"What do you have that you did not receive?" (1 Cor. 4:7)
Everything I own was once "not mine." Such an obvious statement, why is worth saying at all?
Well, one day it will no longer be mine. As they say, "You can't take it with you!"
So what?
When I reflect on the temporal nature of life, I tend to be more generous. More generous with my time, possessions, money, and other resources. Some claim that when they are more generous, they receive more generosity. Perhaps as we adopt a sense of "flow" with those things that we usually want to keep to ourselves (I can hear it now, "My Own! My Pre-cioussss!") we will actually find that there really is a goodness that transcends our little spheres of personal reality.
We must learn to distinguish between what we will and will not be "taking with us." And we must certainly silence the "Inner Gollum"!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Complete in Him
"You are complete in Him, who is the head of all rule and authority." (Col. 2:10)
What does my "completeness" have to do with "rule and authority"?
To the degree that human power structures and institutions define me, I will be incomplete.
Do you think of Jesus as being "in charge"? Do you ever get frustrated with our leaders - whether political, business, or even religious? With all the messes in the world, how can we even say that God cares?
"My kingdom is not of this world," Jesus says. "Of" here could also be translated as "from," the idea being that the source of our identity - the status of our citizenship - is from the King Messiah who is in heaven. We must not let things "on earth" set the terms for our spiritual life.
This does not mean we want to "escape" the world - though this is a common view in popular evangelicalism. Rather, we bring the Messiah's Kingdom to the earth. "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." So goes the Lord's Prayer.
The Apostle Paul puts it this way later on in the same letter:
"Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."
And a few lines later,
"And whatsoever you do, do it singleness of heart, as unto the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord you shall receive a reward of the inheritance: for you serve the Lord Messiah."
No matter what our earthly demographic coordinates might be, by keeping our eyes on Yeshua we will maintain an orientation to the world such that in bringing His love and service to address the needs of others as the Spirit leads, we also remember that it is He who calls and defines us. This is how we find our "completion in Him" - by living "in" this world while trusting in His leadership and lordship over our souls.
What does my "completeness" have to do with "rule and authority"?
To the degree that human power structures and institutions define me, I will be incomplete.
Do you think of Jesus as being "in charge"? Do you ever get frustrated with our leaders - whether political, business, or even religious? With all the messes in the world, how can we even say that God cares?
"My kingdom is not of this world," Jesus says. "Of" here could also be translated as "from," the idea being that the source of our identity - the status of our citizenship - is from the King Messiah who is in heaven. We must not let things "on earth" set the terms for our spiritual life.
This does not mean we want to "escape" the world - though this is a common view in popular evangelicalism. Rather, we bring the Messiah's Kingdom to the earth. "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." So goes the Lord's Prayer.
The Apostle Paul puts it this way later on in the same letter:
"Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."
And a few lines later,
"And whatsoever you do, do it singleness of heart, as unto the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord you shall receive a reward of the inheritance: for you serve the Lord Messiah."
No matter what our earthly demographic coordinates might be, by keeping our eyes on Yeshua we will maintain an orientation to the world such that in bringing His love and service to address the needs of others as the Spirit leads, we also remember that it is He who calls and defines us. This is how we find our "completion in Him" - by living "in" this world while trusting in His leadership and lordship over our souls.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Truly Human
"For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. "
What is Paul saying here in his letter to the new community of "Jesus-believers" at Colosse? What does it mean for us today?
Each of us has had many, many teachers over the course of our life. Who sticks out in your life as a teacher? Why do you consider them a teacher? Now some will say, "Everyone is my teacher" or, "Life is my teacher." Yeah, well that's not what I'm talking about.
The way I'm using 'teacher' here is someone who not only embodies the knowledge or wisdom that you value, but they are a master at transmitting that mastery to others, perhaps even to you. As an example from my own pursuit of stellar musicianship, I have had the privilege of private or Master Class study with musicians who, for me, embodied unsurpassed fluency with the language of music. What's more, some of them were master teachers as well. Studying "at the feet" of a master is - with all its challenges, corrections, and inspirations - a great joy.
In the world of ancient Judaism, a valued occupation (for the most part exclusive to males) was the study of the Torah of Moses. But where would one go to learn? The first place would be the father, but if the father was not able to educate his sons they would seek to study "at the feet of" a master. The "Torah Master" was considered to be the source of traditional learning. One accessed the ancient traditions not through the private study of a text (Note: no "books" back then - only expensive scrolls which were used for public reading), but by spending significant amounts of time with one who received the traditions a generation or two ahead of you. While much of this discipleship depended upon memorization of sacred text, the bulk of the transmitted tradition was in the "how to," ranging from tying shoes to washing hands, from breaking bread to interactions with others. There was no action the master could take that was not understood by the student-disciple as an expression of the sacred tradition - as "Torah."
What does all this have to do with Paul's statement in Colossians that "In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily"(2:9)? Well, because they were so used to the "master/student" culture, the Jews loyal to Yeshua of Nazareth after His ascension were having to learn to discern between traditions that aligned with the Messiah's instructions and those that did not. Only by "walking in the Spirit" could they keep in touch with their Rabbi. Indeed, there were other individuals who claimed to be "the Messiah," other teachers who claimed to represent the "authentic" revelation from God. (Such advertisements can be very tempting, especially in times of uncertainty and persecution or when self-doubt presses on our door.) However, the Apostle Paul encouraged the Colossians to stay focused on the Head, and affirmed Christ's complete sufficiency - even in his apparent physical absence - as their One Teacher. While teachers come and go in our lives, we will always only have one Teacher.
The Greek phrase behind the "dwelling bodily" idea is more literally "en-housed," if there was such a word in English. He is it. If you want to know God, go to Jesus. He is not some disembodied spirit. He is the fullness of God in the flesh. As the Gospel of John begins, "The word became flesh and tabernacled among us." In His resurrection He did not abandon His humanity. Rather, he became truly human - more human than you or I. And it is through Him and only Him, in simple faith, that we can receive God's fullness for our own lives.
That is why Paul, in the very next line of Colossians, begins, "And you are complete in Him."
What is Paul saying here in his letter to the new community of "Jesus-believers" at Colosse? What does it mean for us today?
Each of us has had many, many teachers over the course of our life. Who sticks out in your life as a teacher? Why do you consider them a teacher? Now some will say, "Everyone is my teacher" or, "Life is my teacher." Yeah, well that's not what I'm talking about.
The way I'm using 'teacher' here is someone who not only embodies the knowledge or wisdom that you value, but they are a master at transmitting that mastery to others, perhaps even to you. As an example from my own pursuit of stellar musicianship, I have had the privilege of private or Master Class study with musicians who, for me, embodied unsurpassed fluency with the language of music. What's more, some of them were master teachers as well. Studying "at the feet" of a master is - with all its challenges, corrections, and inspirations - a great joy.
In the world of ancient Judaism, a valued occupation (for the most part exclusive to males) was the study of the Torah of Moses. But where would one go to learn? The first place would be the father, but if the father was not able to educate his sons they would seek to study "at the feet of" a master. The "Torah Master" was considered to be the source of traditional learning. One accessed the ancient traditions not through the private study of a text (Note: no "books" back then - only expensive scrolls which were used for public reading), but by spending significant amounts of time with one who received the traditions a generation or two ahead of you. While much of this discipleship depended upon memorization of sacred text, the bulk of the transmitted tradition was in the "how to," ranging from tying shoes to washing hands, from breaking bread to interactions with others. There was no action the master could take that was not understood by the student-disciple as an expression of the sacred tradition - as "Torah."
What does all this have to do with Paul's statement in Colossians that "In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily"(2:9)? Well, because they were so used to the "master/student" culture, the Jews loyal to Yeshua of Nazareth after His ascension were having to learn to discern between traditions that aligned with the Messiah's instructions and those that did not. Only by "walking in the Spirit" could they keep in touch with their Rabbi. Indeed, there were other individuals who claimed to be "the Messiah," other teachers who claimed to represent the "authentic" revelation from God. (Such advertisements can be very tempting, especially in times of uncertainty and persecution or when self-doubt presses on our door.) However, the Apostle Paul encouraged the Colossians to stay focused on the Head, and affirmed Christ's complete sufficiency - even in his apparent physical absence - as their One Teacher. While teachers come and go in our lives, we will always only have one Teacher.
The Greek phrase behind the "dwelling bodily" idea is more literally "en-housed," if there was such a word in English. He is it. If you want to know God, go to Jesus. He is not some disembodied spirit. He is the fullness of God in the flesh. As the Gospel of John begins, "The word became flesh and tabernacled among us." In His resurrection He did not abandon His humanity. Rather, he became truly human - more human than you or I. And it is through Him and only Him, in simple faith, that we can receive God's fullness for our own lives.
That is why Paul, in the very next line of Colossians, begins, "And you are complete in Him."
Monday, September 28, 2009
Trust and Understand
Today was the Day of Atonement (Yom HaKippurim or Yom Kippur according to the Jewish year) and as such my thoughts centered around the New Testament letter called "Hebrews." This long epistle frames the significance of Jesus Christ in terms of the ancient Israelite priesthood and their service in the tabernacle in which God's presence dwelt. The Day of Atonement has a key place in the book of Hebrews.
But aside from the declaration that Jesus is in fact the High Priest of the heavens, interceding for all who trust Him on the cosmic "Day of Atonement," the book also stresses the function and importance of faith. Some of the more memorable passages about faith in Hebrews are:
"Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen."
"Without faith it is impossible to please God..."
When reading today, the one that caught my attention is found in chapter 11, verse 3.
"Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."
It's the beginning of that phrase that stopped to ponder. "Through faith I understand..." How often do I build my understanding on "faith"? My normal routine is to build my understanding upon logic and reason. We Westerners are heirs to "Enlightenment" mentality, so reason holds a special place in our culture and the institutions that shape the way we think and look at the world. I know firsthand that things that just seem to "make sense" are sometimes contrary to what the Bible says about the world.
The "world" that I see as I look around - as well as the universe that the Hubble telescope photographs - is full of inexplicable wonder. Who hasn't stared into the starry sky on a moonless night, amazed with the beauty and immensity of the world? Looked into the intricacy of a spider's web? We all know of the debate between the "science of Evolution" and the "argument from intelligent design." At the core of this issue is the question, "What are we going to tell our kids?"
The answer of course depends upon what you believe.
"Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God..."
It is through faith that I "understand" that God created the universe. This is not an understanding built upon "scientific" data or facts. Faith is something you have. It is not something you muster up for yourself, however. Rather, faith is a gift from God. You either believe or you don't. Very rarely have people been "argued" into believing!
From the perspective of Enlightenment "reason," faith doesn't make very much sense. In fact, it makes no "sense" at all because by definition, faith is "the evidence of things unseen"! Faith is seeing apart from your eyes, hearing apart from your ears. It's a strange bird.
Nevertheless, I believe that God created the worlds by His word, just as Hebrews 11:3 says. I seek to understand my place in the world from this vantage point. Can I prove that God created the world? No. Does my inability to prove it in terms of science concern me? No.
I simply believe it and am happy.
"Trust in the LORD with all of your heart, lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5
But aside from the declaration that Jesus is in fact the High Priest of the heavens, interceding for all who trust Him on the cosmic "Day of Atonement," the book also stresses the function and importance of faith. Some of the more memorable passages about faith in Hebrews are:
"Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen."
"Without faith it is impossible to please God..."
When reading today, the one that caught my attention is found in chapter 11, verse 3.
"Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."
It's the beginning of that phrase that stopped to ponder. "Through faith I understand..." How often do I build my understanding on "faith"? My normal routine is to build my understanding upon logic and reason. We Westerners are heirs to "Enlightenment" mentality, so reason holds a special place in our culture and the institutions that shape the way we think and look at the world. I know firsthand that things that just seem to "make sense" are sometimes contrary to what the Bible says about the world.
The "world" that I see as I look around - as well as the universe that the Hubble telescope photographs - is full of inexplicable wonder. Who hasn't stared into the starry sky on a moonless night, amazed with the beauty and immensity of the world? Looked into the intricacy of a spider's web? We all know of the debate between the "science of Evolution" and the "argument from intelligent design." At the core of this issue is the question, "What are we going to tell our kids?"
The answer of course depends upon what you believe.
"Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God..."
It is through faith that I "understand" that God created the universe. This is not an understanding built upon "scientific" data or facts. Faith is something you have. It is not something you muster up for yourself, however. Rather, faith is a gift from God. You either believe or you don't. Very rarely have people been "argued" into believing!
From the perspective of Enlightenment "reason," faith doesn't make very much sense. In fact, it makes no "sense" at all because by definition, faith is "the evidence of things unseen"! Faith is seeing apart from your eyes, hearing apart from your ears. It's a strange bird.
Nevertheless, I believe that God created the worlds by His word, just as Hebrews 11:3 says. I seek to understand my place in the world from this vantage point. Can I prove that God created the world? No. Does my inability to prove it in terms of science concern me? No.
I simply believe it and am happy.
"Trust in the LORD with all of your heart, lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Letting Mercy Lead
In one of my favorite Rich Mullins songs he sings, “Let mercy lead, let love be the strength in your legs, and in every footprint that you leave there’ll be a drop of grace.”
Primarily, mercy is “compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power.” Mercy is when it is in your power to assist someone in need – someone that doesn’t “deserve” or hasn’t “earned” your help - and you help. Mercy alleviates misery.
So, with this Rich Mullins song in my head, I am asking myself, “Am I letting ‘mercy lead’?”
Yeshua (‘Jesus’ in Aramaic) often quoted an ancient prophet to the proud “religious” of his own day, “Mercy I desire, not sacrifice!” In their holy stringency for pristine purity they had lost sight of the weightier matters of the Torah – love for neighbors and helping the orphans and widows. Theirs was a religion of straining out flies while swallowing camels. (Neither flies nor camels are kosher, mind you!)
“Mercy, not sacrifice.” That is, “alleviation of suffering, not ritual habits.” Does the prophet speak to the religious institutions of our own day? I suppose there are churches out there that are being called to ease up on ceremony and to “let mercy lead.” But perhaps more importantly, does the prophet speak to me? Am I following mercy’s lead?
I can say that the areas of life where I consciously follow mercy are a bit more scary – because moves of mercy are generally not moves to build personal privacy or security. They take me out of my comfort zone. More often than not they put me on my knees. I have found that in order to act with mercy, I must all the more depend on God’s mercy for me.
What opportunity is there in your life to show mercy? Are you willing to get a bit uncomfortable to “let mercy lead”? What is the alternative?
Friday, September 4, 2009
The End of God
What comes after "believing in God"? [I'm consciously bracketing out the question of "what god or whose god," and assuming the Judeo-Christian "God" with a big "G."]
Jesus says the greatest commandment is to "Love the Lord (Yahweh) your God with all your heart, soul, and might." (He too is assuming the "God" of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - Whose name is Yahweh.)
Have you ever thought about what that commandment entails? Where does God "end" and the world begin? I believe that "He is," but do I believe "His is here"? Where does He end? Where do I draw the line? Is there anywhere in my life that I've not let God in? Am I keeping anything from Him?
The Psalmist writes, "The earth belongs to Yahweh, along with all who dwell on it." (Ps. 24) Do I behave as if that is true? Or, do imagine that God is out there somewhere in the distance and I - with the rest of the world - am pretty much left to myself?
How does one who embraces the "greatest commandment" view their day, life, actions, relationships? Paul writes, "Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of* the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Col. 3:15)
So, it would seem that God "ends" where we draw the line. "Here and no further!" We can remove Him from the academy, His word from the walls of courtrooms and public spaces. But if the psalmist is correct, and the whole earth really is His, then our attempts to limit the Holy One parallel those of the Black Knight who, in spite of increasing injury, continues to tell King Arthur, "None shall pass!" in the Monty Python movie.
I'd just as soon welcome Him in!
* "In the name of" was an ancient Jewish idiom meaning "with the authority of" or "in accordance with." To act "in the name of" means one's actions are informed solely by the authority named.
Jesus says the greatest commandment is to "Love the Lord (Yahweh) your God with all your heart, soul, and might." (He too is assuming the "God" of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - Whose name is Yahweh.)
Have you ever thought about what that commandment entails? Where does God "end" and the world begin? I believe that "He is," but do I believe "His is here"? Where does He end? Where do I draw the line? Is there anywhere in my life that I've not let God in? Am I keeping anything from Him?
The Psalmist writes, "The earth belongs to Yahweh, along with all who dwell on it." (Ps. 24) Do I behave as if that is true? Or, do imagine that God is out there somewhere in the distance and I - with the rest of the world - am pretty much left to myself?
How does one who embraces the "greatest commandment" view their day, life, actions, relationships? Paul writes, "Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of* the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Col. 3:15)
So, it would seem that God "ends" where we draw the line. "Here and no further!" We can remove Him from the academy, His word from the walls of courtrooms and public spaces. But if the psalmist is correct, and the whole earth really is His, then our attempts to limit the Holy One parallel those of the Black Knight who, in spite of increasing injury, continues to tell King Arthur, "None shall pass!" in the Monty Python movie.
I'd just as soon welcome Him in!
* "In the name of" was an ancient Jewish idiom meaning "with the authority of" or "in accordance with." To act "in the name of" means one's actions are informed solely by the authority named.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Delights and Desires
"Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened unto you: For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it will be opened."
Most English Bibles have the concept of "ask, seek, and knock" embedded here (Matthew 7:7-8) and elsewhere. I'm not sure if it was a deliberate move by the translators, but the acronym for "ask, seek, knock" is ASK! Pretty crazy... but whether on purpose or not, it makes it all the more memorable.
Shaun Alexander (one of the greats of Seattle Seahawk history) wore #37 as his jersey. My understanding is that this number was chosen as a reminder of one of Shaun's favorite Bible verses, Psalm 37:4, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."
Two questions arise when I read this. First off, what does it mean to "delight yourself" in God? Second, what are my heart's desires?
Simply put, to "delight" in someone or something means to derive enjoyment from them. The entry from dictionary.com offers the definition as "a high degree of pleasure or enjoyment; joy; rapture..." But can I really "enjoy" God? What would that look like? I think of the mystics who spoke of God's love as an intoxicant more powerful than wine. Ever been drunk with love? (This is a different picture than that of the Zeus-like cosmic-thunderbolt-throwing disciplinarian!)
Next, do I even know the "desires of my heart"? This is where the ASKing bit above comes into play. The Hebrew word for "desires" in the Psalm comes from the root meaning "to ask." A more carefully nuanced translation would read, "And He will give you the askings of your heart."
Does this mean I can ask for a new red convertible Ferrari and some omnipotent genie will give it?
No. The Almighty is not a big fan of the freeze-dried drive-through quick-fix consumer culture we are swimming in. In this Psalm, the "askings" He gives come after the "delighting in." My personal evaluations of what I need and desire are shaped in response to my delight in the Lord, not before. What I ASK for is a function of my joyful relationship with God, not the other way around.
Most English Bibles have the concept of "ask, seek, and knock" embedded here (Matthew 7:7-8) and elsewhere. I'm not sure if it was a deliberate move by the translators, but the acronym for "ask, seek, knock" is ASK! Pretty crazy... but whether on purpose or not, it makes it all the more memorable.
Shaun Alexander (one of the greats of Seattle Seahawk history) wore #37 as his jersey. My understanding is that this number was chosen as a reminder of one of Shaun's favorite Bible verses, Psalm 37:4, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."
Two questions arise when I read this. First off, what does it mean to "delight yourself" in God? Second, what are my heart's desires?
Simply put, to "delight" in someone or something means to derive enjoyment from them. The entry from dictionary.com offers the definition as "a high degree of pleasure or enjoyment; joy; rapture..." But can I really "enjoy" God? What would that look like? I think of the mystics who spoke of God's love as an intoxicant more powerful than wine. Ever been drunk with love? (This is a different picture than that of the Zeus-like cosmic-thunderbolt-throwing disciplinarian!)
Next, do I even know the "desires of my heart"? This is where the ASKing bit above comes into play. The Hebrew word for "desires" in the Psalm comes from the root meaning "to ask." A more carefully nuanced translation would read, "And He will give you the askings of your heart."
Does this mean I can ask for a new red convertible Ferrari and some omnipotent genie will give it?
No. The Almighty is not a big fan of the freeze-dried drive-through quick-fix consumer culture we are swimming in. In this Psalm, the "askings" He gives come after the "delighting in." My personal evaluations of what I need and desire are shaped in response to my delight in the Lord, not before. What I ASK for is a function of my joyful relationship with God, not the other way around.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)