weeks and is occupying a decent amount of life real-estate for me. Maybe I should have prayed 3 weeks ago—maybe that should be the normal response. Paul E. Miller, in A Praying Life, talks about the overwhelming volume of things we don’t talk to God about because we have the invisible norms of what God wants to (and doesn’t want to) hear about. Our pug’s sleeping patterns defaults to the ‘don’t bother Him with it’ category. And it shouldn’t. It is an issue that is causing me anger, frustration, fatigue, and some general craziness. Looking at this list, I’m pretty convinced I need the power of God warmly welcomed in the situation.

Thanks, Paul Miller, for your good words.

Thanks, Jesus, even more for your words through Peter: “…casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (ESV)

By the way, last night was more of the same with the pug situation.

While I am praying that the situation will go away, maybe the whole design was to get me to pray…

Hello, Again

2011-01-27T11:15:00.000-08:00

I was re-introduced to Jesus this holiday season. I’d like to say that it was at a reflective advent service, or in a deep conversation with Christy, but I met Him again in the movie theater. As we milled around the lobby, I kept seeing posters for movies I wanted to see. Little Fockers. True Grit. The Fighter. But the company I was with wanted to see Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

Crap.

I know, C. S. Lewis is a master, but I’ve not been a huge fan of the Narnia films. But we bought tickets and I settled in to enjoy it as much as I could.

As the movie went along, I found myself pulled into the fairly sophisticated portrayal of sin and temptation, but it was in the closing moments that I was sucker-punched with the person of Jesus. As Aslan (the Christ-figure) and company stand on a shore, he bellows a great roar to push back the sea—a commanding roar that accurately portrayed power, authority, and intensity. I remember chills going down my spine in the theater as the real Jesus leapt into my mind. But the sucker punch came moments later when Lucy timidly but confidently approaches Aslan, reaches her small arms up and embraces as much as she can of Aslan’s mane, pressing herself into him. The screen cut to a close-up of the face of Aslan where CGI magically rendered an expression of absolute tenderness, warmth, care, and love.

Tears welled up in my eyes as at that moment, as for me, the person of Christ, not Aslan, was front and center in my mind. It was as if his image had been superimposed on the screen. I hadn’t personally been with that Jesus for a long time.

God’s character and personality is vast and diverse. I find that I get stuck in certain particular aspects of Him sometimes, zoning in on a few particular attributes to the exclusion of others. For me, the last few years have been tipping the scales on the end of His holiness, power, majesty, wrath, justice, and transcendence. Indeed, these are marvelous aspects of His character. It has been rich at times while through these attributes He has exposed my sin for what it is, become larger in my vision, and has become the majestic King that He ought. But when this scene of His tenderness found its way into the film, my heart became acutely aware that I had not felt personally loved and embraced by my Father for a long time. How my soul needed (and needs) it.

The subsequent weeks have been wonderfully real and intimate with my Father. I talk to Him again like a beloved child, still aware that He is majestic beyond comprehension, but I am reminded that, through Jesus, I have confident assurance that I can be with my Father with no fear. No trepidation. No condemnation. His embrace is real…almost tangible in this sweet time.

Siblings, I hope your Father is to you both majesty and intimacy personified. Embrace the whole of God, not just a part. Find your soul both overwhelmed by Him and warmed by Him.

“Make no mistake. Aslan is on the move.” – Mr. Beaver, The Chronicles of Narnia

An Honest Question

2010-08-13T06:46:00.000-07:00

Seriously, no guilt undertones here at all.

Would Jesus watch TV if he were to walk here today?

Questions of cultural relevance, community ideals, use of 'down time,' quality of entertainment...all sorts of things make me wonder about the answer to this question. I honestly have no clue.

Interesting Thoughts from Challies.com

2010-07-29T06:22:00.000-07:00

http://www.challies.com/reading-classics-together/the-next-charles-spurgeon#more

Hebrew Anyone?

2010-03-29T13:18:00.000-07:00

I found a really great resource for an introduction to learning Biblical Hebrew:

http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/7_home.html

Any takers to learn with me?

Jesus Still Has a Body

2010-03-23T08:08:00.000-07:00

Our pastor reminded us of this fact on Sunday night. It's a lovely thought to me and is helpful in many ways. Specifically for me, it makes prayer easier. I think prayer is intensely difficult...to not feel like I'm 'thinking out loud' or 'talking to myself' but actually engaging with the Living God of all creation. Jesus having a body simply puts real ears and intercession to my prayer efforts. It also reminds me of a living hope. There are so many dark and heavy things in this world, more specifically, our lives. Jesus having a body, for some reason, reminds me of a living, active, tangible hope. Jesus is the hope for broken government. Jesus is the hope for limping churches. Jesus is the hope for depression. Jesus is the hope for...

Basement Walls

2010-03-22T11:56:00.001-07:00

Crash Helmets

2010-03-22T07:33:00.000-07:00

"On the whole, I do not find Christians, outside of the catacombs, sufficiently sensible of conditions. Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies’ straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping god may wake someday and take offense, or the waking god may draw us out to where we can never return.”

Annie Dillard, Teaching a Stone to Talk (New York, 1982), pages 52-53.

Crappy Start to the Workday

2010-03-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

So I have about a 10-minute walk to work which is usually very enjoyable, especially on crisp, sunny mornings such as this one. I was most of the way to work when I noticed a considerable amount of birdcrap on the sidewalk. This surprised me a bit because there were no shrubs or low, full trees around. You know the kind; the ones that you park under unwittingly when you go shopping, only to smack yourself in the forehead three hours later as you discover your car has a new paint job called 'blackberry marble.'
So I began pondering why this might be. No fence, no bird feeder, no bushes, no low trees. These things perplex simple minds. I began to be bothered enough to investigate further. As I lifted my eyes heavenward on this glorious morning, an interesting thing occurred. Time seemed to decelerate as if in a matrix-like state. First my eyes focused on the high branches, 50-60 feet up in the air. Still leafless from the winter, branches sparse as they thin toward the top, slightly waving in the morning's light breeze. Then my eyes focused 20 feet lower. Descending toward me was a slightly wavering bit of matter, unrecognized at first. Then the matrix-time process began occurring in my brain. "Move," it said. Then it said, louder and more urgent this time, "move quickly." The brain-nerve-motor connections screamed with indecisiveness as I tried to process everything faster than gravity could act. As motor skills clicked in and cognition finally came upon me, I felt the distinct ping of something smacking me directly in the forehead. Still trying to reconcile this less-than-a-second sequence, I instinctively reached my hand up to my forehead where I felt for (what? what was I feeling for?) what I hoped would be nothing. It was probably one of those spring buds from the tree that had sprung loose as new growth pushed through. So in my head, I was feeling for nothing. But when I brought my hand down, there was a brown and white smear, notifying me that it was not, in fact, a bud that had struck me in the forehead. I looked back up, now for a different reason than before. I looked up to internally curse the masterful pooper with impeccable aim. There he sat...perched as if nothing had happened, though in my heart-I knew he was laughing, sneering really. I had not caught him before in my first quick glance up, but he was now most assuredly there, confirming that the sidewalk art was his doing--the whole reason I had slowed in the first place.

Yep, right in the forehead.

Spiritual ADD

2010-03-05T05:38:00.000-08:00

So yesterday, my time with God was really spot on. I literally had a moment of clarity in thinking about the miraculous where I thought to myself, "For God, refilling my cup of tea and making it boiling hot right now would not even require effort, and I would consider it miraculous." I seriously had that thought. I didn't pray for it or anything, but it was really clear to me that things are not hard for God...at all. He does as He pleases - effortlessly.

*Disclosure statement: There really was a twinge of me that was hoping to see a full cup of steaming tea in front of me when I opened my eyes.

Jump to this morning. I literally had about 3-second bursts of prayer before my mind was wandering to really asinine things. Seriously...3 seconds might be generous. And I was trying, too.

Moments of clarity with God really are a gift of grace.

The Worry Cure

2010-03-04T05:45:00.000-08:00

"But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?" - Matthew 6:30

I have always tended to think of this passage from the perspective of my needs, specifically those mentioned in the full passage from Matthew 6, namely food, drink, and clothing. The very direct practical application is not to worry; God will supply all my needs.

This morning, the passage struck me in a different way as I read:

"...your heavenly Father knows that you need them all." (6:32)

By grace, different nuances of this passage were opened to me. Though this passage deals very specifically with food, drink, and clothing, the implications are much more far-reaching. God knows what I need, or put another way; God knows what is absolutely necessary for me today.

If work goes awful for me today, it must be necessary and good.

If Christy and I argue constantly with each other, it must be necessary and ultimately good (not to discount necessary repentance required by our sin).

If progress halts on our house building project, this is necessary and good.

What is the confidence for this assertion? Our heavenly Father knows...

It became more clear to me than ever this morning that worry in any form is an affront to His character and ability. And it also became clear to me that He can meet needs however He chooses. Miracles are not miraculous to Him.

The passage was beautiful this morning because it was finally more about Him than me.

Nothing Satisfies Like...

2010-03-03T12:52:00.000-08:00

I have found that I get most fired up by people understanding the gospel/grace more than they did the moment before. This, of course, includes myself.
I even get physically jittery when conversations or events like these happen.
And I love it when my wife is the conduit for my understanding of grace, even (especially) when she is unaware.

Language Barrier

2010-02-25T07:04:00.001-08:00

So I've been to some different countries where English is not the primary tongue. But in most countries, they can speak enough English to communicate with you, but you have to strain, struggle and really watch the mouth pretty intently to catch what they are saying to you in your own language.
Last night, I wasn't in a far-off land visiting people of strange customary dress and eating foods of exotic varieties. But I found myself watching mouths intently, struggling and straining to understand the particular dialect of English they were speaking. It was pure, authentic, unhindered appalachian speak--banter between heavy machinery operators and good country folk . I caught about 20% - enough to respond with appropriate mm-hm's and ahh's and yes's.
I love the mountains.

"That's ridiculous!"

2010-02-25T06:49:00.000-08:00

I realize that this video is pretty unimpressive.

Trust me, in person, the size, sounds, and vibration through the ground is pretty awe-inspiring.

This tree was really tall.

I Forget the Story

2010-02-24T05:21:00.000-08:00

We people, as a general rule, are quick to forget. I forget the big story constantly and live in my little story. When I stop for five or ten minutes at the beginning of the day and tell myself the big story again, it brings a lot of good perspective to the day. We should never get too 'advanced' for the basics...

God existed before time and was perfectly happy in Himself. Very happy, in fact. As an extension of His nature, creativity, and to bring more glory to Himself, He created the heavens, earth, and everything in them. Mankind was made in His image. That's big. Man rebelled, and continues to rebel. I rebel. God redeems, by grace. Much grace. He chooses as He pleases, though He is not obligated to. Abram was chosen out of a pagan family. Isaac was chosen over Ishmael. Jacob was chosen though he was a rascal. Israel was chosen though she was small. All these still rebelled. Grace was still extended, first for His glory and name's sake...second for their benefit. Sin is a debilitating problem. Redemption is an ongoing story. Human pride is always with us. Divine mercy stays His hand from rightfully crushing us. The Old Testament shadows Jesus and the New reveals Him in His meekness and majesty. He was perfect. He was snuffed out, but not. He is alive. He is alive. He is alive. Oh, how I forget this part of the story daily. He is alive. He is moving. He is intimate. He is involved. He is transforming. He is saving. He is molding. He is watching. He is waiting. He is building, building that glorious bride that He loves and we too often hate--His church. He is sending, sending that church to the tribes and nations, sending with a redeeming message of hope--God rescues sinners for His glory. Sinners like me. He rescues and then does not stop. He washes. He sanctifies. He grows. He trades our sin for His Son's righteousness. He changes our thinking from little story to big. He transplants from peon kingdoms to the Ultimate Kingdom. He displays the greatness of His God-ness as compared to the crumbling cigarette ash of our little replacement gods. He puts a new song in our mouths that sings of His glory and then lets our chorus be a witness to the world of His supremacy. He is supreme. The way things are now is not the way things will always be. His Kingdom shall reign forever and ever and ever. He is coming back. Yes, He is coming back. To rule. To love. To reign. To be seen for all time in His full radiance. We see now so very dimly what will be seen in stunning clarity--He will be great beyond our imaginings.

Oh, redeemed sinner, remember the bigger story with me.

Meet Bill

2010-02-23T10:04:00.001-08:00

Say "hello" to Bill! Bill pushes dirt around on a big gnarly machine. He will push dirt around enough to make a nice little spot for a house. In this picture, he is pushing dirt to make a road to get to the spot. I like Bill.

So Very Exciting

2010-02-22T10:12:00.000-08:00

I cleared about 9 or 10 books off of our bookshelf yesterday, upon which I took them to a 2nd-hand bookstore. I received about $19 worth of credit. Is this as exciting to you as it was to me (I mean, if it was YOUR credit in YOUR bookstore--I don't expect you to be that excited for me)? $19 to spend however I wanted in a gigantic bookstore. I can still smell the books. Unfortunately, I could not find my desired St. Augustine's City of God, but I ended up leaving with two very handsome books. Both matte finished softcovers that looked like brand new:

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond

Quote of the Weekend

2010-02-22T05:13:00.000-08:00

My favorite by far, said in our church by a parishioner to the pastor:

"I suck at lent."

The Danger of McLaren

2010-02-19T06:17:00.001-08:00

Brian McLaren is proposing surprisingly unorthodox conclusions in his newest book, A New Kind of Christianity.

A summary of McLaren's propositions and a sound and interesting critique is offered by Kevin DeYoung here. It is well worth the read.

McLaren has been popular for quite some time in emergent circles. The danger with McLaren is his call for action is very appealing (as it should be), but it is packaged in God-belittling theology. He frequently attacks the Church that Christ loves and brutally bled for.

I originally stumbled across this at Justin Taylor's blog here:
Christianity and McLarenism

Bankrupt

2010-02-17T05:23:00.000-08:00

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Blessed = happy (deep sense)
Poor in spirit = spirit poor, or no funds in my spiritual account.

When I relinquish the pressure to be something or someone super spiritual, I find deep happiness, because it is then that I am most in sync with the kingdom of heaven (living in the fullness of God's rule/reign/fullness/joy/control/...). The key to relinquishing that pressure is to realize that I am already fundamentally poor in spirit.
I have nothing to offer God. No good works to impress Him. No gift that He didn't first give. No righteousness of my own to be acceptable. I am morally bankrupt before Him, the perfect and holy God. That takes a lot of pressure off, no? Coming to God with the mutual understanding between Him and myself that I will not be bringing Him anything is relieving. Pressure gone, for in the full counsel of Scripture, I understand that only when I realize my absolute ruin before God will I understand my need for His funds to fill my account, namely Christ.

Come empty before God, and then find yourself deeply happy and satisfied as your realize that the pressure to perform for Him is gone...the only way to step out of your kingdom and into His is with nothing to bring as an offering. If I bring my own moral offerings to get in, Christ's death was stupid and frivolous. This is most assuredly not the case.

I find myself bathing in the delights of His kingdom and therefore deeply happy when I acknowledge and embrace my spiritual poverty.

Rock Climbing, Sort of

2010-02-16T06:46:00.001-08:00

Last night I went rock climbing on an indoor wall built in one of the residence halls at Montreat College. The wall was fantastically built, a challenging wall with pretty diverse routes that range in difficulty. As I attempted to scale the mild route with large holds and not-so-intense or thought-provoking maneuvers, I realized a few things:

1. I am fatter, older, and more out of shape than I've ever been.
2. Two of the above predicaments are avoidable (that would be fatter and out of shape).
3. Quivering, jello-like muscles do not respond the way you hope they might.
4. I hate young and skinny college males who climb well.

As my posts usually have some element of contemplating God and my life with Him...

1. Jesus, help me not to hate college students.
2. Jesus, why couldn't ice cream have been created to build muscle rather than create fat cells?
3. Jesus, what is the point of climbing rocks? I mean, really?

In actuality, last night was a sober reminder that I'm also a steward of my earthly tent (i.e. wobbly body), which I've neglected/abused for too long.
I grew up in a church culture that didn't flinch at ingesting mass amounts of pizza and sweets, but would roar at the thought of drinking a beer.

As someone who now partakes in all of the above, I'm positive that the pizza and sweets are much more of a sin issue in my life than the beer.

John the Baptist - from the Top Ropes

2010-02-12T06:45:00.000-08:00

In Matthew 3, Pharisees and Sadducees came to John for baptism, and he subsequently called them names and commanded them to "bear fruit in keeping with repentance." My guess is they did not end up wet that day.
A few things:
1. John was not concerned with his ministry popularity - he kept mission over popularity/doctrine over doting
2. John knew they were coming for the pomp and circumstance, not the symbol and act of repentance
3. John recognized that God doesn't need people to join religious movements ("God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham..."), so he doesn't push for more numbers to join his ranks

In thinking on 'those Pharisees' I was challenged. Do I hold to appearances and forms of religious activities more than their actual power?

- Do I read Scripture without believing God will speak?
- Do I attend corporate worship gatherings not expecting God's Spirit to move in community?
- Do I pray without believing God is actively and passionately listening?

Yes, I do.

Coalescence of Frustration

2010-02-11T12:46:00.000-08:00

The dissatisfaction with the current state of my soul has grown from a distant hum to a nagging racket. I'm hoping to intervene before it rises to a cacophony of life-debilitating chaos. Several factors have converged to bring this to the forefront of my consciousness:

1. The noticeable pattern of mindless TV watching...turning it on without anything in particular to watch
2. Reading Francis Chan's "The Forgotten God." He didn't have anything revolutionary as far as content, but his taking God's Spirit seriously, good questions, and personal radical living made it poignantly incisive.
3. A sermon delivered at our church on Satan and his demons: the question was asked if we take them seriously...which led me to question how seriously I take God.
4. Simply desiring more and more of Christ.

Steps I am currently taking to remedy the situation:

1. Reading through the New Testament from start to finish, but approaching the text differently by asking God (pleading, really) before I open it - "Do not let me walk away from this book without really hearing from you." And then resolving to not walk away from the text without receiving real gospel counsel from it/Him.
2. Turning off or walking away from the TV if I'm not watching for a specific purpose.
3. Resolving to tangibly and actively encourage someone weekly (beyond a simple verbal compliment)
4. Reading good books - currently The Pleasures of God by John Piper
5. Praying and believing that God change me

Peace to you.

C.S. Lewis - Aiming at Right Things

2009-12-07T08:59:00.001-08:00

From Mere Christianity -
"Your real, new self...will not come as long as you are looking for it. It will come when you are looking for Him. Does that sound strange? The same principle holds, you know, for more everyday matters. Even in social life you will never make a good impression on other people until you stop thinking about what sort of impression you are making. Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it. The principle runs through all life from top to bottom. Give up yourself, and you will find your real self. Lose your life and you will save it."

David Dark

2009-10-21T12:18:00.000-07:00

I love guys who come along and make me think in fresh ways...to probe corners of my mind often left undisturbed and dusty. David Dark came and led a few sessions at Montreat College, simply tossing out some of his ideas and challenges on community, doubt, questions, culture, and the Simpsons.
His ideas make me nervous and excited...a feeling I found to be stirring, because it caused me to WANT to think and question more of my deep held assumptions.

I slip too easily into a mindless TV-viewing, trivial conversing, thought-less step above a monkey.

Check him out:
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/cms_content/149187505?page=619876&event=1010RNL&event=1010RNF&event=1010RNF
and
http://davidsarahdark.blogspot.com/

Farting Preacher II - Fart Harder

2009-08-12T11:14:00.001-07:00

I just have to post it. I can't help it.

Follow Me...

2009-07-22T06:58:00.000-07:00

We had a fascinating discussion last night in our community group. Consider Paul's boldness in saying, "Follow me, as I follow Christ." Consider yourself saying to another brother or sister the same. Could you say it without feeling awkward?...sinful?...prideful? Paul did...and apparently God approved as it's recorded in the Sacred Writings.

The discussion flowed out of a weariness in hearing 'celebrity' pastors praised. Some get tired of hearing about Piper, Driscoll, Dever...or whoever is in their camp. And it has the potential to turn you off to that person, just from getting tired of their being lauded. Some pastors certainly do feed off of this praise, and there is great danger in allowing yourself to be puffed up with others' tickling of your ego, but I think that the greater issue is this: when people praise these people, what they are really saying is, "I love John Piper, because John Piper loves and points me to Jesus." For this is what John Piper would say to the person who would say, "John Piper, I love your ministry."

Piper: "Follow me, as I follow Christ."

A couple questions arise for me:
1. Can I say without shame, pride, or duplicity, "Follow me, as I follow Christ"?
2. Is there someone in my immediate life (not a 'celebrity' kind of person) whom I follow as they follow Christ?

Do you have someone you are following...watching them relate to the opposite sex, watching them respond to conflict, watching them fail well, watching them have a godly sense of humor, watching them love their family...

Too bad that most of us would have to say, "Follow me as I dink around life foolishly."

Grumpy Old Man

2009-06-01T05:31:00.000-07:00

So I was having a great day out yesterday with my wife and a couple friends of ours. We were playing tennis and it was a gorgeous day. My wife and I are novices at best...the stage where you're still hitting the ball over the fence regularly because you haven't quite grasped not to hit it like a baseball. An older man in a bright pink shirt and red tennis shoes rode up on his Harley Davidson, and by the way he was dressed, it was obvious he hadn't ridden far, so the assumption is that he lives in Montreat (wealthy community). Putting these factors together, I have surmised that this man is a wealthy eccentric with not much to do. Even if this is not true, it makes me feel better to assume it to be so.
We had a ball outside the fence (see above), so when the gentleman (term used loosely) pulled up on his bike, I walked over to the fence and asked him if he could kindly get our ball for us. It went something like, "Hey, could you do us a favor? When you get unsaddled, could you throw our ball over?" He then said something unintelligible. To which I replied, "Huh?" He then said something again, which I did not understand. At this point (I'm sure you've been there), it's the awkward moment where you feel the dilemma rising up within you if you should ask again or just pretend like you understood. I asked again. He then said, finally without mush in his mouth, "GIVE ME A MINUTE." Hmmm. Was that not implied in my question, "When you get unsaddled..." I thought so, but apparently, a simple "yes" or "sure" would not suffice for this sour man. So I "gave him a minute" and he returned the ball. I was a bit miffed at his demeanor and wondered to myself, "Why are some people so sour, especially on a day like today...at the tennis courts?" Had it been the DMV, or church, I may have understood. I shook it off and dismissed it quickly as I wanted to return to our match/inning.
A sidenote should be mentioned. There are 5 courts where we play. 5. We were on the side court. It is a LONG way to the 5th court...plenty of room. Being the only ones there, space abounded for any other racqueteers that might wish to play. When grumpy came, he chose the court adjacent to ours. Hmmm again. Interesting. It's like coming into a men's bathroom when multiple urinals are lined up on the wall. Men rules apply, and they are universal. Man #1 takes one on the outsides. Man #2 finds a spot at least one away. It makes sense in my mind that the urinal rule should also apply on tennis courts. Collateral damage is a possibility in both places. In the bathroom, in is mostly the mental/emotional damage of being next to a man in a confined space with man parts exposed. Why would you choose the closest spot? Men don't do this unless there is some sort of social disability involved. Physical collateral damage is possible in the urinal analogy, but only if bad aim is a real issue with one of the parties. On the tennis court, the collateral damage is mostly physical with the inconveneince of potential stray tennis balls coming over from other players' courts. My point in all this is to say: if there are four more open courts, pick a court one away. It just makes sense.
So some time passes and the foursome of older men warms up and begins playing next to our court. We did a good job of keeping our balls under control, but one happened to roll along the fence behind their court. They were not in the middle of a point, so I proceeded to walk along the fence to retrieve our ball from their area. The aforementioned man picked up my ball and beckoned me to come to him, which I then proceeded to do. I put out my hand to get the ball and thanked him at which point he withheld the ball and said succinctly, "Tennis etiquette: your ball can come over, but you cain't." My shocked and dumbfounded retort was an impotent, "Ok, thanks." About a half hour later, many other options came to mind. My favorite being, "Life etiquette: Don't be an ass."
My point; I don't want to be a grumpy old man with a pink shirt and red tennis shoes and nothing good to say. What if the tables were turned? What if some 10 year-olds came and were next to us and having more fun than serious competion? Would I look at them and have good things to think and say? Would I invest in them, even if just in minor ways withholding negativity toward them? I honestly have to answer and say, "I don't know." Maybe I am growing into the man that has the pink shirt, red shoes, and mouth full of manure (in diction and content). I hope not. In the end, I think the experience was good for me, though at the time, I did not like it. God sends lessons through asses in the Old Testament, and he sends lessons through the same on the tennis court.

My Own Prison

2009-05-31T05:29:00.000-07:00

Quote taken from Reformers in the Wings by David C. Steinmetz - on a chapter highlighting Johannes Von Staupitz (1460/9 - 1524)

"The problem is not that sinners have lost sight of the demand of God that is laid on them or are slothful and unwilling to make use of their ability to obey the will of God. If that were so, then moral education and exhortation could awaken sinners to their predicament and enable them to assume their responsibilities towards God and the nighbor. The problem is, rather, that the human will is the prisoner of its own self-love and cannot release itself from that bondage. This misdirected love has worked havoc in the human soul. There is no inner citadel of the soul that has fought the enemy to a standstill and escaped the effects of the fall. On the contrary, sinners are not only unable to earn merits, they are even, as Augustine had rightly argued, unable to act virtuously. When the nominalists urged sinners to do their very best and assured them that God would reward their very best with his grace, they were reading a sentence of death over the human race. Fallen men and women cannot love God supremely even if they try--and there is no reason to be sanguine about the possibility that they will try."

Pursue good thoughts...pursue sound theology.

Quote to Ponder

2009-04-05T12:55:00.000-07:00

In my previous blog, I mentioned my current reading of Far As the Curse is Found by Michael D. Williams. This morning in my reading of his chapter entitled "The Law," I read

"Never knowing how to satisfy someone produces slavery."

His purpose was to show God's law as given at Sinai as an avenue of freedom for God's redeemed people. Our view of law is usually the opposite...stifling, rigid, suffocating. But I think his point is excellent. If we don't know what satisfies someone, we're left wondering how to please...a slave to the 'figuring out' of what it takes to walk in accordance with their desires. How often does this happen with spouses? "What do I have to do to make them happy?" "I thought that they would appreciate this..."

God has graciously laid out what satisfies Him...how to walk in His ways. Law truly makes free.

Last point to remember...the Israelites at Sinai were redeemed and chosen by God before the Law was given. After the redemption came the Law. Following the Law does not make us God's people. God makes us His people, then graciously frees us to please Him and walk with Him by showing us His law.

Obligation to God

2009-03-24T07:22:00.000-07:00

This title is a bit misleading for it is only a minor part of the whole. I'm reading a fantastic book, which is an introduction to Covenant Theology. I am incredibly thankful for it as I've longed for a good introduction to this particular theological framework. The book is Far as the Curse is Found by Michael Williams. The thought that has been thrilling my soul...in a very simple yet profound way: Covenant relationship always precedes obligation. God calls us into relationship with Him before obligations are required. He wants relationship, then obligation flows out from the joy of being in relationship with Him. Not very profound as I type and re-read...but profound when I actually stop and meditate on the wonder of it. He's called me in to a relationship with Himself. Creator desiring the created. Thanks Father.

Paul sings Nessun Dorma high quality video/sound widescreen 16:9

2009-03-12T14:58:00.001-07:00

This video has the ability to produce tears. I don't even know why it makes me weepy really...just does.

Loving God with All Your Mind

2009-03-11T06:41:00.000-07:00

Working in an institution of higher ed. is sometimes extremely encouraging. At times, the 'headiness' can be a subtle environment for pride to sneak in a destroy, but overall, I'm pleased to be in an envoronment where thinking is encouraged. Christ himself encourages this when he calls us to "love the Lord your God...with all your mind." In many of your conversations, does it not seem that it is unpopular to think? In a recent e-mail from a professor on campus, I've been reminded that many times, people simply interact with issues on the emotional level...how it makes them feel...not fully engaging logic and reason. Don't get me wrong: I think we all long for our emotional fulfillment as well, but for our worship to be holistic, I believe that our emotion should flow from engaging our minds with truth.
It's the times in worship that I engage my mind with the truth of what I'm singing that I find myself in tears.
My challenge today...find people who stir your mind...even if you don't agree with them. Talk with them...be intentional about having heady conversations...but then...don't let it stop there...worship the God who gave you the ability to think.

Pulling Rank

2009-03-09T14:55:00.001-07:00

An interesting thing occurred last night. I received a disturbing line of communication in e-mail format. I don't know if it had poor motives behind it, but is was enough to prompt me to think about pulling rank. It's abusive to pull rank, and I think we're all prone to it on some level. I'm not a parent yet, but I imagine it would be easy to pull the 'because I'm dad' card. I AM a husband, and in years past, I borderlined on pulling the leadership card. I've seen pastors pull the 'submit' card in order to quell 'divisiveness' that really was dialogue for the purpose of growth, personal and corporate.
Don't get me wrong, I think rank has its place, just the abuse of it is where the rub comes.
I'm glad God doesn't pull rank...we'd all be crushed without hope.
"He who knew no sin became sin for us......"
He is good.

Submitting to Sovereignty

2009-03-06T11:30:00.000-08:00

25 Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back and let me see both it and his dwelling place. 26 But if he says, ‘I have no pleasure in you,’ behold, here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him.”

This passage from 2 Samuel 15 caused me to, once again, rejoice in God's sovereignty through David's statement. Am I confident enough in God's good purposes even to say to Him, "Do what seems good to You," even if it means that I am the object of his displeasure? This statement of David's is packed with trust in God's sovereign purposes. How many TV preachers proclaim this gospel: God does what pleases Him, and that might mean my harm, not my prosperity....and He's still good.

This calls for introspection

2009-03-04T05:21:00.001-08:00

Last night, listening to a speaker, I found myself challenged and enthralled by this statement:

"Shame blinds your ability to differentiate between a statement of value and an observation."

I found this to be the one statement that I walked away mulling over in my mind. He went on to explain what he meant. If you are doing laundry and your spouse (or fill in whatever relationship applies here) says to you, "Don't put the colors with the whites," and you hear, "You are an awful embarassment of a husband. Why are you so idiotic that you don't know this?" rather than hearing the simple assesment and observation, there are some issues there to deal with. You will be a difficult person to live with. Because then, of course, the resulting train of events...you turn inward, look hurt, spouse says, "What's wrong?", you say "Nothing.", you learn to mask more behavior, conform to avoid shame...cycle continues, issues get pushed deeper.

I just found it to be fascinating. If you have a shame history in your upbringing, maybe you can identify?

The speaker was William Paul Young, author of The Shack. This book has generated some theological controversy, and I have some of my own minor issues, but if I can say...he was one of the most honest men that I have ever seen on a stage. Hands down. His love for Jesus is real and intense. His humility is the most genuine I have seen, with no attempts to 'be humble.' His sensitivity to God and people is near angelic. The Church would look vastly different were it filled with men like him...but I'm aware that God is growing His church in His own way...and I'm satisfied with that.

Nathan's Crushing Blow

2009-02-26T06:11:00.001-08:00

In the tagline of this blog, it says it's better to be crushed by truth than to be coddled by error. This can only be true if our desires are really set on growing. Must of us really want to be coddled in some sense by error. I want people to stroke my ego and tell me I'm great more than I want them to tell me my speech borders on gossip. I want people to be wowed by my teaching more than I want to be told I've taken some Scripture out of context...but if I want to grow, I need to be lovingly crushed by truth. So often, God brings that through His agents, our brothers and sisters.
In 2 Samuel 12, Nathan tells David a parable that makes David livid with anger at a certain man. Nathan then drops the bomb, "David, you are the man!" Most of us guys love hearing, "You're the man!" but in this context, it would have been a crushing blow--that David just admitted his own sentence in his eyes: he deserved to be put to death.

Nathan crushes David with truth.

1. Do you have people in your life that are honest and loving enough to crush you with truth?
2. How do you respond when someone that loves you crushes you with truth?

I'm thankful to have people in my life that are willing to crush me with truth.

In the same breath, I am sorrowful that often my response to being crushed by truth is not so thankful...or even receptive.

If you have people you'd like to 'publicly' thank...leave a comment.

The Enigma of David's Sin

2009-02-23T14:58:00.000-08:00

Oh how the story of David's sin always makes me so wary of my own weaknesses. David, dubbed by God as "a man after God's own heart" walks with God through so many intimate years of dependence, love, sorrow, and victory. Yet when he sees a beautiful woman bathing on a rooftop, the impending turn of events is staggering: adultery, lies, cover-ups, plot of indirect murder, inciting drunkenness, carrying out of a murder plot...all this after years of tasting and seeing that the Lord is good.
Then to witness, through Nathan's counsel, his (key:honest) repentance and sorrow over what he has done and the restoration of joy in his fellowship with God.

How easily we fall even after being on mountaintops with God.

By grace and by mercy may we be kept from falling...let us never think ourselves to be so spiritual that we are 'beyond' our stumbling, but let us cling ever so tightly to His grace which sustains us.

"Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it--prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart, O, take and seal it. Seal if for Thy courts above"

What's Your Story?

2009-02-20T20:44:00.000-08:00

C'mon folks...let's make this a little more interactive... :)

1. How would you define your spritiual environment upbringing?
2. How has that shaped your thinking on spiritual issues today?

Let's get this blog party started.

The process or the Prize

2009-02-20T15:00:00.000-08:00

I had a great conversation that led to a good reminder for me. It was a good reminder because I'm so tempted as a self-righteous reward seeker to place my satisfaction and delight in the completion of an exercise over my satisfaction and delight in the Person of Christ. It is baffling how easily we are deceived, once we've tasted and seemingly almost tangibly experienced His Personhood, to return to a merit-based system of 'gaining' His approval, as if we can gain anything by our efforts.
Simply put...programs fail if they lead you to an achievement rather than a person. 40 days of...anything... may make you 'feel' like you have more direction, but if you do not truly savor Christ more with a voracious appetite as a result, it is fleeting and ultimately worthless. Fasting from food may make you feel like you've achieved discipline, but if it did not fiercely channel your appetite toward a hunger for Christ, you're still hungry for more. Are you catching my drift? These things are not bad in and of themselves. In fact, they can be holy and wonderful. But if our disciplines (even if started with pure motives) subtly get turned toward the 'goal' and 'accomplishing,' our god becomes our achievement, and our pleasure is our own strength.

Think with me. If I set out to fast for 3 days, and the first day my fellowship with the Almighty Christ is consuming, sweet, and soul-stirring...what happens if the 2nd day is a floundering desert, so I eat the third day because my focus just won't return...have I failed? If my goal is completion, and my god is my effort--yes, I have failed, and I will feel like a failure. If my goal is Christ, I have much delight that He graced me with His presence that first day...He has succeeded in me.

I admit, I would struggle feeling like a failure, because my battle is with self-righteousness.

Oh, that our goal and aim would be Christ and Christ alone, the gift from the Father. I find Him richly dwelling in His Word and in His Church, the Saints. When I delight in the process more than the Prize, I rob myself.

May you find Him dwelling richly in His Word and in those saints you fellowship with.

Thoughtful Input Desired

2009-02-18T11:45:00.000-08:00

I read a quote a moment ago:
"If there was anything upon which the Christian apologist C.S. Lewis preferred not to dwell, it was the divisions that existed in the Christian Church."

Within the realm of theological reflection and Christendom, if there is anything that you prefer not to dwell on, what would it be?

Theology for your edification

2009-02-18T06:03:00.000-08:00

Here's a great website for your soul's feeding. Of particular interest on the left hand information bar...blogging through the Institutes. I have been reading the Institutes and find them to be refreshing nourishment for the soul in an overwhelmingly parched theological literary world.
Please enjoy.
http://www.reformation21.org

This is Tank

2009-02-16T13:37:00.000-08:00

Tank says hi. Tank wants to lick your face.

Come on, you know you want to make it your wallpaper...

Stop Doing and Start Enjoying

2009-02-16T07:47:00.000-08:00

I've been reading through the Samuels in the Old Testament. I tend to pore over single passages for long periods of time, gleaning every bit that I can, and I love this kind of study. But in the Samuels, I've just been reading them like a novel...big picture storyline from a wide-angle view. It has been great. It is amazing to me that God worked in David's heart in such a way that he did not seek revenge on Saul with repeated opportunities...he did not seek the throne before his time though he knew he was chosen...he was a musician and a warrior (nice...reminds me of my brother-in-law). The thing that struck me this morning was the whole "I want to build you a house, God" interaction in 2 Samuel. In short, David was struck that God did not have a permanent dwelling, so he was telling God of his desires to build Him a house. One would think that God would be pleased, honored, and revel in the praise. God said no. David's son would have the job instead. I don't claim to know God's reasons for things. It would be nice sometimes, so I think.
David had been a busy man up until this point. If you read from 1 Samuel straight through to this point, you would see how many wars he has fought, personal and national. It's as if God was giving him liberty to rest. Stop doing and start enjoying.
Do I have the ability to stop trying to accomplish things for God and just enjoy Him? Do I think my enjoyment of Him (or His enjoyment of me) is contigent upon my accomplishments for Him? Bigger yet, what can I really accomplish for God? His involving me in His stuff is completely by grace and I believe is really designed for me to see more of His glory and goodness rather than me 'accomplishing' anything at all.
Today, at least for a time...stop doing and start enjoying...He can 'do' without you.

Good Preaching

2009-02-15T14:38:00.001-08:00

Relationships, Marriage, Sex, Roles...I have been thoroughly convicted and encouraged by my pastor's series on the topics. Check them out here: http://www.livinguncommon.com/sermons.php?objectID=55
I attend Missio Dei church in Asheville, NC. Missio Dei is an Acts 29 Network church committed to advancing God's Kingdom through the gospel of Jesus Christ. My wife and I are privileged to attend as they hold to reformed orthodoxy without being stuffy, removed, trendy, or just plain dorky.

Imitation

2009-02-13T06:50:00.000-08:00

I was thinking this morning that we are to be imitators of Christ. Most of the time, I think in the philosophical realm...such as how he treated females, how he was associated with drunkards, or what the implications of his scathing words to Pharisees mean to us...but I shifted this morning to thinking about simple imitation...like the kind kids do. Mimicking, more like. Like what does he DO. He gets up a couple hours before the sunrise to meet with the Father. He goes away from people that want to be with Him desperately to sit on a mountain to pray. He drinks alcohol with no peeking over his shoulder. He eats frequently with people. He enjoys large parties.
The first couple really convicted me...I want to stray far from legalism. Legalism would demand that I do these things to 'increase' my righteousness and would impose this on others as well. I'm NOT saying in posting these things that you must get up at 4 am to please God and have a 'fuller' relationship with Him...but I am wondering...did Christ have something wonderful when He knew 4 am brings no distractions...that quiet places in nature away from people seem to prompt worship...something for me to consider...taking into account that I have not mimicked these in quite some time.

The Unlikely Couple

2009-02-12T12:19:00.001-08:00

Take 3 minutes...we have One who is not like us Who anxiously awaits the day when our healing will be consummated by His hand.

Me in short

2009-02-11T19:34:00.000-08:00

I'm a thirty year-old redeemed thankful one married to a wonderfully patient and lovely wife. The only possession that I prize higher than my wife is my relationship with God, and that has been wonderfully granted to me by Grace, not by my merit. I am struggling to learn how to love God with all my heart, strength, soul, and mind. Under that broad category, I am also struggling to learn how to love:

1. My wife
2. My (C)church
3. My family
4. My friends
5. My enemies

I name those very specifically and pointedly. I believe the toughest command to carry out in life is to really love people. It's often very easy to be nice to people, but to really love people? Difficult beyond my wisdom. Please ponder with me...have you loved much this week? ...or simply been nice?
Biblical love goes so much farther than niceness...and often culturally probably doesn't even look nice...but oh how enticing it is when you actually encounter it. I seriously lack in this area and I want it to grieve me much more than it does.

shalom