Saints?

Sunday is All Saints' Sunday.  When we hear the word Saint, we might hear different things.  Roman Catholics might think of those granted Sainthood by the Roman Catholic Church.  The secular world might think of those people they deem to be really good.  In Scripture, Paul seemed to use the word loosely, calling believers in various congregations of the early Church 'Saints.'  What does this seemingly vague word mean?  Here goes!

In formal terms, I would hold that Sainthood would be embedded in the culture and tradition of the Christian Church, held there by time, tradition, and Scriptural foundation.  The major prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel, are recognized as Saints by very early Church traditions (both Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches).  There was no formal 'canonization' process here ... but the Church calls these prophets Saints.  And Paul calls the early church people saints too!  Why?

Saints follow something bigger than themselves.  What do we remember about the names we will read on Sunday?  We probably think a little about their jobs, what they liked to do, and some funny or compelling moments.  But when the preacher gets up to speak, the important part is about who they were under the God they followed.  Sunday, I talked a little about Ms. Etoil Mathison.  Her life was focused outward, toward the people and the God she loved!  Saints live their lives outward!

Saints hold to bigger values/standards.  It is interesting how Paul speaks to the early Church in the context of who they ought to be ... not necessarily who they are at that moment.  He begins Ephesians, writing to the Saints at Ephesus.  He is gently corrective, and calls them beyond their culture to "be patient, bearing with one another in love."  He reminds them that they are to grow up, so that they will not be blown back and forth by the wind of every teaching.  Paul sees Saints through the eyes of Christ ... people who will become those offering Godly virtues and standards to a fallen world.

Saints make a difference for God beyond self.  Ezekiel (our Biblical Saint this week) was called the Saint of the Resurrection.  Ezekiel reminds us of the fallenness of the people he addressed, but also of God's ultimate plan to restore, revive, and remake His people into a "resurrection army."  In the song Valley of Dry Bones, Michael Card writes, "the dead will come alive, their graves will lie abandoned, and all those dwelling in the dust will wake and shout for joy."

Wake up sleeper!  We are called to be bigger than self, greater than the standards of this world, and make a difference that is eternal.  Saints!

What Will It Take?

Chapter 1 of Jeremiah is a very disturbing word from God.  Jeremiah was not known for mincing words or sugarcoating the truth.  In fact, God clearly called Jeremiah to boldly proclaim, "I have put words in your mouth.  See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant (Jeremiah 1:9-10)."  Did you notice that the passage is 2/3 on the negative side?  Why?

Over the past few years, we have intensified the work at The River.  We hope to accelerate this project and have a workable/usable building in the spring.  While we also need folks to accelerate giving toward this project, we are hopeful that God and God's people will be faithful and generous.  In doing the work at The River, we have learned, through a lot of sweat, labor, and even some lost blood, that much had to be torn down before we could begin rebuilding.  That 2/3, 1/3 ratio seems to be an accurate estimate of how renovation works!

Here is what is happening in Jeremiah's time.  Through Jonah's preaching in the 750s BC time period, Nineveh (Assyria) is spared destruction.  Assyria grows in power and dominance and becomes a leading world power.  Assyria demolishes the Northern Kingdom of Israel (722 BC).  The Southern Kingdom (Judah) is spared, but continues a spiritual decline and cultural drift from God's plan.  In the battle of Carchemish (605 BC), Babylon defeats Egypt and what remained of Assyria, making Judah an unwilling puppet of the Babylonian Empire, and Jerusalem falls to Babylon in 586 BC.  Babylon's rise is predicted and described by Jeremiah's prophecy.  He spoke hard truth, but Judah did not listen and chose to align with and trust world powers, rather than the God who brought them into the land they occupied.  The message (then and now) ... God is bigger than world powers and greater than the kings and princes of this world.

It took renovation (uprooting and tearing down, destruction and being overthrown) for Judah to look up and see God.  It took "a bronze wall to stand against the whole land- against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land."  That bronze wall was Babylon.  So ... are we on that same road, "forsaking God, and burning incense to other gods and worshipping what our hands have made (Jeremiah 1:16)?"  This is a hard question worthy of our reflection, and (I think) repentance.

Beyond

I love the story of Jonah. Not because Jonah is particularly heroic, faithful, or even likable. In fact, Jonah may be one of the most shallow, self-centered, and stubborn people God ever called into ministry. And yet, God uses him to accomplish something extraordinary. Maybe that's the point of the whole story. Our God is a God who goes BEYOND.

1. Beyond Our Imagination - God tells Jonah to go to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, and preach repentance. Nineveh! These were ruthless, violent people, enemies of Israel, and seemingly beyond redemption. If anybody deserved God's judgment, surely it was Nineveh.

But God had other plans. Jonah eventually preaches one of the shortest sermons in Scripture, and something unimaginable happens. The people listen. They believe. They repent. Even the king humbles himself before God. God sees possibilities where Jonah sees only problems. He sees people worth saving where Jonah sees people worth destroying.

God's mercy goes beyond our imagination, our prejudices, and our expectations.

2. Beyond God's Reach? - Jonah doesn't want to go to Nineveh. So he runs. He boards a ship headed in the opposite direction, apparently believing he can somehow get beyond the reach of God. That doesn't work out so well. A storm comes. The sailors become terrified. Jonah ends up overboard, swallowed by a great fish, and finds himself in a place seemingly beyond rescue. 

But even there, God is present. The remarkable thing is that the fish isn't simply God's punishment. It is also God's rescue. What looks like the end of Jonah's story becomes the place where God gives him another beginning.

Jonah discovers that we can run from God's calling, but we cannot run beyond God's reach. And sometimes the very place we think is beyond hope becomes the place where God's grace finds us.

3. Beyond Our Understanding - Perhaps the most astonishing thing about Jonah isn't the great fish, the storm, or even Nineveh's repentance. It's Jonah himself.

Why in the world would God choose such a shallow, stubborn, angry, and spiritually immature person to proclaim His message? Even after Nineveh repents, Jonah is furious that God would forgive them! And yet, God doesn't give up on Jonah. God patiently teaches him, questions him, rescues him, and continues working on his heart. The story ends with God asking Jonah a question, almost as though God is still inviting this reluctant prophet to grow up in his faith. Maybe Jonah wasn't simply sent to Nineveh so that Nineveh could be saved. Maybe Jonah was sent to Nineveh so that Jonah could be changed.

And that brings us to a wonderful question. Who is worth God's time, patience, understanding, forgiveness, and salvation? What say you?

Ex Nihilo

Over the years, I have met many people who had gifts and graces that might have led them into the calling of ministry.  Their way with words was compelling.  People liked them and were willing to follow them on a quest.  They seemed to have what Ezekiel called "a fire in the belly" for sharing the Good News of the Gospel.  But there was a problem.  Life, bumps in the road, and (worst of all) comfort happened.  Pastors call these people MIA.  They might have been captured by the lures of the enemy.  They might have counted the cost of following and decided they didn't want to pay that cost.  They may have become distracted.  But I think the most frequent issue (in my experience) is that they loved their place in life more than they loved God.

Life is a test.  David, in Psalm 63, is in a great test.  God's word says, "The hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom (2 Samuel 15:13)."  The King runs to the Wilderness of Judah (he is unwilling to allow Jerusalem to become a battleground).  And Psalm 63 becomes a lament about his situation, a song of longing and praise to God, and a shout of faith that God will bring David victory over his enemies.

In David's situation, he has nothing to count on except God.  But David also knows that our God is an "Ex Nihilo" God.  The Latin term means "from nothing."  Ex Nihilo describes how God created all that exists from nothing (let the anti-creationist try that!).  And these are the kinds of tests that either bring out our despair or our faith.  2 Samuel says, "The people have become exhausted and hungry and thirsty in the wilderness (2 Samuel 17:29)." David and his followers left Jerusalem with little or nothing.  But David knows where to place his faith.  "O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.

I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer.

You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy. I lie awake thinking of you,  meditating on you through the night. Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely (Psalm 63:1-8)."

The people who enter ministry generally enter it with nothing.  And we, whether in our personal life or our service to our church, have a propensity to see ourselves as having few resources to accomplish the work we see ahead; we need to remember David's lesson here.  We have a great God.  So, we seek God, our source of living water in "this parched and weary land."  We have seen God's power and glory, and we have been to His Sanctuary.  God, not what we have, is our source of help.  So we can rest securely in the shadow of His wings.  As the song says, "He will hold me fast!"  AMEN?  AMEN!!!!!

The Beginning of Wisdom

While the Bible is pretty clear that the beginning of wisdom is with God and from the fear of God (Proverbs 1), the 1st few verses of Proverbs have caused me to think about the subject of wisdom.  Proverbs is part of 5 Biblical books known as "Wisdom Literature."  Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, and Job comprise these 5 books.  Job is the oldest book in Scripture (the date of writing), and Psalms is probably the most quoted.  But hear these words from Proverbs 1 and ask yourself, "What does this say about the END of wisdom?"  "These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel. Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge, and discernment to the young. Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles. Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline (Proverbs 1:1-7)."

Here is what I find remarkable about these words.

1. They are universal - Young, Old, Simple, Wise, and those who desire to do what is right.  The only group seemingly exempted are the fools!

2. They exist to bring good, success, and structure to life - God's Word is like that, isn't it?  The paradox is that the stable walls of structure are the strong fortress of freedom and goodness.

3. Wisdom seems to have no end - For those who have wisdom (those with understanding), seeking wisdom is a continual, lifelong pursuit.

Here is what I have observed.  In 1994 I went off to Asbury Theological Seminary to seek knowledge, and hopefully wisdom, about God, God's Word, and theology.  What I found was remarkable.  The men and women who taught there were consummate experts in their fields.  One knew the Book of Matthew by heart in numerous languages.  Another understood the mysteries of John's Revelation.  Yet, in the midst of this great knowledge, they pursued knowledge and wisdom daily.  They had understanding, but still pursued "the meaning in proverbs and parables, the words of the wise, and riddles."

I am reminded that Jesus spoke in parables, not to provide explicit moral teaching (though this teaching did/does exist).  Parables were intended to cause those seeking understanding to seek, dig, ponder, consider, and struggle with truths that aren't too far from the mystery of God.  They are not easy!  Just try to "go thou and do likewise" as you read the Parable of the Good Samaritan.  Attempt to understand why some are sheep and others are goats in Matthew 25.

Here's my point.  Those who choose wisdom eternally pursue knowledge and wisdom.  I believe this continues even after we are with God in heaven.  And why not?  Jesus comes so we will know what God is like.  Scripture is revealed so we will come to understand God, ourselves, and others.  "Seek, and you shall find.  Knock and the door will be opened to you!"  Be wise, my friends!

What Are We Doing Here?

“And the word of the Lord came to him: ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’” (1 Kings 19:9)

There is a lot of noise in the world. People shout. People bloviate. People rage. People predict catastrophe. People compete to see who can be the loudest, angriest, most offended, or most afraid. Sometimes it feels a little like Shakespeare’s famous description: “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

Elijah knew something about noise. He had just experienced one of the greatest victories of his ministry on Mount Carmel. But after Jezebel threatened his life, Elijah ran. Eventually, he found himself hiding in a cave, convinced that everything had fallen apart. And God asked him a remarkable question:

“What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Elijah responded with what sounds suspiciously like “poor pitiful me.” I have been faithful. Everybody else has abandoned You. I’m the only one left. And now they’re trying to kill me.

There was truth in Elijah’s complaint. He really had been faithful. There really were people who wanted him dead. But Elijah had allowed his circumstances to distort his perspective. So God gave him a lesson.

There was a mighty wind, but the Lord was not in the wind. There was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. There was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. Then came a gentle whisper.

Maybe that is something we desperately need to remember. The Lord isn't necessarily in the loudness.

God isn't obligated to participate in the cultural shouting, bloviating, rumbling, and burning that surrounds us. Volume is not the same thing as truth, and outrage is not the same thing as righteousness. But God also isn't found in our carefully constructed “poor pitiful me” narratives. Sometimes we use our wounds, disappointments, and difficulties to convince ourselves, and perhaps others, that we deserve special treatment. Elijah's circumstances were difficult, but God would not allow Elijah's difficulties to become his identity.

And God wasn't fooled by the cave. Elijah could hide from Jezebel. He couldn't hide from God. And neither can we.

We can hide in fear. We can hide in busyness. We can hide in anger. We can hide in disappointment. We can even hide behind legitimate wounds. But eventually God's question finds us: “What are you doing here?”

Then comes the whisper. You are not a victim. You are not alone. You are not without community. And you are certainly not without God. Elijah thought he was the last one standing. God told him there were 7,000 others who had not bowed to Baal. 

Elijah thought his ministry was finished. God essentially said, “Get up. Go back. I still have work for you to do.” There were people Elijah hadn't met yet. There was an Elisha waiting to join him. There was a community Elijah couldn't see. And there was a God who had never left him.

Maybe God's question isn't really about Elijah's location. Maybe it is about Elijah's calling. “What are you doing here?”

Who Is In Your Boat?

Who Is In Your Boat? In 1st Kings 4, the leadership team of Solomon is identified.  I won't go into all of the names there, but 2 stand out.  They stand out because they represent great failures that rip the entire country apart.  Who is in your boat?

The first failure was overseen by Adoniram, perhaps not a betrayer, but part of Israel's failure. He was “over the forced labor” (1 Kings 4:6).  There is no indication that Adoniram personally betrayed Solomon. In fact, he seems to have remained loyal to the Davidic administration through David, Solomon, and into Rehoboam's reign. The problem was what his office represented.  Solomon's enormous building program increasingly depended upon taxation and compulsory labor. By the time Rehoboam succeeded Solomon, the northern tribes complained: “Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us…” 1 Kings 12:4. Rehoboam refuses their request and the northern tribes revolt, so Rehoboam sends Adoniram—the man in charge of forced labor—to them. The Israelites stoned Adoniram to death (1 Kings 12:18). His office had apparently become so closely associated with the burdens imposed by the monarchy that sending him into the rebellion was disastrous.  The Kingdom becomes divided.  

The second failure was Solomon himself.  He allowed and fueled the oppression of his people.  He tolerated practices that overly burdened the people, all for an ornate palace, and his vision of the building of the Temple.  Solomon was caught up in extravagance, building what would make him look powerful and strong, and narcissistic behavior.  He was all about himself.  Solomon failed to spend time with God, seek His will, and follow His plan.  

So, the question is a good one.  Who is in your boat? 

Who is in the boat when God brings the beauty of the miraculous catch of fish?  Who is in the boat when Jesus calls the disciples to go out together to a quiet place?  In this time of church meetings, as we prepare for the annual Charge Conference, who is in the boat?  THAT question is vitally important!

In the CREO retreat in Kentucky, we saw a small piece of art.  It was a boat painted on a paper bag ... a representation of the journey all of the CREO team and grantees share.  That treasured piece of art had beauty beyond the artistry that created it.  The boat told the story of mission, team, purpose, and a great shared journey, larger than anyone in the boat.

There was an interesting detail about that little boat.  It had no rudder.  It was powered forward by the ruach/pneuma of God's Holy Spirit.  The little boat welcomed all who shared the dream of a life following God to His perfect destination.  

Solomon chose his team based on connecting to the powerful, co-opting "yes men," and political expediency.  We must chose and become a team that shares mission, shares the beauty and discomfort of the boat, submits to the wind of the Spirit, and embraces "the beauty of the Lord our God who establishes the work of our hands."

So ... what is your choice?  Are you in the boat, or standing safely on the shore ... a spectator or a fan, a willing/working team member?  You are welcome, wanted ... but are you willing?  I pray the answer is, YES!