This is a section from one of St. Cyprian's letters that gave me pause. He is writing about the tradition of how people are claimed for ministry. Instead of a person saying, "I think I have a call to ministry" and going to their pastor about it, perhaps the congregation should say to a person, "We think you have a call to ministry." Looking for comments. It does seem logical that people who are truly called to ministry and would be effective clergy would be limited to those who are called out by the people, and not those who present themselves on their own. Thoughts?
From Cyprian, letter 67, to the clergy and people living in Spain:
Which very thing, too, we observe to come from divine authority, that the priest should be chosen in the presence of the people under the eyes of all, and should be approved worthy and suitable by public judgment and testimony; as in the book of Numbers the Lord commanded Moses, saying, "Take Aaron thy brother, and Eleazar his son; and let Aaron die there, and be added to his people." (Num. 20:25,26) God commands a priest to be appointed in the presence of all the assembly; that is, He instructs and shows that the ordination of priests ought not to be solemnized except with the knowledge of the people standing near, that in the presence of the people either the crimes of the wicked may be disclosed, or the merits of the good may be declared, and the ordination, which shall have been examined by the suffrage and judgment of all, may be just and legitimate. And this is subsequently observed, according to divine instruction, in the Acts of the Apostles, when Peter speaks to the people of ordaining an apostle in the place of Judas. "Peter," it says, "stood up in the midst of the disciples, and the multitude were in one place." (Acts 1:15) Neither do we observe that this was regarded by the apostles only in the ordinations of bishops and priests, but also in those of deacons, of which matter itself also it is written in their Acts: "And they twelve called together," it says, "the whole congregation of the disciples, and said to them;" (Acts 4:2) which was done so diligently and carefully, with the calling together of the whole of the people, surely for this reason, that no unworthy person might creep into the ministry of the altar, or to the office of a priest. (italics mine) For that unworthy persons are sometimes ordained, not according to the will of God, but according to human presumption, (italics mine) and that those things which do not come of a legitimate and righteous ordination are displeasing to God, God Himself manifests by Hosea the prophet, saying, "They have set up for themselves a king, but not by me." (Hos. 8:4)
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Thursday, May 6, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
On Working
A great nugget from John Chrysostom, from his commentary on the Book of the Acts.
What can be less pleasant than the condition of a man who has nothing to do; what more wretched and miserable? Is it not worse than all the fetters in the world, to be always gaping and yawning, as one sits in the market-place, looking at the passers by? For the soul, as its nature is to be always on the move, cannot endure to be at rest. God has made it a creature of action: to work is of its very nature; to be idle is against its nature. For let us not judge of these things from those who are diseased, but let us put the thing itself to the proof of fact. Nothing is more hurtful than leisure, and having nothing to do: indeed therefore has God laid on us a necessity of working: for idleness hurts everything. Even to the members of the body, inaction is a mischief. Both eye, if it perform not its work, and mouth, and belly, and every member that one could mention, falls into the worst state of disease: but none so much as the soul. But as inaction is an evil, so is activity in things that ought to be let alone. For just as it is with the teeth, if one eats not, one received hurt to them, and if one eats things unfitting, it jars them, and sets them on edge: so it is here; both if the soul be inactive, and if inactive in wrong things, it loses its proper force. Then let us eschew both alike; both inaction, and the activity which is worse than inaction. And what may that be? Covetousness, anger, envyings, and the other passions. As regards these, let us make it our object to be inactive, in order that we may obain the good things promised to us, through the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, might, honor, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
What can be less pleasant than the condition of a man who has nothing to do; what more wretched and miserable? Is it not worse than all the fetters in the world, to be always gaping and yawning, as one sits in the market-place, looking at the passers by? For the soul, as its nature is to be always on the move, cannot endure to be at rest. God has made it a creature of action: to work is of its very nature; to be idle is against its nature. For let us not judge of these things from those who are diseased, but let us put the thing itself to the proof of fact. Nothing is more hurtful than leisure, and having nothing to do: indeed therefore has God laid on us a necessity of working: for idleness hurts everything. Even to the members of the body, inaction is a mischief. Both eye, if it perform not its work, and mouth, and belly, and every member that one could mention, falls into the worst state of disease: but none so much as the soul. But as inaction is an evil, so is activity in things that ought to be let alone. For just as it is with the teeth, if one eats not, one received hurt to them, and if one eats things unfitting, it jars them, and sets them on edge: so it is here; both if the soul be inactive, and if inactive in wrong things, it loses its proper force. Then let us eschew both alike; both inaction, and the activity which is worse than inaction. And what may that be? Covetousness, anger, envyings, and the other passions. As regards these, let us make it our object to be inactive, in order that we may obain the good things promised to us, through the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, might, honor, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Beginning to Pray Part V
"Very often we do not find sufficient intensity in our prayer, sufficient conviction, sufficient faith, because our despair is not deep enough. We want God in addition to so many other things we have, we want His help, but simultaneously we are trying to get help wherever we can, and we keep God in store for our last push. We address ourselves to the princes and the sons of men, and we say, 'O God, give them strength to do it for me.' Very seldom do we turn away from the princes and sons of men and say, 'I will not ask anyone for help, I would rather have Your help.' If our despair comes from sufficient depth, if what we ask for, cry for, is so essential that it sums up all the needs of our life, then we find words of prayer and we will be able to reach the core of the prayer, the meeting with God."
This is my last post in this series. As I read further in Anthony Bloom's book on prayer, I may be moved to post some more selections. Ancient Faith radio also has a new series of podcasts on this book. Go to http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/eastwest
This is my last post in this series. As I read further in Anthony Bloom's book on prayer, I may be moved to post some more selections. Ancient Faith radio also has a new series of podcasts on this book. Go to http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/eastwest
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Beginning to Pray Part IV
"This is the point at which we can begin to knock at a door which is still closed, but beyond which there is hope, that hope which Bartimaeus, the blind man at the gates of Jericho, felt, out of his utmost despair, when Christ was passing.
We know from the Gospels that Bartimaeus found himself landed by the side of the road, hopelessly blind, having lost all faith and all hope in human help, and reduced to beg for his living, to hope not really on charity (the word meaning 'cherishing'), but on the kind of charity which consists in throwing coins to someone without ever having seen him. And one day this man, who had now given up hope, who was installed in the dust in his present blindness, heard about the man, a new prophet, who was now working miracles throughout the Holy Land. Had he had his eyes he would probably have got up and run throughout the country to find him, but he couldn't possibly keep pace with this itinerant wonder-maker. And so he stayed where he was, and the presence of one who might possibly have cured him must have made his despair even greater, even more poignant. And one day he heard a crowd that passed by, a crowd which did not sound like any other crowd. Probably, as the blind do, he had developed the sense of hearing and a sensitiveness greater than ours, because he asked 'Who is it that passes by?' and he was told 'Jesus of Nazareth.' And then he stood at the point of utmost despair and of utmost hope. Utmost hope because Christ was passing within reach, but at the background the looming despair because a few paces would have brought Him level with Bartimaeus, a few more paces and He had gone and would probably never pass by him again. And out of this desperate hope he began to cry and shout 'Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me.' It was a perfect profession of faith. And at that moment it was because his despair was so deep that he could summon such daring hope in order to be healed, saved, made whole. And Christ heard him.
There is a degree of despair that is linked with total, perfect hope. This is the point at which, having gone inward, we will be able to pray; and then 'Lord, have mercy' is quite enough. We do not need to make any of the elaborate discourses we find in manuals of prayer. It is enough simply to shout out of despair 'Help!' and you will be heard.
We know from the Gospels that Bartimaeus found himself landed by the side of the road, hopelessly blind, having lost all faith and all hope in human help, and reduced to beg for his living, to hope not really on charity (the word meaning 'cherishing'), but on the kind of charity which consists in throwing coins to someone without ever having seen him. And one day this man, who had now given up hope, who was installed in the dust in his present blindness, heard about the man, a new prophet, who was now working miracles throughout the Holy Land. Had he had his eyes he would probably have got up and run throughout the country to find him, but he couldn't possibly keep pace with this itinerant wonder-maker. And so he stayed where he was, and the presence of one who might possibly have cured him must have made his despair even greater, even more poignant. And one day he heard a crowd that passed by, a crowd which did not sound like any other crowd. Probably, as the blind do, he had developed the sense of hearing and a sensitiveness greater than ours, because he asked 'Who is it that passes by?' and he was told 'Jesus of Nazareth.' And then he stood at the point of utmost despair and of utmost hope. Utmost hope because Christ was passing within reach, but at the background the looming despair because a few paces would have brought Him level with Bartimaeus, a few more paces and He had gone and would probably never pass by him again. And out of this desperate hope he began to cry and shout 'Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me.' It was a perfect profession of faith. And at that moment it was because his despair was so deep that he could summon such daring hope in order to be healed, saved, made whole. And Christ heard him.
There is a degree of despair that is linked with total, perfect hope. This is the point at which, having gone inward, we will be able to pray; and then 'Lord, have mercy' is quite enough. We do not need to make any of the elaborate discourses we find in manuals of prayer. It is enough simply to shout out of despair 'Help!' and you will be heard.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Beginning to Pray Part III
"Theophon the Recluse says, 'Most people are like a shaving of wood which is curled round its central emptiness.' If we are really honest, we must admit that this is a very apt description of the state of practically all of us.
Then we must be able to fight this anguish and to say, 'No, I will stick it through, and I will come to the point where the anguish itself will prompt me to do what good will is incapable of doing.' Indeed, a moment comes, a moment of despair and anguish and terror, which makes us turn even deeper inward and cry, 'Lord, have mercy! I am perishing. Lord, save me!' We discover that there is nothing in us that can give us life, or rather is life; that all we called life, imagined life to be, was outside and inside there was nothing.
Then we look into the abyss of nonentity and we feel that the deeper we go into it the less there will be left of us. This is a dangerous moment, this is the moment we must hesitate.
At this point we have reached the first layer of depth where we begin to be able to knock at a door. For on the layer where we were just resting from our neighbour before we felt bored, on the layer where we are simply bored and feel offended that we should be, on the layer on which we begin to fidget and worry, then feel slightly anguished, we have as yet no reason to cry and shout with a despair that fills all our mind, all our heart, all our will and all our body with a sense that unless God comes I am lost, there is no hope, because I know that if I emerge out of this depth I will simply be back in the realm of delusion, of reflected life, but not real life.
Then we must be able to fight this anguish and to say, 'No, I will stick it through, and I will come to the point where the anguish itself will prompt me to do what good will is incapable of doing.' Indeed, a moment comes, a moment of despair and anguish and terror, which makes us turn even deeper inward and cry, 'Lord, have mercy! I am perishing. Lord, save me!' We discover that there is nothing in us that can give us life, or rather is life; that all we called life, imagined life to be, was outside and inside there was nothing.
Then we look into the abyss of nonentity and we feel that the deeper we go into it the less there will be left of us. This is a dangerous moment, this is the moment we must hesitate.
At this point we have reached the first layer of depth where we begin to be able to knock at a door. For on the layer where we were just resting from our neighbour before we felt bored, on the layer where we are simply bored and feel offended that we should be, on the layer on which we begin to fidget and worry, then feel slightly anguished, we have as yet no reason to cry and shout with a despair that fills all our mind, all our heart, all our will and all our body with a sense that unless God comes I am lost, there is no hope, because I know that if I emerge out of this depth I will simply be back in the realm of delusion, of reflected life, but not real life.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Beginning to Pray Part II
"So first of all, you must learn to sit with yourself and to face boredom, drawing all the possible conclusions.
After a while this becomes worse than boredom, bcause we are not simply bored in a way that allows us to say 'I am an active person and am of use to my neighbour. I always do good, and for me to be in the state of suspense where I am not doing anything for anyone else is a severe trial.' We begin to discover something else. We are bored when we try to get out of this boredom by turning inward to see if there is anything in ourselves that will put an end to it. Quite soon we discover that there is nothing, since all we have to think about we have already thought about dozens of times. All the range of emotions which we have in store are there like a piano which we have closed because we are not used to the piano playing itself. We must have someone else playing on the keys. We are not in the habit of doing nothing, and so it becomes worrying and can lead us to the point of anguish. If you read the Desert Fathers, who had good experience of this, or the monks who spent their lives in monasteries, you will see that there are moments when they simply ran out of their cells shouting for help, trying to meet something or someone, whatever they could find. The devil himself would have been better than this emptiness of self-contemplation. One of the spiritual writers, Theophan the Recluse, says 'Most people are like a shaving of wood which is curled round its central emptiness.' If we are really honest, we must admit that this is a very apt description of the state of practically all of us."
After a while this becomes worse than boredom, bcause we are not simply bored in a way that allows us to say 'I am an active person and am of use to my neighbour. I always do good, and for me to be in the state of suspense where I am not doing anything for anyone else is a severe trial.' We begin to discover something else. We are bored when we try to get out of this boredom by turning inward to see if there is anything in ourselves that will put an end to it. Quite soon we discover that there is nothing, since all we have to think about we have already thought about dozens of times. All the range of emotions which we have in store are there like a piano which we have closed because we are not used to the piano playing itself. We must have someone else playing on the keys. We are not in the habit of doing nothing, and so it becomes worrying and can lead us to the point of anguish. If you read the Desert Fathers, who had good experience of this, or the monks who spent their lives in monasteries, you will see that there are moments when they simply ran out of their cells shouting for help, trying to meet something or someone, whatever they could find. The devil himself would have been better than this emptiness of self-contemplation. One of the spiritual writers, Theophan the Recluse, says 'Most people are like a shaving of wood which is curled round its central emptiness.' If we are really honest, we must admit that this is a very apt description of the state of practically all of us."
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Beginning to Pray Part I
Over the next few days, I'm going to post a brief section from a longer passage in Anthony Bloom's spiritual classic Beginning to Pray. I just read this whole section this morning and it is deep stuff. I'm feeling compelled to share it with others. I hope others are reading this.
"There is a passage in Dickin's Pickwick Papers which is a very good description of y life and probably also of your lives. Pickwick goes to the club. He hires a cab and on the way he asks innumerable questions. Among the questions, he says 'Tell me, how is it possible that such a mean and miserable horse can drive such a big and heavy cab?' The cabbie replies 'It's not a question of the horse, Sir, it's a question of the wheels', and Mr. Pickwick says 'What do you mean?' The cabbie answers 'You see, we have a magnificent pair of wheels which are so well oiled that it is enough for the horse to stir a little for the wheels to begin to turn and then the poor horse must run for its life.' Take the way in which we live most of the time. We are not the horse that pulls, we are the horse that runs away from the cab in fear of its life.
Because we don't know yet how to act without an outer reason, we discover that we don't know what to do with ourselves, and then we begin to be increasingly bored. So first of all, you must learn to sit with yourself and to face boredom, drawing all the possible conclusions."
"There is a passage in Dickin's Pickwick Papers which is a very good description of y life and probably also of your lives. Pickwick goes to the club. He hires a cab and on the way he asks innumerable questions. Among the questions, he says 'Tell me, how is it possible that such a mean and miserable horse can drive such a big and heavy cab?' The cabbie replies 'It's not a question of the horse, Sir, it's a question of the wheels', and Mr. Pickwick says 'What do you mean?' The cabbie answers 'You see, we have a magnificent pair of wheels which are so well oiled that it is enough for the horse to stir a little for the wheels to begin to turn and then the poor horse must run for its life.' Take the way in which we live most of the time. We are not the horse that pulls, we are the horse that runs away from the cab in fear of its life.
Because we don't know yet how to act without an outer reason, we discover that we don't know what to do with ourselves, and then we begin to be increasingly bored. So first of all, you must learn to sit with yourself and to face boredom, drawing all the possible conclusions."
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Antidote to Busyness
I read the following passage from Beginning to Pray by Anthony Bloom. It spoke to me because, lately, I've been thinking about how to be more efficient in my work. His reminder is that there has to be much more to me than always responding to outside stimulus.
"You cannot go inwards if you are completely outward. Try an experiment and you will see, you will discover a number of other useful things on the way. Try to find a time to stay alone with yourself: shut the door and settle down in your room at a moment when you have nothing else to do. Say 'I am now with myself', and just sit with yourself. After an amazingly short time you will most likely feel bored. This teaches us one very useful thing. It gives us insight into the fact that if after ten minutes of being alone with ourselves we feel like that, it is no wonder that others should feel equally bored! Why is this so? It is so because we have so little to offer to our own selves as food for thought, for emotion and for life. If you watch your life carefully you will discover quite soon that we hardly ever live from within outwards; instead we respond to incitement, to excitement. In other words, we live by reflection, by reaction. Something happens and we respond, someone speaks and we answer. But when we are left without anything that stimulates us to think, speak or act, we realise that there is very little in us that will prompt us to action in any direction at all. This is really a very dramatic discovery. We are completely empty, we do not act from within ourselves but accept as our life a life which is actually fed in from outside; we are used to things happening which compel us to do other things. How seldom can we live simply by means of the depth and richness we assume that there is within ourselves."
"You cannot go inwards if you are completely outward. Try an experiment and you will see, you will discover a number of other useful things on the way. Try to find a time to stay alone with yourself: shut the door and settle down in your room at a moment when you have nothing else to do. Say 'I am now with myself', and just sit with yourself. After an amazingly short time you will most likely feel bored. This teaches us one very useful thing. It gives us insight into the fact that if after ten minutes of being alone with ourselves we feel like that, it is no wonder that others should feel equally bored! Why is this so? It is so because we have so little to offer to our own selves as food for thought, for emotion and for life. If you watch your life carefully you will discover quite soon that we hardly ever live from within outwards; instead we respond to incitement, to excitement. In other words, we live by reflection, by reaction. Something happens and we respond, someone speaks and we answer. But when we are left without anything that stimulates us to think, speak or act, we realise that there is very little in us that will prompt us to action in any direction at all. This is really a very dramatic discovery. We are completely empty, we do not act from within ourselves but accept as our life a life which is actually fed in from outside; we are used to things happening which compel us to do other things. How seldom can we live simply by means of the depth and richness we assume that there is within ourselves."
Friday, March 5, 2010
Could not put this book down
I strongly urge anyone who lives in the midwest United States to pick up Caught in the Middle: America's Heartland in the Age of Globalism by Richard C. Longworth. He writes an engrossing, provocative, distressing, and hopeful portrait of how the midwest has largely been left behind by globalism and must get their act together in order to shape, not only the future of the midwest, but the future of America. The book made me think about my own role as a pastor, and how the forces of globalism impacts the church, not only because globalism impacts the people in the church, but it even impacts the institution of the church. Lots to think about. And I'm glad this book has a bibliography.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Wesley on faith and good works
This quote is from one of John Wesley's sermons on Matthew 6:16-18:
It is by this very device of Satan, that faith and works have been so often set at variance with each other. And many who had a real zeal for God have, for a time, fallen into the snare on either hand. Some have magnified faith to the utter exclusion of good works, not only from being the cause of our justification, (for we know that man is justified freely by the redemption which is in Jesus,) but from being the necessary fruit of it, yea, from having any place in the religion of Jesus Christ. Others, eager to avoid this dangerous mistake, have run as much too far the contrary way; and either maintained that good works were the cause, at least the previous condition, of justification, -- or spoken of them as if they were all in all, the whole religion of Jesus Christ.
3. In the same manner have the end and the means of religion been set at variance with each other. Some well-meaning men have seemed to place all religion in attending the Prayers of the Church, in receiving the Lord's supper, in hearing sermons, and reading books of piety; neglecting, mean time, the end of all these, the love of God and their neighbour. And this very thing has confirmed others in the neglect, if not contempt, of the ordinances of God, -- so wretchedly abused to undermine and overthrow the very end they were designed to establish.
It is by this very device of Satan, that faith and works have been so often set at variance with each other. And many who had a real zeal for God have, for a time, fallen into the snare on either hand. Some have magnified faith to the utter exclusion of good works, not only from being the cause of our justification, (for we know that man is justified freely by the redemption which is in Jesus,) but from being the necessary fruit of it, yea, from having any place in the religion of Jesus Christ. Others, eager to avoid this dangerous mistake, have run as much too far the contrary way; and either maintained that good works were the cause, at least the previous condition, of justification, -- or spoken of them as if they were all in all, the whole religion of Jesus Christ.
3. In the same manner have the end and the means of religion been set at variance with each other. Some well-meaning men have seemed to place all religion in attending the Prayers of the Church, in receiving the Lord's supper, in hearing sermons, and reading books of piety; neglecting, mean time, the end of all these, the love of God and their neighbour. And this very thing has confirmed others in the neglect, if not contempt, of the ordinances of God, -- so wretchedly abused to undermine and overthrow the very end they were designed to establish.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
John Wesley on suffering
It has been so long since my last post. I have gotten away from typing a manuscript for my sermons, so I haven't been posting them. The blog will now be a place to put thoughtful writings I come across.
As Lent approaches, I found this passage from John Wesley's sermon, "On the Holy Spirit." This is a beautiful expression of the necessity for suffering in our lives, because it is through suffering that we are able to tap in to real hope, acknowledge the truth of ourselves, and discover the blessing of the Holy Spirit within us.
"You want a reason why you should renounce the world. Indeed you cannot see the prince of it walking up and down, "seeking whom he may devour;" and you may be so far ignorant of his devices, as not to know that they take place, as well in the most specious measures of business and learning, as in the wildest pursuits of pleasure. But this, however, you cannot but see, that the world is not still a paradise of God, guarded and ennobled with the light of glory; it is, indeed, a place where God has determined he will not appear to you at best, but leave you in a state of hope, that you shall see his face when this world is dissolved.
However, there is a way to rescue ourselves, in great measure, from the ill consequences of our captivity; and our Saviour has taught us that way. It is by suffering. We must not only "suffer many things," as he did, and so enter into our glory; but we must also suffer many things, that we may get above our corruption at present, and enjoy the Holy Spirit.
The world has no longer any power over us, than we have a quick relish of its comforts; and suffering abates that. Suffering is, indeed, a direct confutation of the pretences which the flattering tempter gains us by: For I am in human life; and if that life contains such soft ease, ravishing pleasure, glorious eminence, as you promise, why am I thus? Is it because I have not yet purchased riches to make me easy, or the current accomplishments to make me considerable? Then I find that all the comfort you propose is by leading me off from myself; but I will rather enter deep into my own condition, bad as it is: Perhaps I shall be nearer to God, the Eternal Truth, in feeling sorrows and miseries that are personal and real, than in feeling comforts that are not so. I begin already to find that all my grievances centre in one point: There is always at the bottom one great loss or defect, which is not the want of friends or gold, of health or philosophy. And the abiding sense of this may possibly become a prayer in the ears of the Most High; -- a prayer not resulting from a set of speculative notions, but from the real, undissembled state of all that is within me; nor, indeed, so explicit a prayer as to describe the thing I want, but, considering how strange a want mine is, as explicit a one as I can make. Since, then, suffering opens me a door of hope, I will not put it from me as long as I live: It helps me to a true discovery of one period of my existence, though it is a low one; and bids fairer for having some connexion with a more glorious period that may follow, than the arts of indulgence, the amusements of pride and sloth, and all the dark policy of this world, which wage war with the whole truth, that man must know and feel, before he can look towards God. It may be, while I continue on the cross, I shall, like my Saviour, put off "principalities and powers;" recover myself more and more from the subjection I am indeed in (which he only seemed to be) to those wicked rulers, and to "triumph over them in it." At least, it shall appear, in the day when God shall visit, that my heart, though grown unworthy of his residence, was too big to be comforted by any of his creatures; and was kept for him, as a place originally sacred, though for the present unclean."
As Lent approaches, I found this passage from John Wesley's sermon, "On the Holy Spirit." This is a beautiful expression of the necessity for suffering in our lives, because it is through suffering that we are able to tap in to real hope, acknowledge the truth of ourselves, and discover the blessing of the Holy Spirit within us.
"You want a reason why you should renounce the world. Indeed you cannot see the prince of it walking up and down, "seeking whom he may devour;" and you may be so far ignorant of his devices, as not to know that they take place, as well in the most specious measures of business and learning, as in the wildest pursuits of pleasure. But this, however, you cannot but see, that the world is not still a paradise of God, guarded and ennobled with the light of glory; it is, indeed, a place where God has determined he will not appear to you at best, but leave you in a state of hope, that you shall see his face when this world is dissolved.
However, there is a way to rescue ourselves, in great measure, from the ill consequences of our captivity; and our Saviour has taught us that way. It is by suffering. We must not only "suffer many things," as he did, and so enter into our glory; but we must also suffer many things, that we may get above our corruption at present, and enjoy the Holy Spirit.
The world has no longer any power over us, than we have a quick relish of its comforts; and suffering abates that. Suffering is, indeed, a direct confutation of the pretences which the flattering tempter gains us by: For I am in human life; and if that life contains such soft ease, ravishing pleasure, glorious eminence, as you promise, why am I thus? Is it because I have not yet purchased riches to make me easy, or the current accomplishments to make me considerable? Then I find that all the comfort you propose is by leading me off from myself; but I will rather enter deep into my own condition, bad as it is: Perhaps I shall be nearer to God, the Eternal Truth, in feeling sorrows and miseries that are personal and real, than in feeling comforts that are not so. I begin already to find that all my grievances centre in one point: There is always at the bottom one great loss or defect, which is not the want of friends or gold, of health or philosophy. And the abiding sense of this may possibly become a prayer in the ears of the Most High; -- a prayer not resulting from a set of speculative notions, but from the real, undissembled state of all that is within me; nor, indeed, so explicit a prayer as to describe the thing I want, but, considering how strange a want mine is, as explicit a one as I can make. Since, then, suffering opens me a door of hope, I will not put it from me as long as I live: It helps me to a true discovery of one period of my existence, though it is a low one; and bids fairer for having some connexion with a more glorious period that may follow, than the arts of indulgence, the amusements of pride and sloth, and all the dark policy of this world, which wage war with the whole truth, that man must know and feel, before he can look towards God. It may be, while I continue on the cross, I shall, like my Saviour, put off "principalities and powers;" recover myself more and more from the subjection I am indeed in (which he only seemed to be) to those wicked rulers, and to "triumph over them in it." At least, it shall appear, in the day when God shall visit, that my heart, though grown unworthy of his residence, was too big to be comforted by any of his creatures; and was kept for him, as a place originally sacred, though for the present unclean."
Monday, January 11, 2010
You Are Mine
I have been reminded recently of the power of parental blessing, having your mom or dad say to you, “I love you. I am proud of you. I am so glad you are my son, my daughter.” Hearing such things from your parents has a big impact for the good on your life. When you don’t hear this from your parents, or, worse, hear negative things from your parents, the harm it can do to you is deep. To receive the blessing of your parents, or to not receive it or have it taken away truly makes a difference in your life.
First, your identity is impacted. One primary way we know who we are is based on knowing who our parents are. I am the son of Howard and Margaret Orr, for example. I am a part of this family. I am not on my own, disconnected from anyone. If a person does not have a connection with their father or mother, or were rejected by their parents and cut off, this can cause severe confusion about one’s identity. There is a sense of being alone, abandoned, and lost.
Second, by having a parental blessing, it impacts your self-worth in a positive way. To hear regularly from your parents that you are loved, that they are proud of you, that you are in the family, lays a solid foundation for feeling good about yourself, respecting yourself, and living responsibly and well. Without that foundation, self-worth can be harmed. And to have the blessing of your parents withdrawn, or to be told negative things, your self worth can be terribly diminished. And with a low sense of self-worth, of truly feeling that you are worthless and a bad person, leads you into a downward spiral that could end very badly.
So, having or not having blessing from your parents impacts your self worth in a good way or a bad way. If you have a healthy sense of self-worth, then you are more likely to make good and responsible decisions. Not that you won’t make mistakes. The point is though that you will generally respect yourself if you know you are loved and wanted. But if you have received the message that you are not loved and not wanted, then why care about yourself and what you do? The tendency is to be irresponsible and to not respect yourself, because you feel worthless. To not have the parental blessing negatively impacts the life decisions you would make.
Finally, whether or not you have the blessing of your parents impacts how resilient you will be in tough times. It also impacts how powerful you can be when personal strength is called for. With a foundation that you are loved, that your parents are proud of you, that you are part of a family and not completely on your own, then when the hard times come, you can rely on that love and that family support. And with that solid backing, you are in a position to act, to make decisions, to take risks, knowing that if things don’t work out, you still have people in your life. But if you don’t have that backing, then who can you lean on in the hard times? Fear of failure is huge when you feel like you are on your own and no one is around to support you. And fear makes us weak, not powerful. So, to not have that blessing can have the tendency of impacting how resilient one can be in a crisis, and can weaken one’s capacity to take charge of their life.
One disclaimer: just because someone has the blessing of their parents doesn’t mean they will surely be successful in life. Just so, to not have the blessing of one’s parents does not mean that person is guaranteed to have a miserable and tragic life. We are all ultimately responsible for our own lives. God will judge each of us by the life we lived. People from loving homes can throw that love away. People who did not experience a loving home can overcome it and live a good, healthy life. Still, it must be admitted that the blessing of parents can help if one has it and can hurt if one doesn’t have it.
With this context, we turn to the baptism of Jesus. His baptism marks a turning point in his life. It is at this stage in his life where Jesus begins his public ministry. It is after his baptism that Jesus begins to gather his disciples, teach, and heal people. His time of anonymity as the son of a woodworker in Nazareth is coming to an end. He will be leaving his parents’ home and fulfilling his purpose.
And as Jesus rose out of the water, and was praying, the Holy Spirit came upon Him. And a voice sounded from heaven. We immediately recognize this as an example of the Trinity. But, the point I want to highlight today is the parental blessing that Jesus receives from his Father. In this significant moment in Jesus’ life, he hears his Father claim him as his beloved son in whom he is well pleased. It is significant to note that as Jesus begins his public ministry, where he will face many great challenges, and eventually betrayal and death, he receives from his Father a blessing.
Acknowledging the full humanity of Jesus, surely having received this blessing from His Father must have impacted him. Jesus experienced the affirmation of his Father that they are together. Jesus is not alone in this, but he has his Father and the Holy Spirit with him. This is affirming, no question. Jesus is experiencing acceptance. And with that acceptance comes empowerment. Yes, we know Jesus is empowered by the Holy Spirit coming upon him. We can also affirm that Jesus is being empowered as a consequence of receiving a blessing from his Father.
Now, here is the good part. Just as Jesus is the Son of God, so are we by adoption. As we heard in the prophecy from Isaiah, God loves us. God claims us as his own. We can be assured that we are loved, because we are loved by God. We can be assured that we are accepted, because God claims us as one of his kids. We are not alone, because at the core of our being, we are God’s. And nothing can separate us from the love of God. God’s love for us is eternal. And it is God’s good pleasure to love us and claim us. This is the good news that has the potential to empower each of us to live our lives free from fear, free from the anxiety of being abandoned. There is no reason for us to have low self-esteem if we truly believe that God loves us right now and in spite of the mistakes we’ve made in our lives. If, like Jesus, we can hear this blessing from God and receive it, we are then opening ourselves to receive the power of the Holy Spirit, and this is what empowers us to live the abundant life that God desires for us to live, a life that has peace, a life that can be a blessing to others. Truly, the foundation for having a good life is receiving the blessing that God our heavenly Father offers us.
But why? Is there something any of us did to earn God’s blessing? The prophecy from Isaiah tells us why God has chosen to love us and claim us. It is God’s good pleasure to do so. In other words, God loves us just because. It is pleasing to God to love us. It is pleasing to God to claim us as His children.
If we have received a parental blessing, this is something to cherish and stand on. If we have not, without doubt, this is painful. But there is another source of blessing. There is the deeper and more reliable blessing, the blessing that comes from our Heavenly Father. Receive this blessing. Trust it. Live your life cherishing the blessing you have been given from God.
First, your identity is impacted. One primary way we know who we are is based on knowing who our parents are. I am the son of Howard and Margaret Orr, for example. I am a part of this family. I am not on my own, disconnected from anyone. If a person does not have a connection with their father or mother, or were rejected by their parents and cut off, this can cause severe confusion about one’s identity. There is a sense of being alone, abandoned, and lost.
Second, by having a parental blessing, it impacts your self-worth in a positive way. To hear regularly from your parents that you are loved, that they are proud of you, that you are in the family, lays a solid foundation for feeling good about yourself, respecting yourself, and living responsibly and well. Without that foundation, self-worth can be harmed. And to have the blessing of your parents withdrawn, or to be told negative things, your self worth can be terribly diminished. And with a low sense of self-worth, of truly feeling that you are worthless and a bad person, leads you into a downward spiral that could end very badly.
So, having or not having blessing from your parents impacts your self worth in a good way or a bad way. If you have a healthy sense of self-worth, then you are more likely to make good and responsible decisions. Not that you won’t make mistakes. The point is though that you will generally respect yourself if you know you are loved and wanted. But if you have received the message that you are not loved and not wanted, then why care about yourself and what you do? The tendency is to be irresponsible and to not respect yourself, because you feel worthless. To not have the parental blessing negatively impacts the life decisions you would make.
Finally, whether or not you have the blessing of your parents impacts how resilient you will be in tough times. It also impacts how powerful you can be when personal strength is called for. With a foundation that you are loved, that your parents are proud of you, that you are part of a family and not completely on your own, then when the hard times come, you can rely on that love and that family support. And with that solid backing, you are in a position to act, to make decisions, to take risks, knowing that if things don’t work out, you still have people in your life. But if you don’t have that backing, then who can you lean on in the hard times? Fear of failure is huge when you feel like you are on your own and no one is around to support you. And fear makes us weak, not powerful. So, to not have that blessing can have the tendency of impacting how resilient one can be in a crisis, and can weaken one’s capacity to take charge of their life.
One disclaimer: just because someone has the blessing of their parents doesn’t mean they will surely be successful in life. Just so, to not have the blessing of one’s parents does not mean that person is guaranteed to have a miserable and tragic life. We are all ultimately responsible for our own lives. God will judge each of us by the life we lived. People from loving homes can throw that love away. People who did not experience a loving home can overcome it and live a good, healthy life. Still, it must be admitted that the blessing of parents can help if one has it and can hurt if one doesn’t have it.
With this context, we turn to the baptism of Jesus. His baptism marks a turning point in his life. It is at this stage in his life where Jesus begins his public ministry. It is after his baptism that Jesus begins to gather his disciples, teach, and heal people. His time of anonymity as the son of a woodworker in Nazareth is coming to an end. He will be leaving his parents’ home and fulfilling his purpose.
And as Jesus rose out of the water, and was praying, the Holy Spirit came upon Him. And a voice sounded from heaven. We immediately recognize this as an example of the Trinity. But, the point I want to highlight today is the parental blessing that Jesus receives from his Father. In this significant moment in Jesus’ life, he hears his Father claim him as his beloved son in whom he is well pleased. It is significant to note that as Jesus begins his public ministry, where he will face many great challenges, and eventually betrayal and death, he receives from his Father a blessing.
Acknowledging the full humanity of Jesus, surely having received this blessing from His Father must have impacted him. Jesus experienced the affirmation of his Father that they are together. Jesus is not alone in this, but he has his Father and the Holy Spirit with him. This is affirming, no question. Jesus is experiencing acceptance. And with that acceptance comes empowerment. Yes, we know Jesus is empowered by the Holy Spirit coming upon him. We can also affirm that Jesus is being empowered as a consequence of receiving a blessing from his Father.
Now, here is the good part. Just as Jesus is the Son of God, so are we by adoption. As we heard in the prophecy from Isaiah, God loves us. God claims us as his own. We can be assured that we are loved, because we are loved by God. We can be assured that we are accepted, because God claims us as one of his kids. We are not alone, because at the core of our being, we are God’s. And nothing can separate us from the love of God. God’s love for us is eternal. And it is God’s good pleasure to love us and claim us. This is the good news that has the potential to empower each of us to live our lives free from fear, free from the anxiety of being abandoned. There is no reason for us to have low self-esteem if we truly believe that God loves us right now and in spite of the mistakes we’ve made in our lives. If, like Jesus, we can hear this blessing from God and receive it, we are then opening ourselves to receive the power of the Holy Spirit, and this is what empowers us to live the abundant life that God desires for us to live, a life that has peace, a life that can be a blessing to others. Truly, the foundation for having a good life is receiving the blessing that God our heavenly Father offers us.
But why? Is there something any of us did to earn God’s blessing? The prophecy from Isaiah tells us why God has chosen to love us and claim us. It is God’s good pleasure to do so. In other words, God loves us just because. It is pleasing to God to love us. It is pleasing to God to claim us as His children.
If we have received a parental blessing, this is something to cherish and stand on. If we have not, without doubt, this is painful. But there is another source of blessing. There is the deeper and more reliable blessing, the blessing that comes from our Heavenly Father. Receive this blessing. Trust it. Live your life cherishing the blessing you have been given from God.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Light Effects
I remember, a few years back, when we were living in Columbus, that for the entire month of January, the sun did not shine once. It was cloudy, it seemed, for one, whole month. It was so gloomy. And it affected me as well as a lot of other people. That long without sunshine causes many people to feel cloudy inside, depressed, lethargic, gloomy. When the sun finally did peak out of the clouds, it brightened up everyone’s spirits. It was an amazing thing to experience, the effect sunlight can have on someone who has been deprived of it for a long time. It is invigorating and revitalizing. Life did not seem as burdensome once the sun started shining again.
There is something about sunlight that can really make a difference. Light in general has such a powerful influence. Walking through a dark building can be creepy. It makes a big difference if a light gets turned on. Even the small light of a candle can have a positive influence. It is a beautiful sight to be in here on Christmas Eve to see all the candle-lit faces. A remarkable thing these days is to attend a concert when everyone is asked to open up their cell phones. It looks like a galaxy of stars throughout the arena. All of these light effects impact us in a real way.
This truth is certainly not lost on God, and how God reveals Himself to the world. As the prophet Isaiah said, “Arise, shine, for your light has come.” Jesus Christ is the light of the world. The wise men followed an extraordinary star that led them to Jesus. References to light and the effects of light are interwoven throughout the Scriptures. A few points can be made about light, the light of truth, and how this light impacts us and impacts the world.
We turn to the wise men, who were star-gazers. They saw in the sky what appeared to be a star that symbolized for them the birth of a king. They were compelled to follow this star. But we discover that this is no ordinary star. Only the wise men seem to have made sense out of it since Herod and his advisors had no knowledge of this birth of a king. But it wasn’t even a star, because this star moved. The star led the wise men to Bethlehem, even setting upon the house where Jesus was. This was not a star. It was a supernatural sign given by God in order to get the attention of these star gazers from Persia. The Jews had the prophets to give them signs of the birth of Jesus. The Persians had their knowledge of astrology, and God offered a sign that got their attention. This star, this supernatural light, drew Persians to Bethlehem in order to worship this new-born king. What an amazing impact this light effect had on these wise men, that they would take on such a long, risky journey in order to worship and offer gifts to a baby, for whom they did not need to impress or get on the good side of. Persians had nothing to fear of Israel. There was no obvious reason why these wise men needed to do what they did. But there was something about that star that compelled them to go on this journey. There is something about Jesus that continues to draw people to Him. People of every nation are drawn to the light of Christ. This is what the wise men symbolize for us. In various ways and means, God sends signs that relate to people of various cultures, which lead them to Jesus.
Again, what did the wise men do when they came before Christ? They fell down on their faces and worshipped him. And then, they gave him gifts. These actions fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah and in the Psalms that the nations will come bringing gifts for the king. These wise men, when they completed their quest, when they found what or who they were looking for, did not ask questions, did not talk among themselves, they worshipped and gave of their treasures. This is what happens when we encounter God, when we encounter the One our hearts have been yearning for. It’s not a time to ask questions or be chatty and light hearted. It is a time to fall down and worship, and give the best we have. This is worship in spirit and truth. This is the effect Jesus had on these wise men from Persia and the effect God continues to have on those that encounter Him in Jesus Christ. When we gather for worship and offer what we have, we are repeating this action of the wise men, and doing our small part in fulfilling God’s purposes for all of creation, which is to be united in worship of God. Yes, we are fulfilling the purposes of God when we, like the wise men, come into the presence of God and worship Him.
After the wise men worshipped Christ, they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod but to go home by a different way. We know this needed to happen because of Herod’s evil intentions. However, since the wise men did not tell Herod where Jesus was, Herod went to plan b and had killed all boys under the age of 2 in Bethlehem. Tradition tells us that soon after this slaughter took place, Herod became ill of a disease that ate away at his flesh, causing him to die a painful death. But the damage was done, and Herod’s slaughter of the innocents reminds us that although the light has dawned, darkness remains, and it is a thick darkness. We live in a perpetual dawn. There is a little light on the horizon, but for the most part, there is darkness. The birth of Jesus and the slaughter of the infants remind us of this ongoing reality.
So, the wise men followed the directions of the angel in the dream. They did what they were told, a mark of obedient faith. They did not question or argue among themselves. They simply did what they were told. This is a good example for us in that when we receive instruction on what direction we should live our lives, we ought not resist or argue about it, but faithfully do as God is directing us. This is what wise, faithful people do.
But there is something else we can take from the wise men going home by a different way. This, too, is an example of the effect an encounter with the light of God can have on us. When we encounter God, we are changed. When we step out of our routine lives and encounter the timeless God in worship, we do not go back to our ordinary lives by the same road. When we encounter God, new roads are opened to us. Our path of life changes when we see the light. We take a different path. We continue on our journey of life, but by a different way. We change our priorities. We see ourselves and others differently. The world looks different. The wise men returned to their familiar home, but they were different. They had found who they were searching for. They were returning home, no longer as seekers, but as ones who had seen the light. In varying degrees, this is true for us as well. Yes, we will always be seekers. As Paul tells us, God’s wisdom is manifold. That means every door unlocked in God’s storehouse of wisdom opens up to whole new vistas. God’s wisdom and knowledge is unfathomable. We are always being enlightened and can never “know it all.” Still, when we encounter God, when we first see the light, we are at least pointing ourselves in the right direction. We are not completely lost, stumbling in the dark. In the confusing and darkened world, at least we have a candle to see where we are going. In this perpetual dawn the world is in, at least we are facing east.
There is a great story that is told by a missionary about an experience he had in India. It was the early dawn, and he and many others were walking home which happened to be toward the west. It was dark and everyone was hard to see; shadowy figures in the early morning. Some people approached them. They were walking toward the east, toward the rising sun. And the missionary noted that these who were facing east, their faces had a faint glow as their skin reflected the light that was coming from the rising sun. And it struck him that this is a symbol of the effect the light of God has on followers of Christ, on those who have repented, turned their lives toward the east, toward the Sun of Righteousness. Their faces light up as they reflect the light of the Son. Let us continue on our life journeys, committing ourselves to continue facing east, letting the light of God shine on us, that we might reflect God’s light in a way that draws others to the light.
There is something about sunlight that can really make a difference. Light in general has such a powerful influence. Walking through a dark building can be creepy. It makes a big difference if a light gets turned on. Even the small light of a candle can have a positive influence. It is a beautiful sight to be in here on Christmas Eve to see all the candle-lit faces. A remarkable thing these days is to attend a concert when everyone is asked to open up their cell phones. It looks like a galaxy of stars throughout the arena. All of these light effects impact us in a real way.
This truth is certainly not lost on God, and how God reveals Himself to the world. As the prophet Isaiah said, “Arise, shine, for your light has come.” Jesus Christ is the light of the world. The wise men followed an extraordinary star that led them to Jesus. References to light and the effects of light are interwoven throughout the Scriptures. A few points can be made about light, the light of truth, and how this light impacts us and impacts the world.
We turn to the wise men, who were star-gazers. They saw in the sky what appeared to be a star that symbolized for them the birth of a king. They were compelled to follow this star. But we discover that this is no ordinary star. Only the wise men seem to have made sense out of it since Herod and his advisors had no knowledge of this birth of a king. But it wasn’t even a star, because this star moved. The star led the wise men to Bethlehem, even setting upon the house where Jesus was. This was not a star. It was a supernatural sign given by God in order to get the attention of these star gazers from Persia. The Jews had the prophets to give them signs of the birth of Jesus. The Persians had their knowledge of astrology, and God offered a sign that got their attention. This star, this supernatural light, drew Persians to Bethlehem in order to worship this new-born king. What an amazing impact this light effect had on these wise men, that they would take on such a long, risky journey in order to worship and offer gifts to a baby, for whom they did not need to impress or get on the good side of. Persians had nothing to fear of Israel. There was no obvious reason why these wise men needed to do what they did. But there was something about that star that compelled them to go on this journey. There is something about Jesus that continues to draw people to Him. People of every nation are drawn to the light of Christ. This is what the wise men symbolize for us. In various ways and means, God sends signs that relate to people of various cultures, which lead them to Jesus.
Again, what did the wise men do when they came before Christ? They fell down on their faces and worshipped him. And then, they gave him gifts. These actions fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah and in the Psalms that the nations will come bringing gifts for the king. These wise men, when they completed their quest, when they found what or who they were looking for, did not ask questions, did not talk among themselves, they worshipped and gave of their treasures. This is what happens when we encounter God, when we encounter the One our hearts have been yearning for. It’s not a time to ask questions or be chatty and light hearted. It is a time to fall down and worship, and give the best we have. This is worship in spirit and truth. This is the effect Jesus had on these wise men from Persia and the effect God continues to have on those that encounter Him in Jesus Christ. When we gather for worship and offer what we have, we are repeating this action of the wise men, and doing our small part in fulfilling God’s purposes for all of creation, which is to be united in worship of God. Yes, we are fulfilling the purposes of God when we, like the wise men, come into the presence of God and worship Him.
After the wise men worshipped Christ, they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod but to go home by a different way. We know this needed to happen because of Herod’s evil intentions. However, since the wise men did not tell Herod where Jesus was, Herod went to plan b and had killed all boys under the age of 2 in Bethlehem. Tradition tells us that soon after this slaughter took place, Herod became ill of a disease that ate away at his flesh, causing him to die a painful death. But the damage was done, and Herod’s slaughter of the innocents reminds us that although the light has dawned, darkness remains, and it is a thick darkness. We live in a perpetual dawn. There is a little light on the horizon, but for the most part, there is darkness. The birth of Jesus and the slaughter of the infants remind us of this ongoing reality.
So, the wise men followed the directions of the angel in the dream. They did what they were told, a mark of obedient faith. They did not question or argue among themselves. They simply did what they were told. This is a good example for us in that when we receive instruction on what direction we should live our lives, we ought not resist or argue about it, but faithfully do as God is directing us. This is what wise, faithful people do.
But there is something else we can take from the wise men going home by a different way. This, too, is an example of the effect an encounter with the light of God can have on us. When we encounter God, we are changed. When we step out of our routine lives and encounter the timeless God in worship, we do not go back to our ordinary lives by the same road. When we encounter God, new roads are opened to us. Our path of life changes when we see the light. We take a different path. We continue on our journey of life, but by a different way. We change our priorities. We see ourselves and others differently. The world looks different. The wise men returned to their familiar home, but they were different. They had found who they were searching for. They were returning home, no longer as seekers, but as ones who had seen the light. In varying degrees, this is true for us as well. Yes, we will always be seekers. As Paul tells us, God’s wisdom is manifold. That means every door unlocked in God’s storehouse of wisdom opens up to whole new vistas. God’s wisdom and knowledge is unfathomable. We are always being enlightened and can never “know it all.” Still, when we encounter God, when we first see the light, we are at least pointing ourselves in the right direction. We are not completely lost, stumbling in the dark. In the confusing and darkened world, at least we have a candle to see where we are going. In this perpetual dawn the world is in, at least we are facing east.
There is a great story that is told by a missionary about an experience he had in India. It was the early dawn, and he and many others were walking home which happened to be toward the west. It was dark and everyone was hard to see; shadowy figures in the early morning. Some people approached them. They were walking toward the east, toward the rising sun. And the missionary noted that these who were facing east, their faces had a faint glow as their skin reflected the light that was coming from the rising sun. And it struck him that this is a symbol of the effect the light of God has on followers of Christ, on those who have repented, turned their lives toward the east, toward the Sun of Righteousness. Their faces light up as they reflect the light of the Son. Let us continue on our life journeys, committing ourselves to continue facing east, letting the light of God shine on us, that we might reflect God’s light in a way that draws others to the light.
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