Reflections on Christopraxis

Do You Know What Time It Is?

Last night I was reading in "Deep-Rooted in Christ" (previously referenced) and I ran across the following statement.

"Every spiritual leader needs discernment about God's time. ...  In Issachar, one of the twelve tribes of Israel, there were 'those who had understanding of the times'..."  (p. 77)

This struck me as one of those, "does it really say that" moments so I looked up the reference.  Referring to David's army at Hebron it says:

Of Issachar, those who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, two hundred chiefs, and all their kindred under their command.  1 Chronicles 12:32

There it is.  One of those little bits of information barried within scripture. 

Reading on in "Deep-Rooted" Kang observes:

One distinguishing characteristic of those who are spiritually trained in the desert is their willingness to move only on God's timeline, to respond only God's voice (p.78)

True enough.  As previously noted, we need to learn to wait on the Lord.  God's people are not always good at waiting.  I know I'm not.  Yet we need to learn to wait.  As we learn this, I have found that I enter the period of waiting with a sense of expectancy, knowing that God will respond.

It strikes me that there is also another side of the "waiting coin."  Sometimes we are given an opportunity, and God's people are not ready, or willing, to respond.  When Israel sent the twelve scounts into the promised land, ten came back saying "no way" and two came back saying, "let's go!"  The ten prevailed, and Israel spent 40 years more wandering in the desert while God waited for those stubborn people to die off (Numbers 13 &14).  Yet, this is what the Lord said of Caleb, of of the two.

But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me wholeheartedly, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.  Numbers 14:24

We need to be willing to follow the Lord wholeheartedly.

While there are times when we need to wait on God, there are many other times God seems to have to wait for us.  Many times when this happens, God just finds someone else to do the work, or the work goes undone. 

I was reflecting on what causes God's people to not do what the Lord asks of them.  All kinds of things came to mind:  sin, pride, gossip, desentions, resentment, unforgiveness, fear, unbelief, etc.  Then I realized all these things can be summed up as a lack of surrender. 

We need to learn the way of surrender, the way of the cross.  We need to learn to walk humbly and wholeheartedly with the Lord (cf. Micah 6:8). Then we will see God do the things we long for in our lives, churches, and current situation. 

When we learn to surrender, then we will learn to know what time it is.

 

 

Book Review: Hearing God, by Dallas Willard

Dallas Willard's book, Hearing God:  Developing a Conversational Relationship With God is an excellent book that I recommend to all who want to understand what it means to have a conversational relationship with God.

This book is a definitive work on hearing God.  Willard touches on all aspects of hearing God, from "Can you hear from God?" to "How do we hear from God?" to "What if we not hear from God?"  It is an easy read, and I found it to be enjoying and edifying.  It is the kind of book that deepens one's walk with the Lord.  Highly practical, this is not an ivory tower theology book, though Willard's theology is sound, and Biblically balanced.  This is also not a book that will give you "formulas."  He draws from his own experience, as well as the rich tradition of others who have written on the topic.

There is so much here, I do not think I can do it justice to quote from it.  The fundamental premise is that God does communicate with men and women, and that we can learn to discern that communication.  In turn, we can communicate with Him.  Willard cautions that "God does not exist to solve our problems."  He also notes that there are times when God want's us to make decisions, so we should not assume that there is a specific thing God wants us to do in every situation.  Yet, Willard lays a framework in which we can develop a conversational relationship with God.

Toward the end of the book, Willard makes the following excellent observation:

We must ultimately move beyond the question of hearing God and into a life greater than our own -- that of the kingdom of God.   Our concern for discerning God's voice must be overwhelmed by and lost in our worship and adoration of him and in our delight with his creation and his provision for our whole life.  Our aim in such a life is to identify all that we are and all that we do with God's purposes in creating us and our world.  Thus we learn how to do all thing to the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31; Col 3:17).  That is, we come in all things to think and act so that his goodness, greatness and beauty will be as obvious as possible -- not just to ourselves, bu to all those around us. 

God's speaking will always be an essential part of this... For those who come to this point, their life will be theirs -- irreducibly, preciously so -- and yet also God's; and through them will flow God's life, which is also theirs.  This is the life beyond, and yet inclusive of, his guiding word.  It is the life that has its beginning in the additional birth and its culmination in the everlasting, glorious society of heaven."  (p. 211)

This book covers a foundational aspect of the practice of Christ, and is very complementary to the other works I have referenced on this blog relating to practicing the presence of God.

Practice 3: Walking in the Spirit

To walk in the Spirit by practicing holy listening and the Sacrament of the Present Moment, where we say "yes" to God, moment by moment.

Key Verses:  Isa 58:11; Ezek. 36:26-27; Matt. 6:10; John 14:26; 1 Cor. 6:19; 1 Cor. 12:11; 2 Cor. 3:18; Heb. 3:15; Phil. 2:13

I have alluded to this in Practice 1, but here I call it out separately.  This practice is key, and as you see, I am suggesting we practice this moment by moment.  This practice is so key to this blog, I have a category dedicated to it.  For a more detailed introduction to this topic, I refer you to my post, Living in God's Will.  Beyond that, I will leave you with some scripture to reflect on.

As it is said,
      “Today, if you hear his voice,
      do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”  Hebrews 3:15

The LORD will guide you continually,
and satisfy your needs in parched places,
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.  Isaiah 58:11

Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.  Matthew 6:10

“I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.  John 17:20 – 23

Longing For You, My God

The following scripture meditation was inspired by a Misty Edwards set in the IHOP Prayer Room, which was itself inspired by Psalm 42.

      As a deer longs for flowing streams,
      so my soul longs for you, O God.
      My soul thirsts for God,
      for the living God.
      When shall I come and behold
      the face of God?  Psalm 42:1 – 2

      Deep calls to deep
      at the thunder of your cataracts;
      all your waves and your billows
      have gone over me.
      By day the LORD commands his steadfast love,
      and at night his song is with me,
      a prayer to the God of my life.  Psalm 42:7 – 8

      O God, you are my God, I seek you,
      my soul thirsts for you;
      my flesh faints for you,
      as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
      So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
      beholding your power and glory.
      Because your steadfast love is better than life,
      my lips will praise you.
      So I will bless you as long as I live;
      I will lift up my hands and call on your name.
      My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast,
      and my mouth praises you with joyful lips
      when I think of you on my bed,
      and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
      for you have been my help,
      and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.
      My soul clings to you;
      your right hand upholds me.  Psalm 63:1 – 8

My Soul Cries, My Soul Cries, My Soul Cries for you, my God.

With God

As I reflected on Christopraxis this weekend, the question comes to mind, "How is this different from any other spiritual or religious practice?"  After all, I quoted Chesterton as saying the religions of the Earth differ little in form and rite.  This brings me to the topic of being with God.  The Christian life is intended to be a life lived with God.  We talk about our "walk with God."  We talk about a relationship "with God."  In the same way, the practice of Christ is intended to be done within the context of being with God.  Here is the premise we are talking about about.

No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.
By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.  And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.  God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.  Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world.  1 John 4:12 – 17

He has given us his Spirit...  those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them...  because as he is, so are we in this world...  How does this happen?  What does this mean?

But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.  Ephesians 4:15 – 16

What does it mean to "grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ?  Note, this verse is talking about the Body of Christ -- which includes each of us who have been reconciled to God.  Paul is talking about an  individual growing up, and a growing up in community.  Let's explore this some more.

As I write this I am listening to Misty Edwards sing in the International House of Prayer (IHOP) Prayer Room.  The song she is singing is a song sung by God to mankind.  It is being done in a spontaneous form, like prayer put into song.  The song has become a dialog.  There is a sense that I am hearing God more than I am hearing Misty.   She sings to God, and God sings back through her.  God sings through Misty:

You are the one I want, you are the apple of my eye...  a broken heart I will not deny, I will not despise those broken pieces, I will put them back together...  Just believe.  My love is stronger than your regretting..  believe.... Let's start again in a new beginning...  believe that My love is greater, that my arms are stronger...   You are the one I want, my favorite one.  My desire is for you.  You keep on begging me for mercy, but I tell you that it is easy to forgive you.  I will not let go, you are still the one I want.   Just believe...

By the way, it should not be so strange an idea that God would sing over us.  Scripture says:

      The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
      a warrior who gives victory;
      he will rejoice over you with gladness,
      he will renew you in his love;
      he will exult over you with loud singing... Zephaniah 3:17

Often in scripture there is a give and take between God and the writer. 

      Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud,
      be gracious to me and answer me!
      “Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!”
      Your face, LORD, do I seek.  Psalm 27:7 – 8

This illustrates the interaction of the Spirit of God with the soul of men and women.  There is a dance, a song between lovers, a sharing of life.  Often the metaphore of marriage is used. 

      For your Maker is your husband,
      the LORD of hosts is his name;
      the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
      the God of the whole earth he is called.  Isaiah 54:5

The Reformation debate on free will often focused on the sovereignty of God versus the will of man.  It was wrongly thought that for God to be sovereign He had to pull all the strings.  Contemporary trinitarian theology has given us new perspective on this.  When trying to understand the relationship within the Godhead between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the idea of perichoresis was introduced.  This is a Greek term referring to a mutual indwelling.  Sound familiar?  "those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them..."  Jesus prayed:

“I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me."  John 17:20 – 21

Jürgen Moltmann refers to the partnership between us and God as the openness of the Trinity.  One of the goals of the Christian contemplative tradition was to be one with God in love.  St. John of the Cross describes this oneness to a window that lets the sun shine through, so the window become the source of the light that shines through it. 

"Although in reality the window has a nature distinct from that of the ray itself, however much it may resemble it, yet we may say that that window is a ray of the sun or is light by participation.  And the soul is like this window, whereupon is ever beating (or, to express it better, wherein is ever dwelling) this Divine light of the Being of God according to the nature, which we have described."  (Ascent of Mount Carmel, I.II.V)

John of the Cross says that the "windows is a ray of the sun or is light by participation."  The word particpation is key to what we are trying to describe.  When God created us He did not want robots or pupets, he wanted beings who could love.  In order to love we had to have the ability to not love, so we have free will.  The beauty of being created in the image of God is that we have the ability to put our fingerprints on creation.  We can create beautiful art, music, or literature, which expresses our life experience.  In a similar way, the Kingdom of God is God's self expression.  When we participate in the Kingdom of God, it is like playing music or doing a painting with God.  We each add notes and brush strokes, us and God, together.

A theme in this blog is the "Sacrament of the Present Moment" (SOPM) inspired by the book by the same name (see my favorite books list).  At the heart of the SOPM is this partnership with God, this harmony of wills -- God's will and our will, singing in harmony together.  Musical harmony is the right way of thinking about it, because we must be playing the same tune and our instruments must be tuned together for the things to work right.  I would like to conclude this post with the following observations on the implications being with God.

• Being with God implies that the Living God is present.  This is not a concept or idea.  It is a reality.  Either God is present or He is not.  We are not alone. 
• We must learn to be present to God -- to live in the awareness of Him.  We need to learn to walk together with Him.
• Redemption and solving the world's problems is not up to us. It is God's job.  Our participation is a choice, to become a part of a larger story.  The practice of Christ makes us ministers of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18), but redemption is still God's work.  This removes the burden from us.
• This mutual abiding between us and God is done within the context of love.  Love toward God and love toward others.  Love is relational and communal.  We acheive this oneness not by practicing forms and rites, but by seeking out our Divine Lover, and becoming like Him in this world. 

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  Ephesians 5:1 – 2

Saying "Yes" and Reflections on the Triune God

Sometimes I feel distant from God.  This is a common experience for many in this world, but the Christian understanding of God is that God is personal, and has desire to commune with us.  I believe we are all were created to commune with God, so we all are moved by the desire, knowingly or unknowningly, for Communion with God.   All great stories, all great adventures, all things noble and honorable reflect mankind's attempts to realize this relationship with God.   Similarly, all the pleasures of this world, all the selfishness and greed, and all the negative results of such things reflect mankind's attempts to fill the God-shaped void within themselves with something other than God. 

The "distance" I feel is largely my own doing.  It happens by being distracted by the business of life.  Like any relationship, ours with God needs to be cultivated.  Yet, it is so easy to focus on other things:  work, TV, movies, hobbies, chores, etc.  For many, the distance is so great that the possibility of relationship is unknown.  As a result of our distance, what we think we know of God is clouded and distorted.  Many honestly are not sure they want to have a relationship with God.

I am writing as a Christian, and as such, I have gotten past much of the doubts about God and am pursuing the relationship.  Contemplatives identify with the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10.  Mary was sitting at Jesus' feet, taking in all he had to say.  Martha thought she should have been busy, like her.  The truth is, it is much easier to be Martha than Mary.  We are distracted by many things, and in so doing, we often feel like God is far off and maybe wonder if he is there at all.

As I have sought to deal with my own relationship with God, I have struggled with how to existentially connect with God.  I can understand why Moses asks to see God's face (Exodus 33).  He too, wanted to go beyond the fire and smoke.

Last night I was reading Isaiah, and the prophet was speaking about how God created the heavens and the vastness of his knowledge and might.  How does one relate to such a God -- a God so big that the universe cannot hold him?  No wonder many think of him as far off, or that he could not possibly be interested in our insignificant lives.  Yet, like Moses, I pray that God would "show me his face," so that I can know that I know.  I think we all need some glimpses of God in order to get through the time when we seem alone in the desert.  Paradoxically, sometimes we need to get alone in the desert in order to see clear enough to catch a glimpse of God.  We need to learn to wait for Him. 

There is is a contemplative concept called the Cloud of Unknowing.  It has to do with seeing with eyes of faith past the vastness of God, to that which is beyond our ability to grasp as finite beings.  Misty Edwards has song called "Simple Devotion" on her Eternity album that expresses this.   In any attempt to see the face of God, we need to remind ourselves that God is not seen with your physical eyes. 

I think God knows that men and women need more than a Cloud of Unknowing to relate to.  Throughout the Bible we have examples of God manifesting himself to people.  We find him "walking with Adam and Eve in the garden, and elsewhere in the Old Testament we find the Angel of the Lord appearing to people, and we also find him in the promised Messiah.  In the New Testament, this special revelation of God is found in the person of Jesus Christ -- the one who was God and was with God in the beginning (John 1:1). 

While Jesus still lives, and we may be blessed with a prophetic dream or vision of Him, Jesus told us that where he is going we cannot go.  Jesus went back to the Father, and it is not yet time for the fullness of God to be revealed to humans.  As I reflected on these things over the last day or so, I was reminded of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus tells us that he will give us someone who will be with us -- someone who will bring the presence of God into our lives.  He calls this One the Comforter because he will comfort us during this time of separation from the God who loves us and whom we are called to love (John 16).  The Holy Spirit is the seal of God's promised inheritance in God's kingdom as His children (Eph 1:13).  He is our teacher and companion.

God goes beyond being the distant unfathomable God -- Father and Creator of all.  He goes beyond the incarnational special revelation in Jesus Christ.  He gives us his Spirit so as we abide in Love we abide in God and God abides in us (1 John 4:16).  He not only desires to be our God and have a relationship with us, but he also desire to gather us all up into himself.  This is what Jürgen Moltmann refers to when he talks about the openness of the Trinity.  The existential experience of God is found today in the mutual indwelling of God in his people.  The amazing thing about this is that it is not just a manner of us being lost in the infinitude of God, but that God becomes a part of our finite lives, and in so doing, he embraces our uniqueness.  The Bible describes this in terms of the marriage covenant, where the bridegroom and the bride become one.

When Christians talk of the Trinity, they are not talking about three gods.  They are talking about one God.  They are talking about his unfathomable infinite nature, and they are talking about his special revelation, as God steps out of infinity to speak to us.  God is Spirit, and the bible tells us that he breathed life into us, and that we are made to commune with Him in spirit.  When we talk of our God, we also talk of a God who is not a distant creator.   God loves us, wants relationship with us.  He uses the images of family, friendship, and marriage to describe the kind of relationship he wants to have with us. 

Christians have historically struggled with how to describe their relationship with God.  On one hand, they are careful to affirm that God is One and that their is no other.  He is creator of all things and himself beyond all things.  We call God "Him" but the scriptures tell us that both men and women are made in the image and likeness of God.  There is a completeness in God that goes beyond gender differences.  God enters into his creation and interacts with it.  Sometimes he is in a special sign, like the burning bush, or he may speak through an angel.  Occasionally he steps out of infinity in the likeness of men or angels.  When he came as Jesus, the Messiah, the Christ or anointed one, he spoke to us about himself.  It is important to note that the Bible describes the revelation of God through Jesus as a unique occurrence, not one of many such occurrences.  It is always the same Jesus, the same Son of God, that is revealed, not many masters or avatars.  Jesus called God Father and told us to consider God, our Father.  He also said that as we view the Son that we are viewing the Father.  It is said to know Jesus is to know God most completely, as he came to live with us.  Amazingly, he also suffered and died for us.  He told us, as he did through his prophets, that he particularly identifies with the least in this world -- the poor, needy, and oppressed of this world.  He is not a distant God -- he grieves for this suffering world.  Throughout history God has worked through people by a special anointing of his Spirit.  Jesus taught that we will be under this special anointing of God until he returns.  In the end, God will reveal himself  to all more fully than ever before.  It will no longer be the sun and moon that lights our lives, but the continuous light of God (Rev 22:5)!

How do we describe God?  How do we describe these aspects of God without diminishing him?  Theologians have sought to do this by drawing boundaries.  They say he is One, but yet not alone within himself.  He has revealed himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  They note that this is not just three modes, but more than that.  He is in his creation, but not his creation, and he existed before his all things were created.  Each person in the Trinity reflects the one God and each looks to God in the other.   Perhaps the best word used is perichoresis -- Greek for a mutual indwelling.

As I have struggled with theological understanding of God, I find the Trinity best describes what is revealed of God.  It is through the lens of the Trinity that I can make sense of Christ's atoning death on the cross.  It is through the unconditional love Jesus showed to the unlovable that I can see and learn the love of God.  Then the warnings and cries of the prophets make sense.  It is in my understanding of God joining with men and women to reach out to redeem this broken and oppressed world that I see the goodness of God. (See Jürgen Moltmann's book, Trinity and the Kingdom, for an excellent theological exposition of the Trinity.)

I am realizing that the Holy Spirit is the key to bridging the distance between God and myself.  It is in our spirit that we can touch God and he touches us.  It is in the Spirit that our eyes of faith can see God through the Cloud of Unknowing.   Many of the Christian spiritual disciplines are oriented toward cultivating this intimacy with God. 

Still, such an existential experience of God often eludes us.  How does one realize this?  Of course, it all starts by saying, "yes" to God.  We need to be first reconciled to God in order to receive his Spirit and begin our walk with God.  This alone can be an obstacle for many.  Most people need to work through their issues with God before they want to have any kind of relationship with him, and long before they feel love for him.  The study of the Bible and theology can help with this process.  The "yes" in our heart is the key in any case, regardless of how much study we do before that point.  God is calling to each of us.  After that initial "yes" we start our walk with God.  We will have times of close communion, and other times where we seem far from God.

In my particular situation in life (sitz im liben) I have found that there are two aspects that impact my existential experience of God. 

1. We need to prepare our hearts for God. 
2. We need to continue to say, "yes" to God.

The first aspect is to prepare our hearts for God.  This is where repentance comes in -- turning from our old ways and turning to God.  It is where we learn about him and his ways.  We do not have to "get our life together" but just be willing to turn to God and seek his mercy.  It is where we allow God to do his supernatural work on us, healing and restoring us to what we were intended to be.  It is a life long process, but once started, the doors of relationship open.  Sin and neglect will put distance between us and God.  The key is to love God with all our hearts, minds, and strength.  To the extent we do that, we will find our hearts prepared for God.  It is important to remember that God's mercy is always open to us, so when we stumble and fall along the way, he will lift us up and clean us off, and receive us anew (cf. Rom 8).  This is largely the process of spiritual formation -- the process of God forming Christ in us.  (cf. Eph 3:16-20; 1 John 4:16), making us the images of God he intended us to be.

The second aspect has to do with our continued, "yes" to God.  It is also where the second part of the God's love commandment comes in -- to love our neighbor (who might be our enemy).  Scripture says love is perfected as we love one another, and Jesus clearly teaches that our love is reflected in how we treat others -- especially the poor, afflicted, and oppressed.  One of the reasons he joins with us is to make us his instruments in his overall plan for redemption (cf. Is 61 1:-3, Is 58, Mt 28:18-20).  I am convinced that if we fail to engage this aspect of being a disciple of Jesus, we will have only limited experience of the reality of God. 

In my own case, I find that I am at the point where I have walk the talk.  One can read about Jesus and his teachings only so long before one either needs to dig up the talent given us and start to invest it in the kingdom (cf. Matt 25).  Otherwise we will be like the rich young ruler who goes away disappointed (cf. Lk 18:18-25).

Finally, our "yes" to God is even more important as we practice the Sacrament of the Present Moment (this blog category).  As we seek to respond to each prompting of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we are more accountable for when we say, "no."  We can say "No" without actually coming out and saying a flat, "No," though we may do that too.  We can say, "no" by saying, "yes but..."  or "not now" or by pretending we did not hear.  We can say "no" by not taking the time to listen. 

Lord, help us to alway have our "yes" be "yes."   Amen.

The other day I rented a movie called, "Unidentified" which is put out by ChristianMovies.com.  This is the first movie I have seen from this producer, and it is likely the last.  I was prepared for the a low budget film with inexperienced actors, but the incomplete theology and they way they so easily slipped into stereotypes was frustrating.

The theme of UFOs, which are presented either as hoaxes by people who want to profit from them, or they are satanic manifestations, is the context in which the "gospel message" is presented.  If we do not accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we will go to hell.  If we do, we will go to heaven, or better yet, be raptured before the Great Tribulation.

The main character of the movie is a Christian, more in word than deed.  When his antagonist challenges him about whether he is going to heaven, he admitted he was not sure, realizing his "yes" to Jesus not very firm.  Our main character has a spiritual mentor, who comes off rude, judgmental, and generally preoccupied with challenging people about their eternal destiny or their walk with the Lord.  In fact, he often did so upon first meeting. 

My main objection to such an in-your-face evangelism is that it focuses on such a limited set of scripture that it distorts the message of the Bible.  Actually, this film is an example of how contemporary American Christianity has strayed from its roots.  To set the context, I suggest you read the Jürgen Moltmann quote, in the post just before this one.  Here are some of the things I object to in this movie.

• By focusing on Jesus as "Lord and Savior" only, we lose the message of the love of God.  The real message of the gospels is different.  There, Jesus is God the Son who came into this world to save the lost.  God so loved us, that he sent his only begotten son.  Jesus did not present a distant sovereign, to whom we must submit.  The Old Testament presents a loving God who is seeking to redeem us and all of creation.  He refers to Israel as a bride, not a servant who must submit.  The New Testament presents a loving Father who desires to adopt us as his children.  Jesus said he wanted to be able to call us friends.  John talks of a mutual abiding relationship, where in love we abide in God and God abides in us.  Paul tells us that "in him, we [all] live and move and have our being (Act 17:28)." This message brings God close, as opposed to a distant sovereign planning our eternal judgment.
• The message of the film was focused on heaven and hell, but the message of scripture is focused on our life, here on this earth.  Yes, it is focused on redemption, but that redemption is rooted in a restored relationship with God, through Jesus Christ.  Paul says all creation is waiting, as a woman in child birth, to be set free from its bondage.  He says we as believers are wait for adoption and the redemption of our bodies.  (Romans 8:22-23) 
• The "if you don't accept Jesus you will go to hell" message creates an adversarial relationship that is not supported by scripture.  The lost are not our enemy, but Satan is.  Scripture tells the unredeemed are slaves to sin.  Rather than judging people -- "you are going to hell"  -- we should have compassion on them.  Even if they choose the role of enemy and persecute us, we are told by Jesus to love our enemies.  All of us who come to know Jesus often did so through some kind of personal struggle.  We forget that the fear of hell does not give us entrance to heaven.  Rather, it is relationship with God.  Focusing on God as judge and jailer does not endure him to us as father and friend.
• The message of hell fire tends to focus on non-believers as "sinners" (as if we are not also sinners) destined for damnation.  Jesus presented the masses as the lost sheep whom he, as the Good Shepherd, is seeking.  He hung out with the crowds -- the sinners and the tax collectors.  He preached life, the love of the Father, and the kingdom.  He does not preach hell-fire to the sinners.  In fact, he identifies with the poor, needy, oppressed, and even the prisoners (cf. Matthew 25).  This is not to day Jesus did not preach hell-fire, but the ones he preaches hell-fire to were the religious of the day!  A more accurate picture would be if the movie depicted a rebel preacher who hung out with the non-believers and regularly preached hell-fire sermons to the professing Christians.  He would challenge us to be concerned about justice, mercy, and faith (Matthew 23:23), or justice and the love of God, as Luke records it (Luke 11:42). 
• The movie makes the pre-tribulation rapture a central theme.  Never mind that pre-tribulation rapture is not universally accepted within Christianity.  The movie even goes so afar as to have the Christan characters conspire with the other people in the office to play a "joke" on the antagonist, where they pretend that the rapture already occurred, as if non-believers would conspire in such a joke. This is really sad, as the movie never has the antagonist change is mind towards God.  Instead, his is left freaked out, confused, and resentful. 
• The movie presents Christians as obnoxious Bible thumpers who are more interested in divine fire insurance than having mercy.  Its "Christians" are all too willing to turn their back on a person after pronouncing hell-fire judgment than to come along aside, humbly serving them, and showing the love of God.
• The Christians in the movie did not try to substantiate the message of the Bible, or to present the God of the Bible any any way beyond the one who ordained hell-fire judgment of those who do not accept Jesus into their lives.  The movie misses opportunities to tell a real story of redemption.  For example, the antagonist is portrayed as an obnoxious, arrogant, cynic who was not true to his word.  They could have easily written the story to have him come to the realization of himself, as he is, which of course is necessary before we can come to God.  Instead of the Holy Spirit convicting him, and the love of God bringing him to repentance, he just giving a terrifying image.
• As I write this, I am struck that the roll of the Holy Spirit is missing in this film.  We do not see the Christians relying on God in prayer, or interceding for the lost. Perhaps that explains the in-your-face style of evangelism.  When we forget God's role in bringing people to himself, we feel like it is up to us alone to "get people saved."  With this attitude, we in our finitude can only hope to act in desperate appeals, being impatient for the work of the God in people's hearts. 

The movie, and those two preach its message, fail to communicate the transforming message of the kingdom of God, which is breaking into this life, recreating us into the images of God that we we were meant to be. 

If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  1 Corinthians 13:1 - 7

Pressing In

As we move into the fall season here in Minnesota my life is a mixture of beauty and chaos.  Our church is doing a "Beautiful Life" series with the sermons and small groups, to help us to make room for God's beauty to break into our lives.  I can relate. 

It has been a nice fall.  Last weekend was one of those warm fall weekends that you soak up as if it is the last one you will ever see.  It will not be the last, but it might be the last for about six months.  I like the fall, though.  The colors on the trees, the crisp days, the brief dustings of snow, followed by warm sunny days.  You get a little bit of everything.

My job has been busy.  The days are very intense, with meetings throughout, and sometimes it seems like almost constant interaction with people.  I come home, and want to just "zone out" into some introverted activity to recharge my soul.  Life is busy, but in many ways, I have managed to find a lot of margin. 

The planning of the short-term mission trip to Puebla Mexico is starting in earnest.  The team is forming and the trip is starting to seem more real.  I am excited about what the Lord is going to do with this.  He has been drawing an interesting mix of people to us.  We need a lot of prayer, as we come together.  It is important that this is a God thing, and not just something we contrive.  My daughter Sarah, though only sixteen, is really wise about things like this.  The other day, she said something that reminded me that this trip needs to be a God thing. 

I have been struggling a little recently to include God in my life.  Too many distractions.  Too many things that are "more fun."  I know better, so I press into the Lord.  The trick seems to be to stay genuine or authentic -- I need to say real with God.  The other day I have was hearing the Lord speak to me quite a bit.  I was listening and responding, but sometimes I did not want to.  Sometimes he spoke into parts of my life that I was very happy with.  There can be a fine line between being real and being rebellious.  It is not that God wants to deny us pleasing things, but he does not want to complete with them. 

"Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me."

In my heart, I know that I need to seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness (Matt 6:33), and to hunger and thirst for God.  Sometimes I feel like I am right there and other times it seems that I am not interested in things of the Kingdom at all.  The image of hungering and thirsting for God reminds me that He is not "one of many things."  He should be my all in all.  I really do enjoy our times together, and I sense He does, too.  I am glad God is Love, and that He is faithful, even when we are faithless.

Finding Peace

This morning I started another work week.  I was feeling a little stressed as I drove to work.  Silently, I sensed God calling me to Him.  My thoughts went to Pacem in Terris, and I thought that perhaps it might be time to do a retreat.  It was sunlight, shining through the clouds.  I forgot about the incident until later in the day.

This evening I was visiting with my friend Jim, and again, I sensed God calling me to be with Him.  Jim and I have gone on many retreats together.  A part of me longs for the simplicity of being with God.  I was a bit envious of Jim, because he is leaving his current job in ministry and is seeking a new ministry opportunity that better suits his gifts and calling.  I was envious, because for a little time, he is in a "semi-retired" state (my term).  As Jim says, his life is very sane right now.  I could see that he was very calm, as he was anticipating the coming clarity.

I really believe in the value of going on retreats, and will likely go on one later this fall.  However, retreats end.  What my heart longs for is something more lasting.  I am longing to abide in the presence of God.  In my heart, I know that if I abide in his presence, I will find peace and simplicity.  Most important of all, I will find Him there embracing me, engaging me, vitalizing me. 

The Sacrament of the Present Moment (SoPM) has a natural outcome of peace and simplicity.  It is a peace and simplicity that comes by faith, in knowing that you are in the right place, the sanctuary of the Most High. 

God, help me to abide in your love.  Help me to live in the simplicity that comes when I seek first your kingdom and righteousness.

Making Decisions

I am sensing a need to make some decisions.  We  make decisions every day.  The Sacrament of the Present Moment (SoPM) is about making decisions, in that we decide to abide in God's will, moment by moment.  At times, we are faced with making decisions with longer-term implications.  My friend Les, who has the "Child of the Wind" blog recently posted about discerning God's will in light of limitations in our lives.  We each have limitations -- some are more mundane like 24 hours in a day, and some more severe, such as various infirmities.  In my case, the decisions are more of the mundane kind, having to do with how much I can take on.

At work, it seems we work maxed to the limit, and then some.  It is the old "constrained resources" thing, and trying to do "more with less," except there is always that project or two that HAS to be done, even though you have a full load of work.  I develop a pragmatic attitude, where I take the extra work, and make do.  This usually means taking longer to do all the projects and looking for ways of "cutting corners" minimizing negative impacts.  Hopefully, one can maintain that balance where productive forward momentum is maintained. 

At church, we have a similar situation.  Lots of needs and ministries.  Each has regular meetings.  And oh yeah, we are supposed to have time to be a family man and a neighbor.  However, something always has to give, and at some point burnout starts to set in.

The SoPM is about letting God guide us through these kinds of situations.  One has to believe that God is interested in guiding us, which he is, and then we have to start to listen.  The book, Sacrament of the Present Moment on my book list really offers the best guide in living in the will of God.  There are also some more contemporary books, with practical guidelines.  Margin by Richard A. Swenson is a good one, which has been around for a long time.  Another good book is Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend.  I think our church is going to be promoting another such book this fall.  God knows we need the help, though I do not need another book to read.  8-) 

Over the last few years, and especially since I started to practice the SoPM, I have sought to keep some margin in my life.  Ironically, part of the solution for me has been to say "No" to the many things they want me to do.  For example, I can pray at the altar, but have said "No" to the prayer team meetings.  The small group ministry wants us to lead small groups, develop relationships, get involved in people's lives, and of course, do all of this while maintaining family life and being a neighbor.   It just doesn't work out.

The more I do those things they say have value, the less time I have to go to their meetings.  The last couple weeks I have been on vacation.  This has included a lot of relaxing and recouping of energy, but it has also allowed time to do some things for the Lord that I have been wanting to do.  It makes me long for that thing called "retirement" so I can have time to do all these worthy things.  Alas, my friends who are retired seem to still struggle with finding time to do "everything." 

My decisions have to do with ministry opportunities.  In a few weeks, our small group (we call them Covenant Groups at WHC) will be starting up.  This January, we are hoping to lead a short-term mission trip to a orphanage in Mexico (see the EV web site).  We have also been looking into a group at church that wants to minister to Muslims.  My daughter has a heart for Muslims.  I have been reading Ronald Sider's book, Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger.  I have been a growing desire to be more than just economically engaged with this issue.  I am a theologian, but I realize that theology that does not engage people's lives is dead.  Jurgen Moltmann put it this way:

"...I have been convinced of the common theology of all believers, and firmly believe that the remote and rarefied plain of pure academic theology is a desert."(1)

Other options suggest themselves, as I work through what God is doing in my life for the present time.  This blog, for example, is one thing I feel led to maintain.  Of course, I do try to include balance with family and to be a neighbor.  We have a cool neighborhood where people actually like each other and spend time together -- especially in the summer, when you can go outside without freezing your rear off. 

The astute reader might already be thinking that I am in no way going to achieve all of this.  Hence, the reason I am processing through the issue in this post.  Right now, I am just sensing that a number of things are starting, and that I am going to need to start making some decisions.  I think the starting place will be to pray through some of this with my family.  And of course, to practice the SoPM.  Also, these kinds of decisions always become more clear when they are weighed against our goals and life priorities.

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(1) Jurgen Moltmann, Experiences in Theology:  Ways and Forms of Christian Theology, (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2000)  p. 5