Today's word was "go". I chose to reflect on Matthew 28 since the word "go" appears multiple times throughput the chapter. I'll let you look it up and read it if you would like rather than typing out the full chapter.
The chapter begins with the women at the tomb after Jesus' death. First the angel invites them to come and see that He has risen. This is followed by the command to go and tell His disciples that He has risen. Furthermore, Jesus, the dead guy they were mourning, would go before them to Galilee. They were to find Him there alive, not there in the tomb. And the women went with "fear and great joy."
Jesus met them and they worshipped Him. He then gave the command to go and tell His brothers to go to Galilee where they would see Him.
While the women were going, some of the guards went to the chief priets and told them what had happened. The chief priests told them to tell everyone that the disciples had stolen the body.
The disciples went to Galilee as they were told. This is when they received the Great Commission to go and make disciples of all nations.
There's a lot of going going on in this chapter and all of it is a response to the resurrection. Go and tell seems to be the theme. For some, it was go and tell the good news. For others, it was go and tell a lie to cover up the good news.
What would happen if evangelism was done out of a joyful response to the good news and not just a duty we feel we we have because of the Great Commission? Some of us have this down. Some of us could use some work. Sometimes I worry that we take the resurrection for granted. We don't realize just what it means. We've grown up in a world where life seems a given. I want to truly appreciate what a big deal the resurrection is and I want my evangelism to come from the joy that comes from that.
Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Injustice
Today's word is "injustice". I chose Job 5:16, which says, "So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts her mouth." It is preceded first by verses about committing one's cause to God who provides for those in need and then by verses about frustrating the plans of the wicked. He gives hope to the poor and quiets injustice by putting an end to it.
I have a love/hate relationship with the idea that God loves all of us as if we were the only person. It makes me feel good about God's love for me. But I think it's false. God does not love me any less because there are other people to love. His love is unaffected by that fact. Furthermore, I've come to view justice as God loving all of us equally. There is punishment for sin because sin can't be committed without harm being done to someone else. God is hurt everytime we sin- He died for each of our sins, even the "small" ones. We hurt ourselves each time we sin because the wages of sin is death, even though we sometimes forget this because of the grace we have received. There are usually other consequences as well. Many times we also hurt other people, with or without knowing it. Something seems odd about God's love for a victim if the sin is not addressed; it seems lacking. Justice holds us accountable to loving God, ourselves, and our neighbors. As Jesus said, that sums up all the commandments.
I've noticed that many times when injustices are committed, especially some of the most heinous injustices, it is done with the arrogant belief that the perpetrator will not be held accountable for his/her actions. God doesn't exist or will give him/her a free pass. If this were the case, there would be no hope for the poor and injustice will prevail. Fortunately, we do have a just God. The poor have hope precisely because God will shut the mouth of all injustice at some time or another, even if we don't get to see it.
We can look to the cross and resurrection as an example of injustice being quieted. Although Jesus willingly went to the cross in submission to the Father's will, the cross was also still the world's greatest injustice. Injustice roared that day as crowds shouted, demanding that the only innocent man to ever walk the Earth, it's creator and provider be crucified. The resurrection silenced that injustice as God gave Jesus righteous judgment and raised Him from the dead. God always judges righteously. There is no injustice from Him and He does not allow mockery to be made of justice.
I have a love/hate relationship with the idea that God loves all of us as if we were the only person. It makes me feel good about God's love for me. But I think it's false. God does not love me any less because there are other people to love. His love is unaffected by that fact. Furthermore, I've come to view justice as God loving all of us equally. There is punishment for sin because sin can't be committed without harm being done to someone else. God is hurt everytime we sin- He died for each of our sins, even the "small" ones. We hurt ourselves each time we sin because the wages of sin is death, even though we sometimes forget this because of the grace we have received. There are usually other consequences as well. Many times we also hurt other people, with or without knowing it. Something seems odd about God's love for a victim if the sin is not addressed; it seems lacking. Justice holds us accountable to loving God, ourselves, and our neighbors. As Jesus said, that sums up all the commandments.
I've noticed that many times when injustices are committed, especially some of the most heinous injustices, it is done with the arrogant belief that the perpetrator will not be held accountable for his/her actions. God doesn't exist or will give him/her a free pass. If this were the case, there would be no hope for the poor and injustice will prevail. Fortunately, we do have a just God. The poor have hope precisely because God will shut the mouth of all injustice at some time or another, even if we don't get to see it.
We can look to the cross and resurrection as an example of injustice being quieted. Although Jesus willingly went to the cross in submission to the Father's will, the cross was also still the world's greatest injustice. Injustice roared that day as crowds shouted, demanding that the only innocent man to ever walk the Earth, it's creator and provider be crucified. The resurrection silenced that injustice as God gave Jesus righteous judgment and raised Him from the dead. God always judges righteously. There is no injustice from Him and He does not allow mockery to be made of justice.
Friday, February 12, 2016
Look
Have I mentioned that I love the books of the prophets? Today's word is "look" and I picked a verse from my favorite book of the Bible. It's Lamentations 5:1, which says "Remember, O LORD, what has befallen us; look and see our disgrace!" (ESV)
This verse is a reminder that God is the God who sees. What's interesting is that this verse is inviting God to look upon our disgrace- the very thing we normally try to hide from God and others. Yet if we are to repent and find healing from God, we have to acknowledge the damage that sin's done in our lives and we have to invite God into it. It is in telling God how desolate and desperate Israel's situation is and begging for Him to see it that Jeremiah begs the Lord to restore Israel to Himself. The more I realize the damage sin inflicts in my life, the more I seek God's restoration.
I'm also drawn closer to Christ as I imagine Him praying something similar on the cross. He bore our shame. Crucifixion was a disgracelful death and He died that death with a crowd looking at that disgrace. Our disgrace. But He took it upon Himself and I'm sure He called on God to look at what was happening to Him and to remember and restore His life.
This verse is a reminder that God is the God who sees. What's interesting is that this verse is inviting God to look upon our disgrace- the very thing we normally try to hide from God and others. Yet if we are to repent and find healing from God, we have to acknowledge the damage that sin's done in our lives and we have to invite God into it. It is in telling God how desolate and desperate Israel's situation is and begging for Him to see it that Jeremiah begs the Lord to restore Israel to Himself. The more I realize the damage sin inflicts in my life, the more I seek God's restoration.
I'm also drawn closer to Christ as I imagine Him praying something similar on the cross. He bore our shame. Crucifixion was a disgracelful death and He died that death with a crowd looking at that disgrace. Our disgrace. But He took it upon Himself and I'm sure He called on God to look at what was happening to Him and to remember and restore His life.
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Voice
Today's word to reflect on is "voice". I chose to reflect on Isaiah 51:3, which says, "For the LORD comfort Zion; he comforts all her waste places snd makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song." (ESV)
I love the books of the prophets; they're my favorites. There's a common theme: warning of punishment for sin if God's people don't repent and return to the Lord followed by promises of comfort and restoration that will follow and result in the Lord being exalted. Lent is a time on reflecting on the punishment that our sin deserves and the fact that Christ bore that punishment for us. It is a time of mourning as we reflect on the cost of sin. However, this verse reminds me that it can also be a time of comfort. The NIV translation of this verse says that he looks with compassion on Israel's ruins.
During this season of lent, I'm aware of some of the ruins in my life that have been caused by sin, whether it be sins that I committed or that others committed. However, as I lament what used to be and is no longer there, I also want to turn to God and receive the comfort that He has promised following destruction. I don't think we are supposed to mourn in vain; I think are mourning is meant to turn us back to the God who is waiting to comfort us. I also want this to be a time for thanksgiving and the voice of song as I look forward to the promise of comfort and restoration.
I love the books of the prophets; they're my favorites. There's a common theme: warning of punishment for sin if God's people don't repent and return to the Lord followed by promises of comfort and restoration that will follow and result in the Lord being exalted. Lent is a time on reflecting on the punishment that our sin deserves and the fact that Christ bore that punishment for us. It is a time of mourning as we reflect on the cost of sin. However, this verse reminds me that it can also be a time of comfort. The NIV translation of this verse says that he looks with compassion on Israel's ruins.
During this season of lent, I'm aware of some of the ruins in my life that have been caused by sin, whether it be sins that I committed or that others committed. However, as I lament what used to be and is no longer there, I also want to turn to God and receive the comfort that He has promised following destruction. I don't think we are supposed to mourn in vain; I think are mourning is meant to turn us back to the God who is waiting to comfort us. I also want this to be a time for thanksgiving and the voice of song as I look forward to the promise of comfort and restoration.
Gather
Another season of lent where I commit to blogging has begun. This year I am adapting a lent idea that was to take and share a photo each day based off a word. Instead, I will take some time each day to look up Bible verses containing the word, reflect, and blog some thoughts.
Today's word is "gather". The verse I've chosen is Job 34:14-15, which says, "If he should set his heart to it and gather to himself his spirit and his breath, all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust." (ESV) I read this at my church's Ash Wednesday service shortly after having the ashes placed on my forehead and hearing the words, "From dust you came; to dust you shall return."
Fortunately, this is not what God has set His heart to, and that is the grace of this season. I've been doing Beth Moore's Bible study about the Holy Spirt called "Breath". We've examined verses similar to the one in Job linking words like "breath", "spirit", and "life", which is one of the reasons this stood out to me. Another reason is the passage we studied in the last session.
I encourage you to read Ezekiel 37:1-14. It's the passage about the dry bones being brought to life. In short, God asks the prophet Ezekiel, "Son of man, can these bones live?". Ezekiel replies, "O Lord GOD, you know." God tells him to prophesy life over the bones. As he did so, the bones came together and were covered with flesh, but there was no breath. He was then commanded to prophesy to the breath to breathe on the slain so they might live and they did. The passage ends with God's promise to raise His people from their graves and place His Spirit in them so they might live.
I go to a church where communion is usually only taken once a month, except for special occasions. Communion happened to fall the day after this lesson. As I watched everyone go up for communion, I reflected on this passage. "Can these dry bones live?" God seemed to still be asking. "O Lord GOD, you know," I thought as I watched person after person receive the sacraments that said, "Yes." Bones metaphorically coming together and being covered with sinews and flesh. God breathing new life into His people that were once dead in their transgressions. While advent looks forward to the birth of Christ, lent looks forward to God breathing life into dry bones.
From dust we came; to dust we shall return. Praise the God whose heart is not sent on leaving us that way. The God who instead chose to open our graves and breathe life into us a second time. He could have gathered His breath instead. We'd had our chance and blown it. Yet He chose to give His last breath so that we might once again have breath. This is the beauty of lent and Easter.
Today's word is "gather". The verse I've chosen is Job 34:14-15, which says, "If he should set his heart to it and gather to himself his spirit and his breath, all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust." (ESV) I read this at my church's Ash Wednesday service shortly after having the ashes placed on my forehead and hearing the words, "From dust you came; to dust you shall return."
Fortunately, this is not what God has set His heart to, and that is the grace of this season. I've been doing Beth Moore's Bible study about the Holy Spirt called "Breath". We've examined verses similar to the one in Job linking words like "breath", "spirit", and "life", which is one of the reasons this stood out to me. Another reason is the passage we studied in the last session.
I encourage you to read Ezekiel 37:1-14. It's the passage about the dry bones being brought to life. In short, God asks the prophet Ezekiel, "Son of man, can these bones live?". Ezekiel replies, "O Lord GOD, you know." God tells him to prophesy life over the bones. As he did so, the bones came together and were covered with flesh, but there was no breath. He was then commanded to prophesy to the breath to breathe on the slain so they might live and they did. The passage ends with God's promise to raise His people from their graves and place His Spirit in them so they might live.
I go to a church where communion is usually only taken once a month, except for special occasions. Communion happened to fall the day after this lesson. As I watched everyone go up for communion, I reflected on this passage. "Can these dry bones live?" God seemed to still be asking. "O Lord GOD, you know," I thought as I watched person after person receive the sacraments that said, "Yes." Bones metaphorically coming together and being covered with sinews and flesh. God breathing new life into His people that were once dead in their transgressions. While advent looks forward to the birth of Christ, lent looks forward to God breathing life into dry bones.
From dust we came; to dust we shall return. Praise the God whose heart is not sent on leaving us that way. The God who instead chose to open our graves and breathe life into us a second time. He could have gathered His breath instead. We'd had our chance and blown it. Yet He chose to give His last breath so that we might once again have breath. This is the beauty of lent and Easter.
Monday, May 11, 2015
No More
The above image is from The Joyful Heart Foundation's No More Campaign. No More means more than just no more domestic violence and sexual assault. It means No More behaviors that enable it to happen, such as No More Silence, No More Blaming The Victim, etc. It's No More Fill In The Blank as pictured below:
I'm hoping to add my voice to the No More campaign by doing a No More series on this blog. God has given me a passion to fight the injustice of abuse. I've heard several testimonies from suvivors of abuse that the church has not been much of a help in fighting abuse, and in some cases, it has even made things worse. This is not always the case, but it is heartbreaking to hear how often it is the case. In this No More series, I will address some common behaviors and attitudes that are found within the church that have a tendency to enable abuse, look at why they do so, and what might be able to be changed to help fight abuse.
A big inspiration for this blog series has been the "A Cry For Justice" blog. This is a Christian-led blog that exists solely to address the issue of abuse and the church. I believe it is a valuable resource for Christians that seek to understand the dynamics of abuse and who are looking for a Biblical understanding of how to deal with abuse when it occur within the church. Here is the link: http://cryingoutforjustice.com/.
Sunday, April 5, 2015
The Hope On Which Our Faith Rests
Happy Easter, everyone! He is risen! The grave is empty. Death has been defeated. The curse that led to death has been broken by the new Adam who brings life to all who believe in Him. This is the hope on which all of our faith rests. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:14, "And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith." If Christ had not been raised, our faith would be completely useless. But because He has been raised, we can have a true hope in redemption that will be worked out in this life and ultimately when we see Him face to face.
The fear of death no longer has power over us. This is how the world was transformed. Christians were willing to die instead of rejecting Christ because they trusted that He had been raised and trusted His promise that He was only the first of many who had put their faith in Him. It's kinda hard to stop someone who whole-heartedly believes that.
Christ died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. Simple words and so easy to take for granted. Yet they are the deep foundations of our faith. God Himself came down as a man, died, was raised to life in the same body that was crucified, and will return. Simple words, yet altogether life altering when we realize just what they mean and choose to believe them.
The fear of death no longer has power over us. This is how the world was transformed. Christians were willing to die instead of rejecting Christ because they trusted that He had been raised and trusted His promise that He was only the first of many who had put their faith in Him. It's kinda hard to stop someone who whole-heartedly believes that.
Christ died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. Simple words and so easy to take for granted. Yet they are the deep foundations of our faith. God Himself came down as a man, died, was raised to life in the same body that was crucified, and will return. Simple words, yet altogether life altering when we realize just what they mean and choose to believe them.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Control
Control. It's something we all need yet something that can cause major problems if misunderstood or used in the wrong way. There are many times where we think we have more control than we actually do and many times that we think we have less. Not being realistic about how much control we have and what we rightly have control over can be extremely destructive to ourselves and others.
Sometimes we try to control God by bargaining with Him. If He gives us what we want then we will give Him what He wants. But this mistakes several things about God's character. First, it assumes that the same God who was willing to give His only Son as a sacrifice doesn't care about our needs and desires when He in fact cares about them more than we do. However, He sees the whole picture and knows what is best. But sometimes it is hard to trust that. Second, it assumes that obedience is a way to get God to give us things, but in reality, God already has good things planned for us, but obedience is to His will is the only way that those things are capable of being received by us.
Sometimes we have to acknowledge that we are powerless in certain circumstances and can do know more than leave the situation in God's hands to deal with. This doesn't mean that we're powerless; it just means that our power is found in prayer and trusting God to work in the situation. I've found that some of my best moments with God have been some of the most difficult in my life when I acknowledged how powerless I was and submitted to a God who I trusted was for me and would see me through.
Sometimes we try to control our circumstances by controlling other people instead of ourselves. This is wrong and if it is habitual it is usually deemed as abuse. Sometimes we fail to acknowledge that we have as much control as we do. This is wrong also and can lead to victimization. Boundaries is an excellent book that I have found very helpful in helping me realize what things I am responsible for and to and what things I am not. It offers help for both side of the equation. Often the two go hand-in-hand in relationships and the cycle requires at least one person in the relationship to have a clear picture of responsibility and control and make change based on that understanding in order to be broken.
I think a lot could be changed in our relationships with God and others if we learned what our responsibilities to God and others are and what we have control over and used that control appropriately. Perhaps that is a crucial part of what it means to love God and love others. It involves taking responsibility for the way we choose to exercise the gift of free will. I think that one of the core things of love is using our free will for the benefit of another, and not to harm them. It's a choice not a feeling. And sometimes it's a very difficult choice. Jesus talked a lot about submision, probably because it is required in fulfilling the top two commandments, which all the other commandments happen to fall under. His whole life was about submission to the will of God, even death on a cross to reconcile us to God. I think Paul says it well in Phillipians 2:
Sometimes we try to control God by bargaining with Him. If He gives us what we want then we will give Him what He wants. But this mistakes several things about God's character. First, it assumes that the same God who was willing to give His only Son as a sacrifice doesn't care about our needs and desires when He in fact cares about them more than we do. However, He sees the whole picture and knows what is best. But sometimes it is hard to trust that. Second, it assumes that obedience is a way to get God to give us things, but in reality, God already has good things planned for us, but obedience is to His will is the only way that those things are capable of being received by us.
Sometimes we have to acknowledge that we are powerless in certain circumstances and can do know more than leave the situation in God's hands to deal with. This doesn't mean that we're powerless; it just means that our power is found in prayer and trusting God to work in the situation. I've found that some of my best moments with God have been some of the most difficult in my life when I acknowledged how powerless I was and submitted to a God who I trusted was for me and would see me through.
Sometimes we try to control our circumstances by controlling other people instead of ourselves. This is wrong and if it is habitual it is usually deemed as abuse. Sometimes we fail to acknowledge that we have as much control as we do. This is wrong also and can lead to victimization. Boundaries is an excellent book that I have found very helpful in helping me realize what things I am responsible for and to and what things I am not. It offers help for both side of the equation. Often the two go hand-in-hand in relationships and the cycle requires at least one person in the relationship to have a clear picture of responsibility and control and make change based on that understanding in order to be broken.
I think a lot could be changed in our relationships with God and others if we learned what our responsibilities to God and others are and what we have control over and used that control appropriately. Perhaps that is a crucial part of what it means to love God and love others. It involves taking responsibility for the way we choose to exercise the gift of free will. I think that one of the core things of love is using our free will for the benefit of another, and not to harm them. It's a choice not a feeling. And sometimes it's a very difficult choice. Jesus talked a lot about submision, probably because it is required in fulfilling the top two commandments, which all the other commandments happen to fall under. His whole life was about submission to the will of God, even death on a cross to reconcile us to God. I think Paul says it well in Phillipians 2:
"2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father."
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father."
I think that submission to the will of God is the key to true and healthy control.
Monday, March 23, 2015
Unmet Expectations
I'm one of those increasingly common people in their mid-twenties who is single, still living at home, and still trying to finish school. I don't live up to society's expectations, or at least not American society's expectations. In Taiwan it is normal for a single person to live at home until they get married. I haven't lived up to my expectations for myself either. This is definitely not what my high school self saw my life looking like.
However, there are good things my high school self didn't foresee either. She didn't see mission trips to Taiwan, Niger, and France. She didn't foresee helping plant a church and helping build that church's youth ministry, kids ministry, and drama team or serving a two year term on the leadership council or leading a mission trip to France through that church. She never envisioned getting to participate in making a decision to purchase property for the church. She never envisioned getting to love on foster kids for a week every summer or helping kids from abusive situations at the Justice Center. She never thought she could break free form her insecurity and other issues. She never envisioned helping Burmese refugees. She never imagined the ways she would come to trust God and take risks for Him. Yet all things and more have happened.
By society's standards, it doesn't appear that I am super successful. But I think God is proud of me. I think He is there saying,"Well done, good and faithful servant; keep going!!!" After all, his own Son failed to meet a lot of expectations, as well.
Many of the Jews of Jesus' time expected the Messiah to be a military leader who would free them from Roman rule. Instead He came to free them from sin. He didn't fight Roman rule and even told them to give to Caesar what was Caesar's.
He didn't meet His family's expectations for Him either. There were times they were embarrassed by His behavior and thought He was crazy.
The religious leaders expected someone who followed their strict rules. Jesus broke some of the rules when keeping the rule would have made the rule lose it's purpose.
Peter expected Jesus not to die. He got majorly rebuked for it.
The Jews expected a great king. They got a man who died a humiliating criminal's death on a cross after being crowned with thorns. "King of the Jews" was meant to be an insult. Those that had followed Him with high hopes for the future were left confused and disappointed.
They expected Him to stay dead, but on the third day He rose from the grave!
Peter was probably expected to spend his life as a fisher of fish and not a fisher of men. Paul could have been a high up Jewish religious leader, but instead he gave his life to preaching the Gospel, even when that meant being followed and nearly stoned to death by mobs of angry Jews and imprisoned. The name "Christian" began as an insult. Yet these are the people who turned the world upside down because they put Christ above everything else.
Here's the thing: some of the things that the world considers success are good things. But Christ is better, and sometimes following Him requires us to sacrifice some of those things. Maybe temporarily, maybe permanently. Many of us are familiar with the story of Jesus and the rish man in Mark 10:17-31:
"
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’[a]”
20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is[b] to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
28 Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”
29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
And about the costs Jesus said are associated with following Him in Matthew 8:18-22:
"18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”"
When Jesus began His time of ministry, He gave up His home and job. He dedicated His time to minsistry and had followers that offered material support. Not all of us will be called to this, but some of us will. We will all be called to sacrifice something to follow Jesus. Let's be willing to make those sacrifices. Let's also support our brothers and sisters that are making those sacrifices and celebrate with them as they hit God's milestones, even if they don't always hit society's.
However, there are good things my high school self didn't foresee either. She didn't see mission trips to Taiwan, Niger, and France. She didn't foresee helping plant a church and helping build that church's youth ministry, kids ministry, and drama team or serving a two year term on the leadership council or leading a mission trip to France through that church. She never envisioned getting to participate in making a decision to purchase property for the church. She never envisioned getting to love on foster kids for a week every summer or helping kids from abusive situations at the Justice Center. She never thought she could break free form her insecurity and other issues. She never envisioned helping Burmese refugees. She never imagined the ways she would come to trust God and take risks for Him. Yet all things and more have happened.
By society's standards, it doesn't appear that I am super successful. But I think God is proud of me. I think He is there saying,"Well done, good and faithful servant; keep going!!!" After all, his own Son failed to meet a lot of expectations, as well.
Many of the Jews of Jesus' time expected the Messiah to be a military leader who would free them from Roman rule. Instead He came to free them from sin. He didn't fight Roman rule and even told them to give to Caesar what was Caesar's.
He didn't meet His family's expectations for Him either. There were times they were embarrassed by His behavior and thought He was crazy.
The religious leaders expected someone who followed their strict rules. Jesus broke some of the rules when keeping the rule would have made the rule lose it's purpose.
Peter expected Jesus not to die. He got majorly rebuked for it.
The Jews expected a great king. They got a man who died a humiliating criminal's death on a cross after being crowned with thorns. "King of the Jews" was meant to be an insult. Those that had followed Him with high hopes for the future were left confused and disappointed.
They expected Him to stay dead, but on the third day He rose from the grave!
Peter was probably expected to spend his life as a fisher of fish and not a fisher of men. Paul could have been a high up Jewish religious leader, but instead he gave his life to preaching the Gospel, even when that meant being followed and nearly stoned to death by mobs of angry Jews and imprisoned. The name "Christian" began as an insult. Yet these are the people who turned the world upside down because they put Christ above everything else.
Here's the thing: some of the things that the world considers success are good things. But Christ is better, and sometimes following Him requires us to sacrifice some of those things. Maybe temporarily, maybe permanently. Many of us are familiar with the story of Jesus and the rish man in Mark 10:17-31:
"
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’[a]”
20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is[b] to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
28 Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”
29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
And about the costs Jesus said are associated with following Him in Matthew 8:18-22:
"18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”"
When Jesus began His time of ministry, He gave up His home and job. He dedicated His time to minsistry and had followers that offered material support. Not all of us will be called to this, but some of us will. We will all be called to sacrifice something to follow Jesus. Let's be willing to make those sacrifices. Let's also support our brothers and sisters that are making those sacrifices and celebrate with them as they hit God's milestones, even if they don't always hit society's.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Mentoring
Today's a special day to me. It marks the 3 year anniversary of the first time my mentor and I got together for mentoring. I got to get together with her for mentoring this week. I also got to get together and catch up with an incredible young woman I used to mentor and I've had the privilege of watching grow in her faith over the years. She's currently going to school to be a youth leader. I'm pretty proud of her.
Me and my mentor. I love her and am super grateful for her and the way she's invested in my life over the last 3 years!
The mentoring relationships I've been in- whether as the mentor or mentee- have brought me some of the greatest joy. There have been incredible moments. There have been tough moments. There have been a ton of moments that fall somewhere in between. All of them have helped me to grow. They've taught me to love better. They've been safe places for me to take risks and grow- more so on the mentee side with this one. I've been a part of formal mentoring relationships where we've committed to a mentoring relationship and I've been a part of many more informal mentoring relationships.
There's something highly beneficial about close, cross generational relationships. Both people in the relationship seem to benefit from it. It's a great way to develop faith as older generations pass on what they've already learned and younger generations are eager to learn from the older generations. It can mean the world to someone to know that someone else is willing to invest in their life and it is highly rewarding to watch someone grow as a result of that investment.
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21) One of the best investments we can make in this life is an investment in the life and faith of a brother or sister in Christ! Mentoring is a great way to store our treasures in Heaven!
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Childlike Faith
Today I spent a portion of my drive listening to children's music on a Christian radio station. It reminded me of the songs we sing at Royal Family Kids Camp. In fact, one of the songs was one that we sung at Camp 2 years ago! Sometimes there are some pretty cheesy songs thrown in; they are for kids after all. But there are a lot of songs that do a lot for my faith. They're songs about the simple, yet core concepts of the Christian faith.
"Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, they are weak, but He is strong."
"Faith to see beyond what I can see. Faith to know that You will do great things. I will trust You, Lord; I'll always believe, as I hold on to my faith, Jesus, You are holding on to me."
"He knows my name. He knows my every thought. He sees each tear that falls and hears me when I call."
I heard one today that I couldn't find the lyrics to, but it had a line about imagining where we would go if we would follow where He leads.
These songs are so simple, yet so profound. Yet so often we take the profound for granted because of the simplicity. I think adults need to internalize these simple truths just as much as children do. We need to hear them often. They're comforting. Some express joy and some express sorrow. All express the truth that God is with us and for us. There's a sense of awe towards God. There's a sense of childlike faith- a very simple trust in a good God who looks after us.
The sad thing is, so many of us grow out of that childlike faith. Those who weren't raised in the church may not even get the chance to experience it. While our faith should definitely mature, there's a childlike faith that we are meant to hold onto. Jesus spoke of it Himself. These songs present the basics of our faith. If we believe them and accept them with the childlike faith that God is good, He is with us, He is for us, etc., I think it would drastically change the way we live out our faith. But what are the implications for our faith if we neglect these basic foundations of it?
One of the gifts I've received as a volunteer at RFKC is the gift of childlike faith. Each year, it develops a little more, especially with the songs. The kids at this camp are all in foster care, which means that they've all experienced some sort of trauma. How can we ask kids to put their faith in words like these if we can't? Does my life show that I believe these words? Is my life changed because of that? My prayer for all the kids at camp is that theirs would be. And I pray that ours would be as well. These aren't meant to be just songs. They carry truths that should shape our view of God and the world- not just truths we confess, but truths that we live out. RFKC pushes me to do my best to live those truths out before those kids for the week that I am with them. To show them that God is all of the things the songs claim He is instead of just telling them. Their lives are filled with crushed hopes. I want them to know that when they put their hope in Jesus Christ, they are putting their hope in something real. In the one person who will never fail them. And I want to do the same. My faith becomes more tangible to me. My faith matures as I learn to practice childlike faith. But sometimes maturing in faith means growing into childlike faith instead of growing out of it.
One of the most beautiful things about camp is witnessing the faith of the children. It's such a glimpse of Heaven! There's just something about childlike faith that makes me yearn for it even more...
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Life From Death
As usual, we enjoyed a great discussion in my life group tonight. We have been going through the book of Acts since September. One of the things that has amazed us is how much the church grew in times of heavy persecution. Large numbers of people came to Christ even as the people preaching the Gospel suffered hardships many of us here can't even imagine for sharing their faith. The suffering wasn't a deterrent. These people wanted Christ.
Should this surprise us, though? After all, our faith is built on the horrific death of Christ and the hope that comes from Christ defeating death. The apostles had seen the risen Christ. They knew death had no power over them. As the enemy came after their lives, the church only grew.
A similar situation is currently being seen where unimaginable persecution is taking place. I've read stories about how fleeing from ISIS has allowed Christians to reach people that had previously been unable to reach. In Niger, the Gospel is spreading after attacks on the Church. The pastors are filled with joy believing that this will lead God's Kingdom to grow.
All of this has shown me that there are two different ways to look at the situation. One is to look at it as the enemy defeating the church. The other is to look at it as as God defeating the enemy. The latter is counterintuitive, but Biblical. I am choosing to believe the latter and think that it will be proven to be true. Our God is a God who brings life from death. Death is equated to a seed being planted in order that new life and more of it may be brought forth. I think that is what will happen here. I think there will be a large harvest that will come from this time when Christian persecution is at a high.
I think we also have roles to play here. WE are the Church. WE are being attacked. Let's be in constant prayer for our brothers and sisters that face persecution. Some of us might be able to help financially. There are groups trying to provide for ISIS victims. There are groups trying to help Christians who may have lost everything in Niger rebuild. The world is more connected than ever. I think the most amazing thing that could come out of this would be for the Church to stand together in unity in whatever ways possible in the power of Christ. I think that would make Satan tremble. Let's do it!
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Renewal Of The Mind
Along with Chinese philosophy, I am taking philosophy of mind this semester. We get to focus on the mind/body problem and argue about whether or not physical happenings in the brain can adequately account for our thoughts and emotions and such. If there the mind is a separate, nonphysical entity from the brain, how do the two work together? Fun stuff, right? Well, at least some of it is anyways.
Some of the stuff that I actually think is fun is learning about the psychological stuff we get to learn about. A video about neuron communication that we were required to watch this weekend got me thinking about Romans 12:2 where Paul tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. I think most of us would think of the mind as it's used here in terms of the non-physical stuff such as thoughts and emotions, and I think that's what Paul meant, too.
The video got me thinking, though. It discussed that communication patterns are formed both by nature and nurture. The synapses, the parts in between the neurons that carry the chemical messages from neuron to neuron, can actually change because of learned behaviors. The example that was given was of a mouse being afraid of a cat. By nature, the synapses will relay a message that produces fear. However, when a mouse encounters cats and learns to associate certain stimuli with the approaching of a cat, the synapses change in a way that allows for those stimuli to produce the same fear message and allow the mouse to react sooner.
Could it be that there is also a physical renewal of our minds when our minds as in our thoughts and emotions are renewed? It seems plausible. Perhaps as we focus on all that is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy and as we obey God with the help of the Holy Spirit our minds are also physically being restored as our synapses and neuron communication structures are being transformed. We do know that various factors can alter brain pathways. And God does care about our bodies. How cool would it be if it does mean both?
Some of the stuff that I actually think is fun is learning about the psychological stuff we get to learn about. A video about neuron communication that we were required to watch this weekend got me thinking about Romans 12:2 where Paul tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. I think most of us would think of the mind as it's used here in terms of the non-physical stuff such as thoughts and emotions, and I think that's what Paul meant, too.
The video got me thinking, though. It discussed that communication patterns are formed both by nature and nurture. The synapses, the parts in between the neurons that carry the chemical messages from neuron to neuron, can actually change because of learned behaviors. The example that was given was of a mouse being afraid of a cat. By nature, the synapses will relay a message that produces fear. However, when a mouse encounters cats and learns to associate certain stimuli with the approaching of a cat, the synapses change in a way that allows for those stimuli to produce the same fear message and allow the mouse to react sooner.
Could it be that there is also a physical renewal of our minds when our minds as in our thoughts and emotions are renewed? It seems plausible. Perhaps as we focus on all that is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy and as we obey God with the help of the Holy Spirit our minds are also physically being restored as our synapses and neuron communication structures are being transformed. We do know that various factors can alter brain pathways. And God does care about our bodies. How cool would it be if it does mean both?
Friday, February 20, 2015
Broken
One of the most powerful communion experiences I've ever had was one Sunday morning during the months before my trip to Niger in 2012. A song about following Jesus had been song either before or during communion. Fancy that, a song about following Jesus being sung at church. Who would have thought? Anyways, something struck me that morning that going on this trip would mean that I would need to be willing to possibly follow Jesus in having my body broken for the sake of the Gospel. Not necessarily to the point of death, but nonetheless, this trip would mean subjecting my body to a vaccine that had the potential to be fatal and subjecting it to the possibility of diseases such as malaria. This moment happened shortly before I received the yellow fever vaccine, the one that can potentially be fatal, and at the very least, typically causes a lot of pain. It was a moment of surrender. Of mentally offering my body as a living sacrifice before I was asked to physically do so. A moment of counting the costs and accepting them. A moment of choosing to follow Jesus even when it meant my body might be broken, all the while remembering the way that His was broken for me so that I might believe and be saved. Was I willing to offer mine to whatever might happen on this trip in the hopes that others might believe and be saved because Christ had done the same for me? I was. Communion that day felt like my acceptance of that.
I ended up not even experiencing any pain from the yellow fever vaccine. I was spared from all of the ill effects that came with that. However, I was not spared from malaria, though I only suffered a minor case thanks to the fact that God had a plan in place that was better than any human plan could have ever been and I was able to start treatment within 7 hours of the symptoms starting. As afraid as I had been of malaria, I didn't feel any of that fear when I actually had it. All I felt was a peace that surpassed understanding. I knew it was a risk, but because I entered that risk knowing that I was following God, I felt Him very near to me when the symptoms hit. I wouldn't trade the moments I had with God at that time for anything; they are some of the most precious I've ever experienced.
Fast forward to communion on Ash Wednesday 2015. A time to remember God's body being broken for us. The communion I just mentioned flashed through my memory. But this time, so did the image of 21 bodies that were recently broken for the sake of the Gospel- the 21 Christians that were recently killed by ISIS. Thoughts of all the bodies broken for the sake of the Gospel in the middle east and in other countries such as Burma, China, and North Korea just to name a few. I've read that Christian persecution is at an all time high.
During worship, Romans 12:1 was shown on the screen. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." Although we may not all be called to literally offer our bodies as a sacrifice to be broken perhaps unto death, but Paul certainly meant for us to be willing to go that far. He was. Many brothers and sisters today all over the world are doing so.
The question that remains in my mind is is, what am I going to do with a faith so precious that the body of the One and Only Most High was broken for it? That countless others have given their bodies to be broken for?
This is how I want to respond: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Hebrews 12:1-3)
Ours is a faith that's worth giving everything for, because our God already gave everything for us. We are promised that he who loses His life shall find it. We are told that the death of God's saints is precious in His sight. We are given the hope that not only was Christ's body broken, but it was raised back to life and can no longer be broken and that the same will someday be true for us. There is a battle being fought that will leave us broken, but as Easter reminds us, Christ took on our brokeness in order to make us whole. It is this hope that allows us to endure temporary brokeness and perservere while we wait to be made whole with Him.
I ended up not even experiencing any pain from the yellow fever vaccine. I was spared from all of the ill effects that came with that. However, I was not spared from malaria, though I only suffered a minor case thanks to the fact that God had a plan in place that was better than any human plan could have ever been and I was able to start treatment within 7 hours of the symptoms starting. As afraid as I had been of malaria, I didn't feel any of that fear when I actually had it. All I felt was a peace that surpassed understanding. I knew it was a risk, but because I entered that risk knowing that I was following God, I felt Him very near to me when the symptoms hit. I wouldn't trade the moments I had with God at that time for anything; they are some of the most precious I've ever experienced.
Fast forward to communion on Ash Wednesday 2015. A time to remember God's body being broken for us. The communion I just mentioned flashed through my memory. But this time, so did the image of 21 bodies that were recently broken for the sake of the Gospel- the 21 Christians that were recently killed by ISIS. Thoughts of all the bodies broken for the sake of the Gospel in the middle east and in other countries such as Burma, China, and North Korea just to name a few. I've read that Christian persecution is at an all time high.
During worship, Romans 12:1 was shown on the screen. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." Although we may not all be called to literally offer our bodies as a sacrifice to be broken perhaps unto death, but Paul certainly meant for us to be willing to go that far. He was. Many brothers and sisters today all over the world are doing so.
The question that remains in my mind is is, what am I going to do with a faith so precious that the body of the One and Only Most High was broken for it? That countless others have given their bodies to be broken for?
This is how I want to respond: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Hebrews 12:1-3)
Ours is a faith that's worth giving everything for, because our God already gave everything for us. We are promised that he who loses His life shall find it. We are told that the death of God's saints is precious in His sight. We are given the hope that not only was Christ's body broken, but it was raised back to life and can no longer be broken and that the same will someday be true for us. There is a battle being fought that will leave us broken, but as Easter reminds us, Christ took on our brokeness in order to make us whole. It is this hope that allows us to endure temporary brokeness and perservere while we wait to be made whole with Him.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Li
This semester, I am taking Chinese philosopohy. What's a a Chinese philosophy class without a study of Confucianism? In Confucianism, two of the most important concepts are the concepts of ren and li. Ren is translated roughly into human kindness or compassion and it is that which essentially makes humans human rather than animals. For anyone that knows much about Aristotle, reason played a similar role in setting us apart in his philosophy. Li is the expression and practice of ren. Faith without actions being dead would capture the concept of ren without li. There must be some practical expression of ren. Furthermore, li develops ren; it helps it to grow. It is like practicing an instrument. Ren is very much seen as a skill and li as seen as the methods by which it is developed. These methods are considered rituals. They might be more formal ritual such as weddings or funerals or even less formal, common rituals such as appropriate behavior in given settings.
Confucian values don't seem to mesh very well with American values, especially when it comes to the concept of li. I wonder if we couldn't learn a few things from Confucius. Even if our culture refused to look at some of the values found in Confucian philosophy, I wonder if it might benefit the church to look into some of these values and consider the benefits of them, specifically li. What do I mean by this?
In American culture, breaking away from traditions tends to be valued. Recently in the church, formalized religion has increasingly grown devalued and is something people are growing suspicious of. In fact, many Christians are choosing to not use the word religion at all; it seems to have a negative connotation anymore. Now it's all about the relationship with Jesus- Christianity isn't a religion; it's a relationship. I was caught up on that bandwago for awhile, too. Then I did Beth Moore's James Bible study. In one of the video sessions, she explored the term religion and pointed out that religion merely means devotion to God. This is a good thing and something we should have! Somewhere along the line, expression of our faith through ritual received a negative connotation, and I think that it may have something to do with our culture devaluing ritual and tradition.
So, what reasons are there to suggest that we should value ritualized expressions of faith? One of the biggest reasons I can find is that God seems to. In the Old Testament, we see God establish various festivals that the Israelites to remember. This was to be engrained in their culture and was one of the ways they were to be set apart- not that they had festivals, but what the festivals entailed. The festivals were a way of remembering God and what He had done for them. The Israelites had a tendency to forget that and things didn't go well for them when that happened. Even in the New Testament Jesus commands us to eat the bread and drink of the wine that remind us of His body and blood as often as we will in rememberance of Him. It's a ritual that allows us to express our faith and serves as a reminder of Christ's sacrifice.
This has been on my heart the last few days as Ash Wednesday has approached. With my schedule, it would have been difficult to make it to an Ash Wednesday service on time if I went to school. I have a limited number of classes I can miss, so I wanted to try to go to school and take my chances with making it to an Ash Wednesday service. However, I also knew there was a chance the train might be running late, I would be tired, and might just end up going home instead. I didn't grow up going to Ash Wednesday services and part of me thought that it's not about the ritual stuff like services anyways and God will understand. But the other part of me wondered if I was missing something. If maybe the ritual stuff meant more than I had realized. If maybe it was important.
The fact is, it served the purpose of preparing my heart for Easter. In our culture, we tend to think of ritual as going through the motions. But it was a much needed time of reflection. It was a break from the everyday craziness to refocus on Christ and what's important. It was purposeful. It was a break from the motions of everyday life. It was a deliberate attempt to grow my faith and to express my faith. In a world that doesn't stop, it caused me to choose to blend in or to be set apart by saying that a church service is more important than anything going on at school that day because what Christ did on the cross is the most important thing in all of life ever. It re-enforced what I've been studying every week in Acts in my life group- that once a week ritual of studying the Bible with other Christians my age. As my pastor put ashes on my forehead and said, "From dust you came, to dust you will return. Repent and believe the Gospel," I was reminded that that was essentially what the first Christians preached. So simple and so beautiful! And so much more so after studying it week after week!
Ash Wednesday also ushers in Lent and the ritual of giving something up in order to be reminded of Christ's death and reseurrection. It's a ritual that has changed my life when I've been faithful to it. I'm a little nervous about that ritual this year. I believe God has given me a gift when it comes to writing and that has been affirmed by people in the church. However, I am my worst critic and it often prevents me from doing a lot of writing. This year for Lent, I am doing a combination of giving something up/adding something in. I am giving up my fear of not writing well and adding in a blog post every day (except Sundays, since I get those off!). So, if you've made it this far, pray for me in completing that goal and pray that it changes me. I think Confucius may have been on to something, but I don't think he was the only one who had it figured out.
End Note: None of this is to say that it should end at the ritual stuff. The Bible is very clear on that and I think making it all about the ritual is part of what has left a bad taste in peoples' mouths about the ritual aspect. It's merely meant to make a case in favor of the ritual, as I think the baby got thrown out with the bath water.
Confucian values don't seem to mesh very well with American values, especially when it comes to the concept of li. I wonder if we couldn't learn a few things from Confucius. Even if our culture refused to look at some of the values found in Confucian philosophy, I wonder if it might benefit the church to look into some of these values and consider the benefits of them, specifically li. What do I mean by this?
In American culture, breaking away from traditions tends to be valued. Recently in the church, formalized religion has increasingly grown devalued and is something people are growing suspicious of. In fact, many Christians are choosing to not use the word religion at all; it seems to have a negative connotation anymore. Now it's all about the relationship with Jesus- Christianity isn't a religion; it's a relationship. I was caught up on that bandwago for awhile, too. Then I did Beth Moore's James Bible study. In one of the video sessions, she explored the term religion and pointed out that religion merely means devotion to God. This is a good thing and something we should have! Somewhere along the line, expression of our faith through ritual received a negative connotation, and I think that it may have something to do with our culture devaluing ritual and tradition.
So, what reasons are there to suggest that we should value ritualized expressions of faith? One of the biggest reasons I can find is that God seems to. In the Old Testament, we see God establish various festivals that the Israelites to remember. This was to be engrained in their culture and was one of the ways they were to be set apart- not that they had festivals, but what the festivals entailed. The festivals were a way of remembering God and what He had done for them. The Israelites had a tendency to forget that and things didn't go well for them when that happened. Even in the New Testament Jesus commands us to eat the bread and drink of the wine that remind us of His body and blood as often as we will in rememberance of Him. It's a ritual that allows us to express our faith and serves as a reminder of Christ's sacrifice.
This has been on my heart the last few days as Ash Wednesday has approached. With my schedule, it would have been difficult to make it to an Ash Wednesday service on time if I went to school. I have a limited number of classes I can miss, so I wanted to try to go to school and take my chances with making it to an Ash Wednesday service. However, I also knew there was a chance the train might be running late, I would be tired, and might just end up going home instead. I didn't grow up going to Ash Wednesday services and part of me thought that it's not about the ritual stuff like services anyways and God will understand. But the other part of me wondered if I was missing something. If maybe the ritual stuff meant more than I had realized. If maybe it was important.
The fact is, it served the purpose of preparing my heart for Easter. In our culture, we tend to think of ritual as going through the motions. But it was a much needed time of reflection. It was a break from the everyday craziness to refocus on Christ and what's important. It was purposeful. It was a break from the motions of everyday life. It was a deliberate attempt to grow my faith and to express my faith. In a world that doesn't stop, it caused me to choose to blend in or to be set apart by saying that a church service is more important than anything going on at school that day because what Christ did on the cross is the most important thing in all of life ever. It re-enforced what I've been studying every week in Acts in my life group- that once a week ritual of studying the Bible with other Christians my age. As my pastor put ashes on my forehead and said, "From dust you came, to dust you will return. Repent and believe the Gospel," I was reminded that that was essentially what the first Christians preached. So simple and so beautiful! And so much more so after studying it week after week!
Ash Wednesday also ushers in Lent and the ritual of giving something up in order to be reminded of Christ's death and reseurrection. It's a ritual that has changed my life when I've been faithful to it. I'm a little nervous about that ritual this year. I believe God has given me a gift when it comes to writing and that has been affirmed by people in the church. However, I am my worst critic and it often prevents me from doing a lot of writing. This year for Lent, I am doing a combination of giving something up/adding something in. I am giving up my fear of not writing well and adding in a blog post every day (except Sundays, since I get those off!). So, if you've made it this far, pray for me in completing that goal and pray that it changes me. I think Confucius may have been on to something, but I don't think he was the only one who had it figured out.
End Note: None of this is to say that it should end at the ritual stuff. The Bible is very clear on that and I think making it all about the ritual is part of what has left a bad taste in peoples' mouths about the ritual aspect. It's merely meant to make a case in favor of the ritual, as I think the baby got thrown out with the bath water.
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