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."
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Wednesday, April 21, 2010
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.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Receive the Gift
A Christmas Eve reflection:
This night beckons us to enter into joy, that is, to simply rejoice and celebrate. There are times that we come to church for no other reason than to celebrate with others. Today is one of those days.
And what are we rejoicing about? Of course, we are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. The Son of God, the one through whom everything was created, the one who holds creation together, the one begotten of the Father before time itself, took on human nature by being born. Divinity and humanity becomes united in one person.
And why is that worth celebrating? Because, in a profound mystery, the curse of Adam is broken. Never before had there been a human that was sinless. God has always wanted to be in a union with humanity. Yet, because of sin, that union could not be maintained, because God is holy and cannot be united to anything or anyone that is not holy. Only in the Garden of Eden before the Fall did God have what He desired in His relationship with Adam and Eve. But when the Fall took place, the break between God and humanity occurred and it has never been breached…except one time. We believe that Jesus is the only sinless human. In the person of Jesus Christ, the gulf between God and humanity is closed. And although we continue to struggle under the reality of sin in our own lives, we can look to Jesus, who lived a perfect life for us. And as the scriptures tell us, if we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, we will be saved. Jesus lived a sinless life for us, accomplishing for us what we cannot accomplish for ourselves. Thus, because of Jesus, we have hope and a confident faith that we too will be saved, if we can keep our faith in who Jesus is and what Jesus has done on our behalf. So, why are we celebrating? We celebrate tonight because the birth of Jesus was the beginning of our salvation.
But we also rejoice today because, in a way, it is our birth as well. Rather, we celebrate our rebirth. As Christians, we are the Body of Christ. And Jesus is the Head of that Body. So, as Jesus the Head is born today, so is His Body, the church. On this day, we can celebrate our re-birth as members of the Body of Christ. We can celebrate the new life made possible for us as Christians. So, the birth of Christ is, indirectly, our own re-birth. The old order of things is passing away, and for us all things are being made new. And this is our salvation.
And this salvation we have is a gift from God that has been offered to us. We exchange gifts to each other this time of year, and it is appropriate to do so. Gift-giving reinforces for us the reality that we have been offered a gift from God. And that gift is salvation, eternal life in God’s presence. Gifts, by nature, are not earned. Wages are earned. And the wages of sin is death. We earn death for ourselves because of our sins. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. We don’t earn our eternal life, it is a gift given to us.
And what will we do with this gift? Do we not receive the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ? Do we not open the gift, by coming to church, singing the songs of faith, hearing the gospel, coming and seeing what God has done? Do we not express our appreciation for the gift by offering prayers of thanksgiving to God and worshipping Him? Do we not make use of this gift by striving to live a life of righteousness, following the example of Christ and of the great cloud of witnesses that surround us?
On this point, Martin Luther said, “Therefore see to it that you do not find pleasure in the Gospel only as a history, for that is only transient; neither regard it only as an example, for it is of no value without faith; but see to it that you make this birth your own and that Christ be born in you. This will be the case if you believe, then you will repose in the lap of the virgin Mary and be her dear child. But you must exercise this faith and pray while you live, you cannot establish it too firmly. This is our foundation and inheritance, upon which good works must be built.”
So, yes, to give our celebration of Christmas integrity, we must receive and utilize the gift of salvation that has been offered us. We must deny ourselves and allow Christ to be born in us. We can, in these beautiful words of Martin Luther, humbly repose in the lap of the virgin Mary and be her dear child, as we die to self and be renewed as brothers and sisters of Christ our God. And if we are God’s children, yes, we must strive to live like God’s children and avoid hypocrisy, even as we pray for forgiveness and continually repent for our shortcomings. All of this is involved in making Christmas more than just an annual remembrance or excuse for holiday traditions.
But, tonight, let us set aside the reasons why, or how the mystery of our salvation works. Let us set aside talk about what we ought to be doing. Let us set aside our questions and doubts. Tonight, let us give ourselves permission simply to rejoice. Let us allow ourselves to be filled with joy. Tonight, let us simply enter into the joy that has been prepared for us by our Master. Let us only do this tonight…rejoice!
This night beckons us to enter into joy, that is, to simply rejoice and celebrate. There are times that we come to church for no other reason than to celebrate with others. Today is one of those days.
And what are we rejoicing about? Of course, we are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. The Son of God, the one through whom everything was created, the one who holds creation together, the one begotten of the Father before time itself, took on human nature by being born. Divinity and humanity becomes united in one person.
And why is that worth celebrating? Because, in a profound mystery, the curse of Adam is broken. Never before had there been a human that was sinless. God has always wanted to be in a union with humanity. Yet, because of sin, that union could not be maintained, because God is holy and cannot be united to anything or anyone that is not holy. Only in the Garden of Eden before the Fall did God have what He desired in His relationship with Adam and Eve. But when the Fall took place, the break between God and humanity occurred and it has never been breached…except one time. We believe that Jesus is the only sinless human. In the person of Jesus Christ, the gulf between God and humanity is closed. And although we continue to struggle under the reality of sin in our own lives, we can look to Jesus, who lived a perfect life for us. And as the scriptures tell us, if we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, we will be saved. Jesus lived a sinless life for us, accomplishing for us what we cannot accomplish for ourselves. Thus, because of Jesus, we have hope and a confident faith that we too will be saved, if we can keep our faith in who Jesus is and what Jesus has done on our behalf. So, why are we celebrating? We celebrate tonight because the birth of Jesus was the beginning of our salvation.
But we also rejoice today because, in a way, it is our birth as well. Rather, we celebrate our rebirth. As Christians, we are the Body of Christ. And Jesus is the Head of that Body. So, as Jesus the Head is born today, so is His Body, the church. On this day, we can celebrate our re-birth as members of the Body of Christ. We can celebrate the new life made possible for us as Christians. So, the birth of Christ is, indirectly, our own re-birth. The old order of things is passing away, and for us all things are being made new. And this is our salvation.
And this salvation we have is a gift from God that has been offered to us. We exchange gifts to each other this time of year, and it is appropriate to do so. Gift-giving reinforces for us the reality that we have been offered a gift from God. And that gift is salvation, eternal life in God’s presence. Gifts, by nature, are not earned. Wages are earned. And the wages of sin is death. We earn death for ourselves because of our sins. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. We don’t earn our eternal life, it is a gift given to us.
And what will we do with this gift? Do we not receive the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ? Do we not open the gift, by coming to church, singing the songs of faith, hearing the gospel, coming and seeing what God has done? Do we not express our appreciation for the gift by offering prayers of thanksgiving to God and worshipping Him? Do we not make use of this gift by striving to live a life of righteousness, following the example of Christ and of the great cloud of witnesses that surround us?
On this point, Martin Luther said, “Therefore see to it that you do not find pleasure in the Gospel only as a history, for that is only transient; neither regard it only as an example, for it is of no value without faith; but see to it that you make this birth your own and that Christ be born in you. This will be the case if you believe, then you will repose in the lap of the virgin Mary and be her dear child. But you must exercise this faith and pray while you live, you cannot establish it too firmly. This is our foundation and inheritance, upon which good works must be built.”
So, yes, to give our celebration of Christmas integrity, we must receive and utilize the gift of salvation that has been offered us. We must deny ourselves and allow Christ to be born in us. We can, in these beautiful words of Martin Luther, humbly repose in the lap of the virgin Mary and be her dear child, as we die to self and be renewed as brothers and sisters of Christ our God. And if we are God’s children, yes, we must strive to live like God’s children and avoid hypocrisy, even as we pray for forgiveness and continually repent for our shortcomings. All of this is involved in making Christmas more than just an annual remembrance or excuse for holiday traditions.
But, tonight, let us set aside the reasons why, or how the mystery of our salvation works. Let us set aside talk about what we ought to be doing. Let us set aside our questions and doubts. Tonight, let us give ourselves permission simply to rejoice. Let us allow ourselves to be filled with joy. Tonight, let us simply enter into the joy that has been prepared for us by our Master. Let us only do this tonight…rejoice!
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