I've spent most of my adult life in service to teenagers. In the past 10 years, social networking, texting, and the ability to share every facet of your life has exploded among the teen (and adult) culture like an atomic bomb. In my day, the saying was that "Nothing good ever happens after 10 pm." As my testimony of my teenage years confirm this, what with the drinking and general debauchery that occurred well into the wee hours of the morning, I feel like something has shifted in the ways that nothing good happens now.
We long for transparency in the Christian life. When someone gets up in front of hundreds and thousands of people and shares their life story, about a time when they were raped, they were on drugs, they were suicidal, they were stuck in the miry clay, if you will - we connect with this person on a deeper level. We tear up, we partly feel their pain and agony, and maybe we even identify with the person because we are or were in that very same mire. The testimony continues and that person has their foot set on the firm rock of Jesus now - we cry more and feel joy in the freedom of the collective life of Christ. This is not a bad thing, this can be and should be a very good, encouraging thing.
When is enough though? When should some things be kept private and not divulged to the entire "cloud" of witnesses that is NOT the biblical "cloud of witnesses?"
I often hear teenagers saying that they cannot sleep and that they have a struggle with insomnia. But as my experience in having sleepovers with these teens at different camps tells me, they do not lack sleep because of insomnia, they have no sleep because they are up all night constantly texting one another and chatting on Facebook and tweeted updates about their lack of sleep. Their minds constantly work and they have "conversations" until 4, 5, 6 am in the morning.
Let me make up a statistic on the spot - there are more teens today suffering from depression than ever before in the history of the world (and this includes teenagers with crazy, messed up families like Joseph and Rachel of the Old Testament). Most teenagers that I talk to are depressed or have some sort of depression in the past. So, there friends stay up all night texting back and forth, back and forth, rehashing all of the depression, talking about all of the things that make them feel horrible, gripe about their parents and living situations, and maybe, just maybe pray for a few minutes or seconds.
Is this ok? I'm all for encouraging one another as long as today is called today. But when is enough enough? When is it more detrimental to the people of Christ to be constantly available for one another and no longer alone before God crying out to Him Alone?
Don't misunderstand me. We, the church, need one another. We need to encourage, exhort, push one another as we strive to be the Church of Christ, to be His body here on earth. BUT...
I remember a great story that was told to me about 8 years ago now. This Christian guy was at a missions conference, and his roommate, who he had never met, would wake up crying every night from about 2 am till 5 am. Finally after about 3 nights of this, the guy woke up along with him and asked his crying, weeping roommate what was wrong. The man replied that God wakes him up every night to cry and weep over his country for the lost souls that are in it, and to pray for the harvest to come.
This man did not wake up and begin to text his friends, or get on Facebook, well probably AIM at that point and time, to chat away the hours in the evening about his depressed state; no he woke up and cried to God. His time was with his Father in Heaven. And you can bet that this man never suffered the effects of his insomnia. He was not tired, but constantly refreshed.
I do think that the social networking devices have been an incredible tool for people to connect and even grow together. But can I suggest that nothing good still happens after 10 pm? I know that we think that we have to be there for one another, even till 4 am, but shouldn't we encourage one another to seek God, shut off our computer and cell phone and then actually seek Him? Pray, cry, weep, praise, rejoice - whole heartedly, with all your mind, with all your strength and with every inch of soul.
Just a thought.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Things That Puzzle Me
Lately I have been journeying through 1st and 2nd Kings, having realized that I have probably not read these books in their entirety since my freshman year of college (but I have read the book of Acts maybe 8 times since then, go figure).
One of the things that ALWAYS puzzles me is the situation of Elijah. He calls out the prophets of Baal, tells them to meet him up on Mount Carmel and they would find out whose God/god was real. Or, in his own words, "The God who answers by fire, he is God," (1 Kings 18:24). Perhaps you have read this story before, so you know how it goes -
The prophets of Baal make their altar, pray before it, weep before it, cut themselves before it, sacrifice onto it, but there is "no voice; No one answered; no one paid attention," (1 Kings 18:29b).
There acceptable time of offering passes, so Elijah goes up to the altar of God. He douses it with water several times, puts the sacrifice on the altar, and makes the simple prayer that God would "answer" him. His time of offering comes, and God consumes the offering with fire. So much fire, in fact, that it "licked up the water that was in the trench," (1 Kings 18:38).
Rain comes, Elijah is victorious over the prophets of Baal, a group of people realize that God is God, and that a god is NOT God. Fantastic. What a victory, right?
This is what puzzles me.
1 Kings 19:2, "Then Jezebel (the wife of King Ahab, whose prophets of Baal had just been defeated) sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, 'So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them (the prophets who had just died) by this time tomorrow.'"
So what does our mighty prophet do? 1 Kings 19:3, "Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life."
WHAT? WHAT? WHAT?!?!? Ok, I'll stop.
But seriously. You just saw your God, who actually is God, lick up even the water that was around the trench of your offering with an all-consuming fire. He just gave you a HUGE victory over something like 850 false prophets. And then the woman who is behind it all threatens you with a threat from the gods (lower case "g") who could not even bother to show up, who you mocked, and who ultimately was just proven DON'T EXIST!!!! You are NOW afraid and you run and flee for your life?
This puzzles me.
It makes me feel hopeless in a way, because if Elijah, a man who was empowered to raise the dead, who was a test-proven prophet, who had great faith to pray to God in front of 850 threatened false prophets, "Answer me," - if he falters, then what hope do I have?
This would probably be the wrong reaction to have to the text. Which is why I am so very glad that there is a remainder to chapter 19. Now, I am not saying that if Elijah had not fled that God would not have worked this out in another way. I find "what if" questions to be kind of silly anyways, because this IS the way it happened, and this IS the course of events. No alternate version is available. So, no what ifs.
So, Elijah fled and God went after Him. He showed him in the still quiet wind (the sound of sheer silence) that he, Elijah, was not alone. Not only was this God who can come with an all-consuming fire or with the sound of silence with Him, but this God still had 7,000 people back in Israel who loved Him. Not only that, but Elijah continued his journey, as God instructed him, and found his helper, his replacement, and ultimately someone who would do even more for God, a man named Elisha.
Is it God's plan for Elijah to falter? For him to run in the face of gods and Jezebel? I don't know. What I do know is that even though Elijah falters, his faith wains, he loses focus, God works in his life in spite of this. He raises up another prophet, one who continues His work on earth; He restores Elijah's faith, and eventually Elijah gets carried off to be with God in a chariot.
This restores my hope. Because while Elijah's instant lack of faith after an incredible time of victory and evidence of God's reality happened, this story is not about Elijah. This story is about God working and being faithful when we are faithless.
God will work even when we don't. God will still be there, even when we forget that He is. God will still be God, even when we put others and other things before Him. God never changes who He is, even when we blow like a branch in a hurricane.
Why do we even bother then? Because Elijah did far greater things when he was faithful to God than when he was not. A faithful servant will produce much fruit; so much will happen when we actually work with God instead of forgetting about Him and all He can do.
Remain faithful then. Remain in prayer, remain in the Word, ABIDE in Him. He will produce fruit, because a part from Him, we can do nothing.
One of the things that ALWAYS puzzles me is the situation of Elijah. He calls out the prophets of Baal, tells them to meet him up on Mount Carmel and they would find out whose God/god was real. Or, in his own words, "The God who answers by fire, he is God," (1 Kings 18:24). Perhaps you have read this story before, so you know how it goes -
The prophets of Baal make their altar, pray before it, weep before it, cut themselves before it, sacrifice onto it, but there is "no voice; No one answered; no one paid attention," (1 Kings 18:29b).
There acceptable time of offering passes, so Elijah goes up to the altar of God. He douses it with water several times, puts the sacrifice on the altar, and makes the simple prayer that God would "answer" him. His time of offering comes, and God consumes the offering with fire. So much fire, in fact, that it "licked up the water that was in the trench," (1 Kings 18:38).
Rain comes, Elijah is victorious over the prophets of Baal, a group of people realize that God is God, and that a god is NOT God. Fantastic. What a victory, right?
This is what puzzles me.
1 Kings 19:2, "Then Jezebel (the wife of King Ahab, whose prophets of Baal had just been defeated) sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, 'So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them (the prophets who had just died) by this time tomorrow.'"
So what does our mighty prophet do? 1 Kings 19:3, "Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life."
WHAT? WHAT? WHAT?!?!? Ok, I'll stop.
But seriously. You just saw your God, who actually is God, lick up even the water that was around the trench of your offering with an all-consuming fire. He just gave you a HUGE victory over something like 850 false prophets. And then the woman who is behind it all threatens you with a threat from the gods (lower case "g") who could not even bother to show up, who you mocked, and who ultimately was just proven DON'T EXIST!!!! You are NOW afraid and you run and flee for your life?
This puzzles me.
It makes me feel hopeless in a way, because if Elijah, a man who was empowered to raise the dead, who was a test-proven prophet, who had great faith to pray to God in front of 850 threatened false prophets, "Answer me," - if he falters, then what hope do I have?
This would probably be the wrong reaction to have to the text. Which is why I am so very glad that there is a remainder to chapter 19. Now, I am not saying that if Elijah had not fled that God would not have worked this out in another way. I find "what if" questions to be kind of silly anyways, because this IS the way it happened, and this IS the course of events. No alternate version is available. So, no what ifs.
So, Elijah fled and God went after Him. He showed him in the still quiet wind (the sound of sheer silence) that he, Elijah, was not alone. Not only was this God who can come with an all-consuming fire or with the sound of silence with Him, but this God still had 7,000 people back in Israel who loved Him. Not only that, but Elijah continued his journey, as God instructed him, and found his helper, his replacement, and ultimately someone who would do even more for God, a man named Elisha.
Is it God's plan for Elijah to falter? For him to run in the face of gods and Jezebel? I don't know. What I do know is that even though Elijah falters, his faith wains, he loses focus, God works in his life in spite of this. He raises up another prophet, one who continues His work on earth; He restores Elijah's faith, and eventually Elijah gets carried off to be with God in a chariot.
This restores my hope. Because while Elijah's instant lack of faith after an incredible time of victory and evidence of God's reality happened, this story is not about Elijah. This story is about God working and being faithful when we are faithless.
God will work even when we don't. God will still be there, even when we forget that He is. God will still be God, even when we put others and other things before Him. God never changes who He is, even when we blow like a branch in a hurricane.
Why do we even bother then? Because Elijah did far greater things when he was faithful to God than when he was not. A faithful servant will produce much fruit; so much will happen when we actually work with God instead of forgetting about Him and all He can do.
Remain faithful then. Remain in prayer, remain in the Word, ABIDE in Him. He will produce fruit, because a part from Him, we can do nothing.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
The Sun Also...
On my way to work every morning, I have to stop at a corner where the sun has risen to a point that every time I look left to check for traffic I end up with a great amount of brightness flashing into my now squinted eyes. I have tried leaving a few minutes earlier or later, but alas, to no avail - there is the sun in all of its ball-y, gaseous glory ready to blind me.
So, I have to begin the process of what I call slowly creeping - this is where I slowly, but with hesitant foot on the brake, make my way out into the intersection and hope that no one is coming from the left, or that if they are, they will be one of those wonderfully weird New England drivers who stop for everyone and everything that want to cut them off (I love those New England drivers).
From that point on in the rest of my 4.1 mile journey to work, I never have to worry about the sun's beams pointing directly into my retina. That is, until I am on my way home from work around lunch time and the sun is high in the sky, being a blazing ball of fire and I can see nothing without the assistance of stylish, Fossil sunglasses. This journey is made all the worse when the wonderful white stuff that I have been loving all winter is around to reflect said beams right into my eyes.
Even though I carry around this hate relationship with the sun on my drive to and from work, I also have a deep, deep love relationship with the sun. Most mornings, I do say most, not all, I am an early-ish riser. Enough that I have my cup of coffee in hand as I sit on my couch with a view of the cove out my window. As I read, the sun slowly peaks his head out and wonderful blues and pinks fill the sky as the sleepy New England town wakes up. Often I am lost in thought as I stare at the beauty that surrounds me - and I feel for just a few moments that part of this was created for me, for my enjoyment, for my delight, for the fact that there is something inside of me that loves beauty and art and creation, and knowing that even the most beautiful manmade painting falls incredibly short in comparison to this moment.
As the day closes, and the sun leaves this side of the earth the sky is once again filled with all shades of pink and orange, and I am reminded that tomorrow he will return. It's as if the sunset with all of its wonder and beauty is there to remind me of what I experienced in the morning, and to let me know what will again happen tomorrow. For the sun is always there, and as long as the moon keeps us spinning on our tilt, we will always rotate around to see it - to have the chance to wake up early and see it, to experience its beauty, part of its very purpose, to delight and have joy in the creation of something so marvelous as the sun rise.
There are plenty of theological illustrations here, but right now, I am just going to leave it and let you explore these thoughts on your own. For now, I am going to enjoy the view.
So, I have to begin the process of what I call slowly creeping - this is where I slowly, but with hesitant foot on the brake, make my way out into the intersection and hope that no one is coming from the left, or that if they are, they will be one of those wonderfully weird New England drivers who stop for everyone and everything that want to cut them off (I love those New England drivers).
From that point on in the rest of my 4.1 mile journey to work, I never have to worry about the sun's beams pointing directly into my retina. That is, until I am on my way home from work around lunch time and the sun is high in the sky, being a blazing ball of fire and I can see nothing without the assistance of stylish, Fossil sunglasses. This journey is made all the worse when the wonderful white stuff that I have been loving all winter is around to reflect said beams right into my eyes.
Even though I carry around this hate relationship with the sun on my drive to and from work, I also have a deep, deep love relationship with the sun. Most mornings, I do say most, not all, I am an early-ish riser. Enough that I have my cup of coffee in hand as I sit on my couch with a view of the cove out my window. As I read, the sun slowly peaks his head out and wonderful blues and pinks fill the sky as the sleepy New England town wakes up. Often I am lost in thought as I stare at the beauty that surrounds me - and I feel for just a few moments that part of this was created for me, for my enjoyment, for my delight, for the fact that there is something inside of me that loves beauty and art and creation, and knowing that even the most beautiful manmade painting falls incredibly short in comparison to this moment.
As the day closes, and the sun leaves this side of the earth the sky is once again filled with all shades of pink and orange, and I am reminded that tomorrow he will return. It's as if the sunset with all of its wonder and beauty is there to remind me of what I experienced in the morning, and to let me know what will again happen tomorrow. For the sun is always there, and as long as the moon keeps us spinning on our tilt, we will always rotate around to see it - to have the chance to wake up early and see it, to experience its beauty, part of its very purpose, to delight and have joy in the creation of something so marvelous as the sun rise.
There are plenty of theological illustrations here, but right now, I am just going to leave it and let you explore these thoughts on your own. For now, I am going to enjoy the view.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Reflections.
I've been traveling for a few days, so this blog entry has been festering in my head for a while now. Each year we compile a list of things to accomplish or do and set out trying to make our life quality a little better according to standards set by the Food Network Channel, the Biggest Loser, Forbes, Time, and other major entities in our world. Not that this is a horribly bad thing. I have lived most of my life by setting goals and accomplishing them. I even knew of some girls that went to my alma mater for the set goal of finding a husband (one of whom turned out to be one of my best friends).
As we set the goals for the New Year, we often spend time reflecting on the previous year - and usually it brings lots of regrets, tears, and heavy sighs at what we did not accomplish within the year (or even forgot to do).
Last year, I really don't think that I set any particular resolution/goal for the year, and when I sat back and reflected on the year, it kind of made me have a bit of a "Debbie Downer" moment. I did a lot of things last year, but because I didn't actually set out to accomplish any of those things, there was no sense of swelling pride - the good kind, not the kind that comes before the fall.
So, this year, I may have gone over board a bit - but we will see. I have set out four new resolutions, with a possibility of adding a fifth (but I really doubt that that one will happen). What you may ask are these goals? Well, I'm glad you asked. There is something to publicly stating your goals that helps with the whole accountability thing. It adds a bit of pressure also, so that maybe you will actually accomplish one of two of them, and possibly even all of them.
1. Write daily. This does not mean that you will be seeing a daily blog entry from myself (please, never let it be). I just need to write more. And there are journals and a Macbook Pro waiting my musings, my thoughts, my reflections, and possibly something more substantial.
2. Read at least 25 books. Now, I know, this goal seems to be a little low. I'm pretty sure that with all the re-reading I did last year, I read over 25 books. And I know, D.A. Carson read 100+ books a year, plus writes his own, teaches, and manages to be an all-around stud. But, I am NOT D.A. Carson, as much as I would like to be. So, at least 25 books this year it is. I have already started my list of what to read, and it is well over 25, so if you recommend a book to me this year, it will probably be a year before I get to it. Sorry.
3. Cook at least 4 times a week. I LOVE to cook. I LOVE watching Food Network and browsing Williams & Sonoma, but my major problem is that I have a insanely busy lifestyle. So, most nights stopping at the store or grabbing take-out has been my habit. Well, it's time to break it. At least 4 times a week.
4. No sweets this year, except for on our birthdays. This one was tacked on by my wonderful husband. I think he did it because he knows that I have a tendency for a sweet tooth, so this doesn't help his diet either. I did this once when I was a teenager, so I think that this one is definitely do-able. Here's hoping to a mild summer so I won't want to snack on ice cream in the heat!!
Well, there they are. You may ask why there isn't anything in there about God, prayer, reading the Word, etc, etc, etc. My simple answer to that - my relationship with God is not a goal. The second it is, it is no longer a relationship - it has become a checklist.
Happy New Year, one and all!
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Time for Casting or Time for Taking?
"I don't know if I can take much more."
Have you heard that statement recently? Maybe even coming from your own mouth? Possibly the holiday planning, the pressure of seeing family or not seeing family, the end-of-the-year workload, exams, studying, commitments, parties, scheduling - it's all too much.
This week, I heard this statement from someone who probably had every right to say it. A dear friend had passed away, and the circumstances surrounding their death is the epitome of a surreal tragedy.
When things happen, we say phrases like, "I have to deal with this on my own," or "It's something I have to take care of," or finally, "I don't know if I can take much more."
I spent a good portion of last night thinking over these statements, and then thinking through the bold claims of Peter and Jesus found two separate passages. In 1 Peter 5:6-7, Peter writes:
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you."
Peter is writing to a group of people that have been living in constant persecution. As 21st Century American Christians, I don't think that we can ever fully grasp what it means to suffer persecution at the hands of those around you. We hear stories of martyrs and the persecuted Church throughout countries like Indonesia, Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, Libya, etc, etc, etc; but the most that we are persecuted here is from words that sting and bring us to places of anxiety, but never fear for our life.
This is why I think this passage is so very apt for the 21st Century American Christian. We are an anxious people. We are born into a family that worries, we are raised to worry, we live our life worrying, and then eventually we pass our worry onto our children. There are finances, school decisions, silly things called "our love life," pressures at work, and then our family and all of the choices that they have to make. So we worry. And when things get extremely tough, like in the situation of friends and family actually passing on, a deep, heavy, feeling comes over us - and we don't know how much more we can take.
Instead of trying to handle all of this worry and pain and hurt on our own, Peter tells us to humble ourselves, and cast all of our worry, anxiety, pain, hurt, grief, etc, on Him. Because He cares for you. Don't miss that - it is all BECAUSE HE CARES FOR YOU.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:28-30:
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
The scholars tell us that a yoke is typically put upon someone, as in a forced servitude. So, the Jews were under the forced yoke of the Romans. A slave would be under the yoke of their master. Even, in some situations, a woman would be under the forced yoke of her husband.
These were not good yokes. They were not taken willingly, but were placed forcefully. Jesus says that we have to actually TAKE HIS YOKE and PUT IT ON OURSELVES. We have to submit to Him; we have to willingly put on His yoke, because He will not force it upon us.
The amazing difference is that the yokes that were forced upon people were heavy, were filled with anxiety, with pressure, and with fear. But Jesus' yoke is easy, is light, and is filled with rest for your souls. What a stark difference between the two! Jesus has nothing in common with a forceful master. He is gentile, He is light and easy - and He gives rest.
When we submit ourselves to Jesus, we have to submit even those phrases of: "I have to take care of this myself." "I don't know how much more I can take." Because we are under His yoke. We take upon ourselves, willingly, freely, a light, easy yoke that is provided for us by our Savior who PROMISES nothing but rest and gentleness. Under this yoke, we are FREE to CAST ALL OF OUR CARES AND ANXIETIES UPON HIM. Why? Because He cares for YOU!
Let's start to think radically for a moment. What would happen if we took these verses seriously? How would our language and phrases we use begin to change? How would our minds and thoughts begin to transform? What would happen to that curse of worry that has plagued each of our families for generations upon generations? And then, most of all, when incredibly tough, hard tragedies happen - would we be able to know without a doubt that we are able to not just survive, but thrive in the midst of the tragedy because He is caring for you every month, every week, every day, every minute, every second of your life. I think that it's time to start taking up our yokes and time to start casting our cares upon Him.
Have you heard that statement recently? Maybe even coming from your own mouth? Possibly the holiday planning, the pressure of seeing family or not seeing family, the end-of-the-year workload, exams, studying, commitments, parties, scheduling - it's all too much.
This week, I heard this statement from someone who probably had every right to say it. A dear friend had passed away, and the circumstances surrounding their death is the epitome of a surreal tragedy.
When things happen, we say phrases like, "I have to deal with this on my own," or "It's something I have to take care of," or finally, "I don't know if I can take much more."
I spent a good portion of last night thinking over these statements, and then thinking through the bold claims of Peter and Jesus found two separate passages. In 1 Peter 5:6-7, Peter writes:
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you."
Peter is writing to a group of people that have been living in constant persecution. As 21st Century American Christians, I don't think that we can ever fully grasp what it means to suffer persecution at the hands of those around you. We hear stories of martyrs and the persecuted Church throughout countries like Indonesia, Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, Libya, etc, etc, etc; but the most that we are persecuted here is from words that sting and bring us to places of anxiety, but never fear for our life.
This is why I think this passage is so very apt for the 21st Century American Christian. We are an anxious people. We are born into a family that worries, we are raised to worry, we live our life worrying, and then eventually we pass our worry onto our children. There are finances, school decisions, silly things called "our love life," pressures at work, and then our family and all of the choices that they have to make. So we worry. And when things get extremely tough, like in the situation of friends and family actually passing on, a deep, heavy, feeling comes over us - and we don't know how much more we can take.
Instead of trying to handle all of this worry and pain and hurt on our own, Peter tells us to humble ourselves, and cast all of our worry, anxiety, pain, hurt, grief, etc, on Him. Because He cares for you. Don't miss that - it is all BECAUSE HE CARES FOR YOU.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:28-30:
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
The scholars tell us that a yoke is typically put upon someone, as in a forced servitude. So, the Jews were under the forced yoke of the Romans. A slave would be under the yoke of their master. Even, in some situations, a woman would be under the forced yoke of her husband.
These were not good yokes. They were not taken willingly, but were placed forcefully. Jesus says that we have to actually TAKE HIS YOKE and PUT IT ON OURSELVES. We have to submit to Him; we have to willingly put on His yoke, because He will not force it upon us.
The amazing difference is that the yokes that were forced upon people were heavy, were filled with anxiety, with pressure, and with fear. But Jesus' yoke is easy, is light, and is filled with rest for your souls. What a stark difference between the two! Jesus has nothing in common with a forceful master. He is gentile, He is light and easy - and He gives rest.
When we submit ourselves to Jesus, we have to submit even those phrases of: "I have to take care of this myself." "I don't know how much more I can take." Because we are under His yoke. We take upon ourselves, willingly, freely, a light, easy yoke that is provided for us by our Savior who PROMISES nothing but rest and gentleness. Under this yoke, we are FREE to CAST ALL OF OUR CARES AND ANXIETIES UPON HIM. Why? Because He cares for YOU!
Let's start to think radically for a moment. What would happen if we took these verses seriously? How would our language and phrases we use begin to change? How would our minds and thoughts begin to transform? What would happen to that curse of worry that has plagued each of our families for generations upon generations? And then, most of all, when incredibly tough, hard tragedies happen - would we be able to know without a doubt that we are able to not just survive, but thrive in the midst of the tragedy because He is caring for you every month, every week, every day, every minute, every second of your life. I think that it's time to start taking up our yokes and time to start casting our cares upon Him.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
There Are Much Worse Things
On my Christmas playlist, I have most of "Colbert for Christmas" added into the mix, and quite often enjoy listening to the song, "There Are Much Worse Things to Believe In," sung as a duet with Elvis Costello. At the end of the song, the lyrics are:
"You doubt, but you're sad
I don't, but I'm glad
I guess we're even
At least that's what I believe in
And there are much worse things"
This morning I read an article on my NPR app (yes, I am a hipster nerd) about two billboards that are on either side of the Lincoln Tunnel. The one on the way into NYC has a picture of the manger scene and directly above it says, "You KNOW it's a MYTH: This Season Celebrate REASON!" - this sponsored by a group called the American Atheists. At the end of the tunnel, there is another billboard with a manger scene which states, "You Know it's Real: This Season, Celebrate Jesus." - sponsored by the Catholic League. Enough words have been written about the validity and truth of both boards, the faith/non-faith wars that have erupted between certain leaders, the profit that both have benefited from because of these statements - what I want to discuss is the simple statement, "there are much worse things."
It is no secret that I would fall on the side of Celebrating Jesus billboard, but let me ask the first of many rhetorical questions - What's wrong with a little hope during this CHRISTmas season? We believe, this fills us with wonder, with joy, with peace and with hope - is there something wrong with this? The fact that hearing Linus's voice on a Charlie Brown Christmas say, "Lights, please..." lisp and all warms my heart, because I know that the next few minutes will be filled with the story from the Gospel of Luke about the shepherds, the angels and the statement that unto YOU is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. What is wrong with this? Aren't there, as Mr. Colbert points out, MUCH WORSE THINGS TO BELIEVE IN?
The story of Jesus' birth is an amazing story. We believe it to be truth, because we believe that the Holy Bible is in fact the very words of God. Is it so terrible to imagine that God would not only create the very world that we walk around in, the one in which we live and move and have our being, but that He would also come to this earth in the human form? Is it so terrible and horrifying to believe that God would send His Son to save us? Is it so horrible to hope in a new heaven and a new earth, because we know in our hearts that this world in which we live in its current state is just not right?
A lot of you can leave the super scholarly arguing about the validity of the Bible for the super scholarly to argue, but I would say that this CHRISTmas you have something very simple and very profound to say as you spread your Christmas Cheer - and that is that there are much worse things to believe in. Once again, Merry Christmas - may your hearts, minds and souls be filled with all the wonder, amazement, joy, peace and hope of this Season as you Celebrate Jesus!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Anticipation
Do you know, right now, I am actually sitting in my home with Christmas lights lit up around my window, staring outside waiting for it to snow?
Yes, I am one of those. I have a hot cup of coffee, a couple of pieces of toast, and I want snow! Christmas means two things to me: Christ and snow.
Now, I know, I KNOW, there probably was no snow in Bethlehem the night Jesus was born. I get that. But you can bet that there was snow for almost every single Christmas since I have been born. And since I take this relationship that Jesus and I have very, VERY personally, I think He is in on that whole "Let It Snow" wonderfulness of Christmas.
Back to the point of this rather random blog entry - anticipation.
So much of this season is filled with anticipation. Mostly, you can see the anticipation for the gifts that are under the tree, or hiding in the closet, in most kids' faces. They cannot wait to rip into the gifts and immediately text their BFF's about all the choice product they received. It's a tradition (well, maybe not the texting, but I'm sure that is slowly becoming a part of our traditions).
There is anticipation among the cooks of the household about picking out the perfect meal and baking the best treats to stuff our bellies with. There is anticipation among scholars and students alike as they eagerly hand in the last assignment and check-out for the winter break.
There is anticipation in the chance to see loved ones again (or maybe that is anxiety, your choice).
For me though, my greatest anticipation is the chance to say, "Merry Christmas" to someone on Christmas Day. Now, this is not some political blog post on the horribleness of losing the word "Christmas" to the PC crowd. I honestly could care less. I will say, "Merry Christmas," because I celebrate Christmas and that's that. That's Freedom of Speech 101.
Here's why I get so excited to say, "Merry Christmas." Because I LOVE to CELEBRATE the birth of my Savior. What a fantastic time of year! Forget the presents, forget the food, forget the relatives, forget all the weird traditions that have attached themselves to this time of year, and remember that we say, "Merry Christmas!" We celebrate the amazing, wonderfulness of our Savior being born. Such a time as this, God prepared beforehand, that we might come to know who our Savior is!
And that is the wonderful thing about Christmas. With every cheerful exclamation of "Merry Christmas!" - you, dear Christian, are given the opportunity to tell someone about your Savior. What a fantastically, simple way to evangelize! Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas! God came to earth, to save sinners - Joy CAME to the World!
It is so easy to get bogged down in the traditions of the season, to the shopping, to the gifting, to the traveling, to the weirdness of "Happy Holidays," but I want to urge you to celebrate Christmas this year. Celebrate it for the right reason, that our Savior is born, and happily, cheerfully, exclaim "Merry Christmas" to all!
Oh, and if you love me, you can say, "Let it snow!" too.
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