A Thought

“Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of My Father in heaven.”  Matthew 18:10

Often this passage is taken as meaning small children, but the broader context would surely include not only small children but “infants” in the faith as well; new believers who are still trying to work out their connection to The Lord and to the Church (can’t know one and not know the other!).  The language of admonishment, however, is much stronger than we take note of because we do not often consider that we “despise” anyone as much as we just don’t “like” someone.  Yet the language challenges us to take a closer look at what it means to “despise” someone even if we are not actively seeking to do them harm.

The love/hate analogies throughout the Scriptures are much stronger than any particular feelings we may have (including ambivalence); in very nearly every context the love/hate speaks more closely of what we “do” or fail to “do” for others.  We love when we “do” regardless of how we feel, and we “hate” or “despise” when we neglect the needs of those who have legitimate needs or fail to protect those who cannot protect themselves.

Small children and those new to the faith require the full attention, protection, and nurture of the Church.  Just as there is only one Body (which is Christ), there can be only One Church (of which Christ is the Head).  And the whole of the people of The Lord are commanded to care for those who cannot care for themselves, whatever the need.  To “despise” these is to decide that it’s not “my” business even as we become aware – and thus deny Christ Himself.  As is so often said not only in the Church but in the secular business world: if you become aware of a problem, it becomes your problem until it is resolved or until you ask for help.  To “despise” is to deny this reality because we simply do not care enough to put ourselves out except for those we “like”.

Social justice involves much more than a pet project for a particular cause, spewing bile toward those we disagree with, and cursing elected officials who do not succumb to our demands and do for the “little ones” what we are unwilling to do ourselves.  Social justice requires our active engagement not with political lobbies but with the “little ones” not to merely speak in their behalf but to “do” for them what they cannot do for themselves.  This is fulfillment of the Great Commandments to “love the Lord our God with all we have and with all we are” and to “love our neighbors as ourselves” which, as Jesus affirms, is “like the first [Great Commandment]”.

We cannot revel in our salvation while others suffer in their misery, and we must never demand of “Caesar” what we are unwilling to do ourselves.  The Love we claim to know is the Love we are required to express.  And we will never really know or even appreciate the depth of that Love until we actually engage in that Love.  It is our duty, it is our privilege, and it is our Lord’s blessing.

Blessings,

Michael

A Thought

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendents may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days.”  Deuteronomy 30:19-20

The people of Israel had witnessed firsthand the might and the power of The Lord in Egypt, and they had spent 40 years developing a relationship with The Lord and with one another within the Covenant.  They had seen and experienced the blessings of The Lord’s favor and mercy, and they had experienced the cursing which comes from disobedience and faithlessness when they tried to go it alone.  Yet even as the journey itself was about to come to an end, a whole new chapter was about to unfold with dangers and challenges not unlike all they had already endured.  Moses was taking great care to remind the people of The Lord that it was far from over!

Serving in the US Marine Corps while stationed in the Mojave Desert in 29 Palms CA, we had a company commander who was the epitome of the Marine officer.  He was hard and firm and rigid in his demands, but he was fair.  He used to lead us on what he called the “Death Run” through the desert, but the purpose of the run itself was not just to see who could hack it.  The run was a means to an end.  This commander was incapable of getting tired, it seemed, so we ran for what seemed like eternity!  In the end the captain always made it clear that the run was not a test (though we were all expected to pass!); it was pure training to prepare us physically and mentally for the rigors of combat.  It was a means to an unseen end.  It was hard to appreciate what he was preparing us for since it was peacetime, but he worked to keep us focused while we were at peace.

Moses is doing the same thing to the people of The Lord, then and now.  There are experiences written of that seem overly harsh to us (taking a disobedient child outside the camp to be stoned to death!), experiences you and I cannot fathom in our contemporary culture; but it was all done not as an end but as a means to an end: to prepare to take possession of the Promised Land, the land “flowing with milk and honey”, and to “put evil out from your midst”.  Even then, the people were clearly warned that the challenges they faced in the wilderness were nothing compared to the challenges they would face once they crossed over the river and into the Land; and obedience to the Word of the Lord was key to success, while disobedience would lead to utter failure and disaster (as in the Exile they would soon face).

Jesus, as the “Word made flesh”, the “Voice” we must obey, continues to lead us, but He is also clear through the Scriptures that we still must be willing to follow completely, not half-heartedly.  The death on the Cross does not in any way mean it is over for us, that nothing more is required or expected of us in this life!  There is still something ahead we cannot anticipate, challenges we cannot imagine.  It is necessary, then, that we “train” constantly to learn to obey The Lord, learn to “cling to Him” before we face these challenges, and remember where we come from.  It is entirely about learning to trust Him and learning to trust one another.  It is always about developing relationships; and if we do not care about one another, including the “stranger”, if we expect that Jesus will do all the hard stuff for us while we refuse to participate, we will not be prepared for whatever is ahead.  Even though The Lord promised to lead Israel into battle and to protect them, He nevertheless required them to create an army of warriors because they were still going to have to do the work.  The enemies they faced did not magically dissipate!

The same is expected of the Church today.  No one is going to do “for us” or “instead of” us, but most would be willing to do “with” us if they can be shown what it is we are preparing for and can trust that they will not be abandoned.  There are no magic spells, no magic potions, no magic prayers or incantations that will make all the broken pieces of our lives come together; only devotion and dedication.  We are required to do for one another and with one another.  That is the Church, the Body of Christ.  A “decision for Christ” leads us into this reality; it does not end the journey nor does it excuse us from further participation.

“Count the cost” before the decision is made, but “choose life” in that decision and all life entails; the blood, the sweat, the tears, the disappointments, and the heartaches.  But “choose life” knowing the Church is with you to support you, to “train” you, to teach you that you are not alone.

Blessings,

Michael

A Thought

“This day the Lord your God commands you to observe these statutes and judgments; therefore you shall be careful to observe them with all your heart and with all your soul.  Today you have proclaimed the Lord to be your God, and that you will walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments, and His judgments, and that you will obey His voice”  (Deuteronomy 26:16-17).

Sometimes it seems Christianity is more concerned with which “laws” are not worthy of our time or attention, and which “laws” are the really important ones.  Many classes and discussions I have been a part of have too often centered on this very conflict especially when it comes to the social “hot button” issues of our day.  The Jewish culture, however, does not seem to wrestle with which ones are “important” and which ones no longer merit serious attention (the absence of the Temple dictates which can even be fulfilled).

To “fulfill” a commandment, however, goes beyond being strictly “legal”.  Rabbi Jeremy Simons is director of Rabbinic Services at the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life in Jackson MS; and he writes: “These commandments existed to bring holiness to the utterly mundane tasks of life. Cooking a meal, putting on a shirt, even building an outhouse all became holy tasks. Throughout the day, dozens of actions reminded the Israelite of his or her connection to God. Seeing commandments as blessings rather than obligations motivated the rabbis of later generations to create countless more of them. Ultimately Jewish law had guidelines on how one ties his shoes in the morning.”

The rabbi points out that even in going overboard on more rigid regulations governing virtually every facet of daily living, the purpose has never been about being strictly legal (although the Pharisees in the Gospels seem to suggest otherwise!).  The overriding purpose has been toward staying connected to The Lord in daily living, in even the most mundane tasks.  We Christians have our daily devotionals, but too often we give that little bit of time to The Lord and then go about our business – often forgetting that devotional time and the lesson which may have come from it.  Talk about being “legalistic”!  We satisfy our sense of righteousness and/or obligation by devoting a fraction of our day to The Lord and His Scriptures, but we rarely take those lessons with us to work and see no problem with it.  We have “fulfilled” a holy obligation!

What Christians can (and should) do well to learn from Judaism is that these “statutes” and “commandments” and “judgments” are not about fulfilling some legal obligation, being “holier than thou”, or stifling independent thought; they are entirely about staying connected with our One, Only, True, and Living Source of Life itself, leaving no portion of our lives untouched by The Lord.  In this we are constantly being reminded of the great care our Lord has taken to teach us, just as a loving parent teaches their children.

We are called to obedience, of course, but serious prayer and study of the Scriptures also teaches us why we should pursue obedience.  It is always about Divine Love, but we will not know what Divine Love really means unless or until we are fully engaged in and with The Lord.

Obedience is not being unduly burdened; it is being fully loved.

Blessings,

Michael 

Strangers in our midst

Exodus 1:8-14

Hebrews 13:1-5

Matthew 25:31-16

"You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien; for you were aliens in the land of Egypt."  Exodus 22:21 NRSV

"You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt."  Exodus 22:21 NKJV

"When strangers start acting like neighbors, communities are reinvigorated." Ralph Nader

"Stranger Danger" is without a doubt the greatest challenge we face as disciples of Christ because our Lord calls us to ministry with and for these "aliens", these "strangers", these outsiders in whatever context we consider them to be "outsiders"; but our practical, protective selves are more inclined to focus on the potential danger involved in dealing with someone we know nothing about.  We of the Body of Christ are charged with a mission borne of a theological certainty that "while we were still sinners (that is, "outsiders"), Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8), our Lord extending to all of humanity a hospitality so radical and so unbelievable that even we who call ourselves Christians can barely wrap our minds around it!

It's one thing to believe Christ died for "me"; it is another thing altogether to fully embrace that certain reality that Christ died for "all".

The news reports never let us forget about "stranger danger".  Stories of children and women disappearing without a trace send a shiver down our collective spine and force us to circle the wagons, close our ranks, arm ourselves, and do all we can to protect our loved ones ... and maybe our friends.  We see nothing wrong with this, of course, and I cannot say for sure there is anything wrong with this because protecting one another is a responsibility.  Protecting anyone and everyone who needs protection, however, is not only a commandment of our Lord but a social responsibility as well.  According to the Holy Scriptures, we are charged with protecting the human dignity of even the "strangers".  Beyond taking care of "our own", we are commanded to "love our neighbors as we love ourselves" - that is, to do for them just as surely as we would do for ourselves and those we love.

Looking at a recent picture of my granddaughter, she was sitting in a little thingie that helped to support her and she had a little book in her lap that she was completely engrossed in.  And I got a little emotional looking at that picture because in the purity of her innocence and being oblivious to any sense of danger, she was learning, she was discovering, they were growing.  And our Lord is counting on her caregivers - not just "commanding" - to protect her so she can go about her business of growing up and learning and discovering new things without fear - becoming all our Lord created her to be.  Nothing productive and growth-enhancing is going to happen, however, if all she can know is fear and suspicion.

The same goes for us.  We know we live in a dangerous world; and though this crazy world seems to have become even more dangerous, the reality may be the world has always been this dangerous.  We are just more aware in an age of instantaneous news.  Being aware of these dangers, however, or being consumed by these dangers makes all the difference in whether we will continue to grow as human beings, as disciples of Christ, and as a people living in community with one another - or be stunted in our growth by our isolation, our suspicions, and our sometimes paralyzing fear of the unknown.

So what is it we think we know?  What are we more actively aware of?  It is written in Deuteronomy 25:17-19 (NRSV): "Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey out of Egypt, how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and struck down all who lagged behind you; he did not fear God.  Therefore when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies on every hand, in the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; do not forget."

So why should Israel not at least be mindful of past experiences when they were mistreated, when the "stragglers" were hit while they were "faint and weary"?  Should this not be a lesson for future generations so measures can be taken to be sure it does not happen again?

The experience itself cannot be forgotten, of course, and there are lessons to learn.  What we choose to dwell on, however, may well determine whether our outlook in the present and for the future is cynical or optimistic! 

Neurosurgeon Dr. Daniel J. Siegel writes, "How we focus our attention shapes the structure of the brain."  So when we erect any sort of barrier that we hope will protect us from future harm, science shows that "what we pay the most attention to defines us.  How we choose to spend the irreplaceable hours of our lives (bells which cannot be unrung) literally transforms us."   

A rabbi writing a devotional expressed an experience he had once at a Yom Kippur service when the rabbi of that synagogue asked the congregation to list off some names of Hitler's SS.  Of course there was that keen memory of specific names of Nazi leaders who were responsible for perpetuating the Holocaust.  But then the rabbi asked the congregation to name those who tried to save Anne Frank and her family.  There was silence.

He quoted the rabbi, "Blot out the memory of Amalek, of all those who have tried to destroy us. But ... whose names have we blotted out, and whose names have we remembered? In focusing on our suffering, we have chosen to see ourselves as victims, to see in others the potential hater" (Rabbi Shira Milgrom, "We are what we remember").

We don't really have that kind of collective memory as Christians (though we should) because even though we can agree the Holocaust was the worst human disaster of the 20th century, we can probably also agree (though we shouldn't) that it didn't really involve us.  Yet even if we do not see the Holocaust itself as a direct threat to us or to our past, the Jews have a different recollection; their current generation still has some tie to that horrific time.  It is very real to them.

So even if we do not have such a recollection, we still have a way of making the "boogie man" seem so real and so vivid to us in the present time that we shut out those we do not know, we shut out those whose ideologies we find strange or threatening, and we shut out those who don't look or live like we do!  What happens as a result is that we truly do forget who we are altogether; disciples of Messiah Jesus who calls us - commands us, actually - to take deliberate measures to narrow - and ultimately eliminate - the gap between ourselves and those we deem to be "outsiders", "strangers", "resident aliens" - all the things we truly once were.

We as the Body of Christ, as bearers of the Gospel of our Holy Father, must always bear in mind that "strangers" are our primary target, "aliens" are our primary focus, and "outsiders" are our primary mission.  We should not be looking for and focusing on strictly trying to recruit new "members" who fit a preconceived and socially acceptable mold; we must be about the business of "making disciples [who are not yet disciples] who [will then go on to] make disciples" themselves - including our children and grandchildren!  Beyond growing the Church, if we are not doing this, we are failing our Lord AND the next generation!

Even as we prepare to do some remodeling and get a new, colorful outdoor sign and playground equipment, we must remember our task is not to make for ourselves a more comfortable place to gather or a place we can take pride in; but rather to prepare ourselves to comfort the "stranger" and be not just willing but eager to welcome the "outsider" who may be a member of this wider community but is outside of the inheritance of The Covenant of our Lord. 

"Stranger danger" is a potential rather than an imminent, but the greater potential is that "strangers" will become friends and co-workers for the Kingdom of Heaven on earth; "outsiders" will become "insiders" when they see the Gospel faithfully lived out and extended to them in real and relevant ways.  Then lives will be transformed in positive ways, and the Gospel of our Lord will live to see yet another day - because we remember who we once were.  And then "the lion will lay down with the lamb" - in the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit.  Amen.    

A Thought

“[Take care that you be no] fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place for repentance though he sought it diligently with tears.”  Hebrews 12:16-17 NKJV

This one is hard because the implication is that when we make a hasty and rash decision in a moment of weakness, we should not expect to come back later and ask for the blessing we seek.  Notice, however, that the author points out the reason Esau was rejected was because “he found no place for repentance”.  In the context of Esau’s story, then, we see that he was a pretty demanding fellow and perhaps felt as though there were special privileges for the firstborn to which he was entitled.  In the cultural sense it is true that the firstborn were entitled to certain privileges and rights of inheritance.  Notice also that The Lord does not take secular culture into account when He calls us forward to take our place in His story!

Repentance is another of those “churchy” words we don’t seem to have a lot of time or tolerance for because, perhaps like Esau, we have reached a certain level of entitlement in which we demand what we are convinced is rightfully ours.  The biblical truth, however, seems to reject our own secularized understanding of benign religion in which we are not fully engaged body, mind, AND soul.  What is often overlooked in the reality of Messiah’s sacrifice is that His path is the path we must choose, but we are instead more satisfied with the bumper-sticker theology that simply says, ‘Jesus took my place so I wouldn’t have to’.

While this is true in a sense, it is true only as it pertains to The Judgment.  Jesus took our place in The Judgment so we can find our way out of a secular world that has no real meaning and into the glory of the everlasting Kingdom that gives us meaning and purpose in this life.  We must not convince ourselves, however, that it is in any way an entitlement without understanding that just as Jesus took our place in The Judgment, we must take His place in our living.  That is, we must do as He did, teach as He taught, and most importantly of all, love as He loved – even to the exclusion of self.

This is what it means to live in Covenant.  The Lord has made a New Covenant that includes the Gentiles.  While it may be debatable about exactly what of the Torah we Gentiles are expected to uphold, we can never do any less than to love as completely and as selflessly as Jesus did.  It is discipleship at its finest AND at its most brutal and difficult, but it is also whom we are expected to be.  Not without our flaws, of course, but certainly without our hatred, our covetousness, our anger, our jealousies, our bitterness, and without any sense that we are entitled to something which is given only by The Lord’s mercy – never taken by our demand.

“Ask and it will be given to you”, our Lord Jesus teaches.  Yet St. James warns, “You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss, that you may spent it on your pleasures (4:3)”.  Like Esau who did not seem to be the least bit concerned about The Covenant but only about what he gets for himself, we must not find ourselves in that boat and “find no place for repentance” and thus outside of The Covenant.  It is our Holy Father’s good pleasure to give, so we must be in a good place to receive.

Blessings,

Michael

A Thought

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”  Matthew 7:13-14

Many have asked the legitimate question: Why does Christianity have to be so difficult?  Why is suffering necessary?  Why can’t The Lord just make a way for us so that we don’t have to suffer or watch our loved ones suffer?  Why does The Lord seem to desire that His people suffer? 

These are good questions for which there are no easy answers, but there are brutally honest answers we have to contend with.  I am corresponding with an atheist who has asked these questions, he being a man who sees no real payoff for a life of discipleship, a life of “suffering”; but it is exactly persons like these for whom these questions must be answered because real life is what it’s called – and real life cannot be put aside nor can pleasantness be simply spoken into being. 

A better understanding of what “suffering” really means will help to put things in their proper perspective.  Although we have a general understanding of “suffering” as pain or misery, the New Testament context is often probably better understood as to “allow, tolerate, or permit” – such as Jesus’ call to “suffer the little children come unto Me” (KJV).  This understanding would also be consistent with the admonition to “turn the other cheek” or “bless your enemies”.  Yet even then we need a reason to “allow, tolerate, or permit”.

The Bible does not necessary demand or require that we “suffer” as we typically understand the word.  Rather we are taught by Jesus that life is not always fair, not always just.  Life is sometimes just plain ugly.  We should remember, however, that even the Israelites had to prepare for battle as they journeyed to the Promised Land.  The Lord promised to lead the way, but the people would still have to be willing to take risks, risks that surely often put their own lives on the line as they continued to journey forward.  Yet the prize before them was must bigger than the moments they would endure on the way.

The Christian journey is like Israel’s journey through the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land.  We are not there yet, so we must not get so comfortable in any given moment that we forget we are not yet “home”.  To “suffer”, then (that is, to “allow”) simply means we acknowledge and deal with reality, but we do not delay our journey by getting stuck in the present or in the past.  To stay and fight is to delay or to quit and settle simply means we outright deny The Journey.  We, however, are called to forge ahead, to “deny ourselves and take up our cross”, to continue to look forward, and to follow The Lord – for He is leading us somewhere.

We are headed Home, but “difficult is the way” – and Home will not come to us.  Just as we ‘go home’ at the end of the work day, we must continue our journey together toward Home.  Our Lord is simply being brutally honest with us about what is ahead.  What is left for us is to “count the cost”, hear His assurances, and then decide which path to follow.  We must choose wisely.

Blessings,

Michael

You call that Love?

Revelation 20:1-6                                                                                                                           Romans 12:9-21                                                                                                                           Matthew 16:21-26

"It is not the punishment but the cause that makes a martyr."  St. Augustine

"Martyr" is among the many terms generally associated with religion that is misunderstood and grossly misappropriated.  The Church traditionally considers St. Stephen to be Christianity's first "martyr" (Acts 7:54-60) strictly because he was stoned to death but according to a more appropriate definition of the word from its Greek origin, we will discover Stephen is not the first. 

Throughout the Church's history, those who have died in service to Christ and His Church continue to be remembered and honored for having given their all to the bitter end.  To be sure, there is nothing wrong - and much that is inspirational - with remembering these folks and their faithfulness.  But like we do at funerals; is it not better to remember how they lived rather than dwell on how they died?

Religious leaders have tried to make a martyr's death glorious as something to which we should all aspire.  However, I doubt many of us have a death wish.  In fact we spend incomprehensible amounts of money every year doing all we can to avoid death!  Yet glorifying a "martyr's death" comes close to suggesting our lives and the work we do for The Lord in the here-and-now do not matter unless or until our lives are forcibly taken from us.  Like I said earlier, the word is "grossly misappropriated".

The Bible, particularly the Revelation, promises Divine Retribution for those who have given their lives in service to the Word.  However, as St. Augustine had observed, it is not the death itself which makes a martyr.  Rather it is the cause to which these faithful had given themselves entirely.  The death was incidental; it was the service in faithfulness they gave which we must remember, honor, and emulate.

The word "martyr" itself, having come to mean "murdered saint" (my choice of phrase), actually has its origin from the Greek martur which means "witness" (not "dead" witness).  So going back to what St. Augustine observed, it is not the death that speaks to faithfulness; it is rather the life we choose to give in service to the Church and in witness for Christ.  Even Jesus taught, "When they persecute you in this city, flee to another ..." (Mt 10:23).

This much can be taken from Jesus' words themselves according to Matthew's Gospel, although we are still more traditionally inclined to read literally that which likely has a much broader and more fully encompassing meaning.  When Jesus says, "Those who lose their life for My sake will find it" (Mt 16:25), can it be strictly said that He is referring to physical death as the only means by which we "lose" our lives, when our lives are forcibly taken from us against our will?  Or could it more appropriately be said that we "lose" our lives when we give our lives so completely by "denying [ourselves] and taking up [our] cross and following Jesus" (Mt 16:24) with purpose and conviction?    

It is the latter choice we are compelled to make rather than the former.  Even though it has been said that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church, we should bear in mind that the Church needs live witnesses, faithful witnesses, engaged witnesses in order to thrive in faithful vitality.  Faithful service may cost us our lives, but that cost should not be strictly defined according to an untimely death.  While we do not - and probably should not - aspire to literally die for Christ, we can - and should - seek to understand where "our" lives end and Christ's life in us begins.  This requires much more from us than to simply allow ourselves to be murdered - and it reaches far beyond the moment of confession, profession of faith, baptism and/or confirmation.

While there are many Scripture passages that speak to the same ideal, our lectionary reading from Romans actually defines well what it means to give of ourselves so completely that the value of "our" own life is directly relative to the value we assign the life of others - including our "enemies"!  Yes, even those who have wronged us are still, by biblical standards, deserving of our devotion TO CHRIST! 

We are not being weak or being played when we "serve" our enemies as St. Paul encourages and Jesus actually commands (remember the strength you exercised the last time you bit your tongue rather than answer for evil done to you!  Even a weak fool can give in to his or her emotions and lash out.).  And we are stronger still by living into our Lord's assurance that "vengeance" belongs to Him; and it is affirmed in the Revelation that those who lust for the blood of faithful witnesses will stand before The Lord and will answer for their evil and their bloodlust - and this judgment is reserved for ALL who wish and do harm to another!  And we would all do well to remember this in the upcoming election season!

We are clearly not called to be "judge, jury, and executioner".  Those roles belong to the life we choose for ourselves irrespective of Christ Jesus and any supposed - and certainly limited - loyalty we have to Him; for it truly can be said that when we return evil for evil, we are affirming and defending self - not Christ.  In this we are compelled to ask ourselves, "When does an evil act become a righteous act?  ANSWER: It doesn't".  And when we do return evil for evil - OR - instigate evil, there is no "witness", no faithfulness, no "martyr"; only the life we demand to keep and defend for ourselves - the very life Jesus says we will lose one way or the other; the very life which is not ours to keep nor take - only to define by how much of ourselves we freely give.

In keeping with making disciples who make disciples - and becoming better disciples ourselves - we need to understand that in giving of ourselves so completely to others, we are entering into and purposefully developing relationships - not church "programs" which can almost be done mindlessly.  This is important for us to understand the difference because "programs" can be done without actually engaging in people's lives on a personal level in developing relationships - like the Food Pantry. 

This is not to suggest there are no useful "programs", of course (Sunday school is a "program" - and a necessary one for all ages of disciples), but we have to understand that an earnest relationship is where we give ourselves completely - or should - without reservation and without restrictions.  The "programs" involve a season, a finite period of time.  A "program" might be taxing to plan and implement but once it's done, it's done.  We disengage.

This must not and cannot be so with relationships; for I am convinced it is the blood AND the sweat AND the tears AND the bonds of relationships that are the "seed of the Church" as we witness in the early chapters of Acts.  While these relationships do not literally require spilled blood, they do require a devotion defined by how much of ourselves we are willing to give to those relationships for the sake of Christ and His Holy Church.  "Programs" designed to bring people into and introduce them to the Church can be useful - but only if and when we are willing to give of ourselves not strictly to the "program" itself but to the people who may come - the same people who will return only when they learn to trust not our "programs" but us ... we who are the Body of Christ Himself in the world today.

This is what is called "love".  "Love" is what we do rather than what we may feel, and it is the "labor" to which we are called.  This Love is defined by what we give - not by what is taken from us.  This Love is the cost AND the price AND the privilege AND the blessing of discipleship.  This Love is the life fully devoted to Christ in which we gain much more than we will ever lose - because the assurance which comes from our Lord is the assurance that Love -  fully giving and fully given Love - will build up and sustain the Church; nothing less.  Messiah's own blood was sufficient to make this kind of Love possible to even comprehend, so nothing less than our whole life will do.  For Him, for His Church, and for the fullness of life which is promised and reserved for the faithful witness - in the Name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

A Thought

“Moses said to The Lord, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’  The Lord said, ‘I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship The Lord on this mountain’.”  Exodus 3:11-12

“Who am I” to do this wondrous, awesome, and overwhelming thing in the name of The Lord?  Who are any of us, really, when we think about what could be a life-changing transformation in which we are the Divine Tools, that The Lord would choose us and ask of us to reach out to His people?

Even trying to wrap our minds around such a thing is too much!  Yet a quick glance at the headlines in this state, in this country, and especially around the world we can easily see the need to be released from the bonds and shackles of this world are great.  And clearly The Lord means for His creation to be set free from the “empire” of the world that keeps us from getting closer to The Lord.  Yet this is the reality, a reality even the most faithful among us can often struggle with: a God who would go to such great lengths to do such wondrous things – and then choose little ol’ me … or you.  “Who am I”, indeed!

Whenever the task before The Church gets a little too big to wrap my own mind around, I always think of Mother Teresa’s great quote: “If you cannot feed 100 hungry persons, it’s ok; just feed one!”  That is, as great as the needs are in this crazy world, we each only need to touch one other of our neighbors – not to give them some empty religious formula that does not speak to their anguish, but to touch their lives in an intimate and fully giving way. 

That is the power of The Church.  Even though big churches can do big things and little churches can do little things, in the end it is the little things that matter most.  Not world-class entertainment, not charismatic preachers, and not even the great music we share.  No, it is the neighbor whose life is touched by “you” – as only “you” can. 

We may not believe we have much to offer, but we all have something to offer.  And so offer it we must because we realize that what we have to offer was never really ours in the first place.  It was entrusted to us for the sake of another.  Just as Jesus’ life was entrusted to Him so He could offer His life to others, it is no less true of those who choose to follow Him.

Yes, the little things matter and probably matter more than the rest.  And we all have it to share; the only decision left is whether we will.  “Who am I?”  And our Lord answers, “You are exactly what the world needs right here, and right now.” 

Blessings,

Michael

Fast Forward: haste makes waste

Ecclesiastes 8:11-13

Romans 8:18-25

Luke 8:4-8, 11-15

"Many are the plans in one's heart, but it is The Lord's plan that prevails."  Jewish proverb

Last weekend we moved Emily (our youngest) back to Fayetteville to get ready for another school year and decided to swing over to Horseshoe Bend to see Gracyn (our first grandchild).  There was no real hurry to either as we had all the time in the world but after Emily was settled and there was nothing left to do and her friend and roommate had arrived, I decided it was time to leave.  Emily understood we had a long drive, but she was not quite ready for us to go.  So we walked around the campus and enjoyed the nice weather while Emily showed us her class buildings, but after the tour I finally decided it was really time to go.  I had a plan, you see, that was not quite finished.

Driving from Fayetteville to Horseshoe Bend is almost all skinny roads with only a few miles of four-lane highway.  Much of the drive is narrow and winding, which means you will go only as fast as the car in front of you.  APPARENTLY there were several folks that day who were not in any big hurry to get anywhere.  I tried to slow my roll, but for me there is nothing worse than being forced to drive substantially below the speed limit - especially when I'm on a quest!  By the time we got to Horseshoe Bend, I had a headache that would have split the California coast!

What really made the drive so incredibly challenging, however, was not strictly those who were obviously enjoying their drive.  What was really bugging me was the remarkable guilt I felt for once again "leaving" baby girl - AND maybe leaving her too soon, leaving something undone.  We didn't have to leave when we did because there was still plenty of daylight and, as I said earlier, we didn't have to be anywhere at any particular time.  But because everything that needed to be done for Emily was done, I marked that thing off my mental list-of-things-to-do and was ready to move on to the next phase of "my" plan.

While I was nurturing my headache, I started thinking about a movie entitled "Click".  A young, ambitious architect who was trying to make a name for himself always put his family aside in favor of work projects he hoped would score him professional points.  When he finally crashed one night due to fatigue and a bad cold, he had a dream that he was given a universal remote control that would control not just his TV but his whole environment.  He could mute his wife while she was yelling at him for neglecting his family, or he could fast forward through a family gathering so he could get back to work. 

An added "feature" of this remote was that once he used it under certain circumstances, the remote would automatically program his future circumstances based on the choices he made.  Long story short, he missed his children growing up, he missed a chance to say "I love you" to his beloved father before his father passed, and he missed all his chances to rebuild his family and his marriage which he had neglected for so long.  Because he was always in such a rush, he missed what were perhaps the greatest moments he would have known in his life for someone else's sake; those who needed what only he could provide.  Oh, he found the success he had coveted at work, but he lost everything else.  He had wished the best parts of his life away.

In keeping with our theme series of "becoming better disciples, and making disciples who make disciples", then, I thought about Jesus' parable of the sower and the seed but not quite in the standard, traditional way.  While each segment of the parable has its own purposes to show us where The Word of The Lord is in our lives and how important that Word is to us, I still get a sense of a sower who is in far too big of a hurry for his own good and for the greater Divine purpose he was to serve. 

This begs the question as it pertains to "making disciples": Are we truly interested in planting the Good Seed in good soil for a good harvest, or are we just in a hurry to carelessly throw the seeds out, convince ourselves we have accomplished something, and just hope for the best?  That is, assuming we have any real concern about and reverence for the necessary sacred work of the Church at all - because if we do not because we are in too big of a hurry in other areas of our lives, I am afraid we are missing out on what could be some of the greatest moments of our lives, to provide perhaps what only we can provide.

I don't know that spending more time in Fayetteville with Emily would have made a difference one way or the other, but she was our primary purpose.  The more I think about it, the more I am convinced we left something important undone because I was in too big of a hurry to do everything else.

We should understand by now that The Word cannot and will not come from a void - it will not spring forth from nothing, and haste will not help.  This means we will rarely make disciples of those with whom there is no real human, relational connection.  They may "make a decision for Christ" in a moment of emotional distress and we may think we got something "done" in that hasty moment but if we are unwilling to nurture that relationship, tend to that "soil", and see it through to fruition, the Good Seed we do have will have been dropped on the rocks or in the thorns.  And yes, dear friends, this includes our children and grandchildren who are not given a proper and formal religious education.  That is very much a part of spiritual nurture.

There are great needs fulfilled in careful nurture and patience.  The Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:26-37 needed Philip who had been sent by the Holy Spirit to explain to him what he was reading in the prophet Isaiah about the coming Messiah.  The people who joined the new community of faith in the early chapters of Acts needed one another AND the "teachings of the apostles" (Acts 2:42) in order to grow in the faith and in community.  So the world still needs the Church - for the Seed itself is good; it is the soil which must be carefully prepared and nurtured for the Seed to take root.  This takes time and patience - but it also takes effort.

Every effort toward making disciples who make disciples must involve careful planning, purposeful prayer and Scripture study, intentional purpose of nurture, and a willingness to engage these potential new friends and future disciples in a life-altering way.  We know (or should know) we have the Good Seed; it has been entrusted to the care of the Holy Church.  What we may not know is how well-prepared the "soil" is to receive that Good Seed.  And this is our task.

The only way to know of the condition of the soil, then, is to get intimately familiar with the soil, to get dirt under our nails!  We have to get to know our neighbors, we cannot be afraid to get next to strangers, and we must never pretend there will ever be a political solution to the challenges the Church faces.  In fact, our Lord - and history - warn us that politics will always be more of a hindrance than a help when it comes to evangelism; that is what "making disciples" entails - because anyone can "preach" the Gospel, but it takes a disciple to make disciples.  Our Lord did not charge us to 'save souls'; He commissioned His Church to "make disciples".

So we must be patient - BUT - we must also have a sense of urgency about the task which is before us.  We must not be led to believe it is "someone else's" responsibility, and we can never become convinced the task can be "hired out", and we certainly must never, EVER think it will "just happen".  We signed up when we asked to become "members" of the Church.

Looking around at the world we face, dear friends, I am not entirely convinced it is strictly about "getting to Heaven" as much as it is trying to make for ourselves a better world - for our children, our grandchildren, and for others who cannot do for themselves.  As we are taught in the Scriptures, there will always be someone in need, someone in poverty; and there is no more profound poverty than to be destitute of human interaction and of the Living Word of the Living God in His Messiah.

A Jewish theologian once wrote that only when we perform the "desires of God" will there one day be no longer anyone in need.  The entire Torah (what we mistakenly and shallowly refer to as "law") is about relational connections, community of faith, and looking after one another.  This is what makes good soil.  There will be challenges and I guarantee there will be conflicts and heartaches; but if The Church is not after the "desires of God", there is no Church - only a void from which nothing of lasting value can come.

What we fail to appreciate, I think, is that the goodness which is before us is in every one of the challenges, each of the conflicts and heartaches.  We need not try to fast-forward through these moments or even try to avoid them altogether in our haste for "goodness" - for in doing so, we will truly miss what could be some of the greatest moments of our lives, the life of the Church, and the lives of those who will be transformed by our efforts AND the Holy Spirit. 

So let us go about our work as "sowers".  We have the Good Seed; what we must find, what we must develop is the Good Soil so the Seed will grow.  For His Glory, and in His Name.  Amen.

A Thought

“There will be no one in need among you because The Lord is sure to bless you in the land that The Lord your God is giving you as a possession to occupy, if only you will obey The Lord your God by diligently observing this entire commandment that I command you today.”  Deuteronomy 15:4-5

Then we read only a few verses later; “If there is among you anyone in need …” (Deut 15:7) and then later still, “Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth …” (Deut 15:11).

Jesus affirms this in Matthew’s Gospel; “You have the poor with you always …” (26:11). 

As stated earlier in the week, we must always look more carefully into the full context as well as understand that, like wealth, “poor” is relative.  We believe we have a pretty good bead on what it means to be poor very likely because we live in a culture that measures happiness and success in dollars and cents.  We do not always take into consideration those who are “poor in spirit”.  What we can be certain of is that The Lord has assured us blessings we cannot begin to fathom if we will be faithful to Him always – not only when it suits us or when we need a tax write-off.

So how do we consider that The Lord says “there will be no one in need” on the one hand, but on the other hand says, “IF there is among you anyone in need …” and then finally, “You have the poor with you always …” 

A Jewish theologian observes that “only when we perform the desires of G-d” will there be no one in need.  So what does it mean to us if we are truly after the heart of the Holy Father?  That we are always aware of His “desires” and seek to fulfill those desires just as He has fulfilled our profound need to be freed so we can live to our fullest and sacred potential.  It means seeing through His eyes those who are poor (financially and spiritually), marginalized by society, victims of injustice, or just plain lonely or afraid. 

The reality is there will always be those among us who are poor, but the sacred ideal is that there should “be no one in need among you because” we realize how richly blessed we truly are.  And this, I think, is the key to understanding why The Lord is so generous to those who obey Him and seek after His holy “desires”; it is so we can help to take care of those who cannot care for themselves.  This is what it means to live in community, and it is the essence of what it means to be The Church – the Body of the Risen Christ, the Living Word.

One Christian writer observed recently that we’ve gotten pretty good at looking at the window (that is, getting entirely wrapped up in the necessary personal component of our relationship with The Lord) but have not yet learned how to look through the window and see the wider world through the eyes of our Lord.  But we take heart because this is what it means to seek after spiritual “perfection” in sanctification – as we grow in faith and in love and learn to see the world as our Lord sees it AND as our Lord “desires” us to see it for His sake.  For He has not given up on us; so shall we never give up on Him and His beloved creation.

Blessings,

Michael

A Thought

“How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the Kingdom of God!  For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God!”  Luke 18:24-25

Jesus had just been approached by the “rich young ruler” who had asked, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?”  Jesus begins by quoting Torah in citing some of the commandments.  Satisfied with himself, the young ruler replied that he had been faithful and obedient since his youth.  Then Jesus upped the ante by tell this young man that “you still lack one thing; sell all you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come and follow Me.” 

Too often we read this passage so literally that we miss the overall meaning, and what we overlook most often is the definition of “rich” (“he was very rich”).  Most of us do not consider ourselves “very rich” in terms of material possessions, cash accounts, etc.; so we tend to let ourselves off the hook.  In this passage, however, “rich” is relative and challenges us all to take into account what we do have, however much or little there may be.  The bottom line is that no one is given a pass by our Lord!

There is a saying, “All we have is a gift from God; what we do with what we have in our gift to God.”  This applies to our excess (if any) as well as to the “meat and potatoes” of our budgets.  And if our primary focus in our budgeting is self-satisfaction, self-preservation, or especially self-glorification, we are misusing what we have.  In such a state of mind and being, then, we would just as likely be the ones walking away “sorrowful” because we are unwilling to reevaluate our lives, our budgets, our giving, our spending habits. 

And this is where the passages strikes at the heart of the entire Church.  To read this passage literally, all our wealth is to be sold and the proceeds given to the poor.  Again, however, what is the measure of “wealth”?  And exactly what constitutes “poor”?  This is what I believe we are being challenged to evaluate.  Would we give up everything we have to obtain the eternal treasure that is the Kingdom?  Or have we fallen victim to a cheesy and empty religious belief that has given us permission to overlook this and so many other passages as “excused”?  That Jesus is not talking to “us” because we’re “saved”, or He wants us to be happy, and that material wealth is the source of our happiness as evidence of Divine Love?

Finally, what can we take with us as we “follow” Jesus?  Can we really be free to “follow” Him burdened with all we have or all we hope to have?  Do we believe we can have our cake and eat it, too?  Because this is our Lord’s challenge to each and every soul – without exception.  So if we become “sorrowful” or defensive in being asked to give up our worldly treasures for the sake of another or if we decide He does not mean “me”, we’ve already missed the point and are blinded to the reality of the Kingdom of God.

We must open our eyes and our hearts to the reality that there is still much for us to learn.  Nothing is settled until the Lord returns to settle all accounts, in which time “the last will be first, and the first will be last”. 

Study the Scriptures.  Pray earnestly for direction.  Be assured the Lord has given no one a pass, and be assured that the Lord does need YOU.  He always has.

Blessings,

Michael

A Thought

“Be strong and courageous.  Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”   Joshua 1:9

Back to school.  For some it is pretty exciting; for others it is downright intimidating.  Anything new and unfamiliar must be approached carefully and with due respect because of what is certainly unknown at least in the beginning. 

Joshua was about to lead Israel into the Promised Land.  Moses was no longer with them, so it is easy to imagine the people and even Joshua to be a little disoriented and uncertain about what is ahead of them.  Moses had led Israel for 40 years, so they had become accustomed to certain ways in terms of journey.  Now they were about to settle in a land which was already occupied.  Later spies would report “giants” in the land! 

The Lord needed to assure Joshua, however, that even though Moses had been the leader for so long, it was actually the Lord and His Covenant which the people had become a part of during that long 40 years.  Moses’ time had passed just as others had passed during the long journey, but the Lord was still with them in the new chapter that was about to unfold.

These words of encouragement were spoken to Joshua within a specific context, but we may also be assured by these same words as we enter into a new realm of possibilities.  Children will meet new teachers, make new friends, and learn new things; and teachers will be faced with the new challenges that come with so many new and different personalities (as well as new state mandates!).  And all will be uncertain about how it will all come together.

The Lord did not give Joshua any real clues about what the new land would look like with the people of Israel, but the Lord was clear about what it could look like if they tried to face the new land and new challenges without the Lord.  And this is the essence of what it means to live by faith; being unsure about what lies ahead, but being absolutely assured the “Lord your God is with you wherever you go”.   As long as we “go” with the Lord and in the Lord’s Name.

Blessings on all new teachers, experienced teachers, and students!  Be strong and courageous, for the Lord is with you!

Michael

Making disciples: relationships

Hebrews 11:32-12:2

“Progress should mean that we are always changing the world to fit the vision; instead we are always changing the vision.”  G.K. Chesterton

"Living in community requires commitment, responsibility, and accountability to and for all its members."  UMC Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball, WV

In other words, living in community requires "relationships"; real attachments to one another.  So I believe we can agree relationships are the foundation of any community; and while the marital relationship should top the list (it grounds the family, stabilizes our society, and teaches children about the importance of relationship, earnest commitment, and appropriate examples of love), there are other relationships we must necessarily take note of.

In the coming weeks we will examine relationships and how these relationships inform us, teach us, nurture us, comfort us, and whenever necessary, correct us - all for the sake of "making disciples".  So if we are involved in any type of relationship that does not strengthen our sense of community as The Body of Christ, it is probably a relationship best left unattended. 

As it has so often been said, there is no such thing as a life without sacred value - value not only to The Lord and His Church but to society as a whole - including those incarcerated.  Everyone has purpose, and every life has meaning.  In fact it has been inferred by theologians and sociologists that the value of our own lives is intimately and intrinsically connected to the value we assign to the lives of others.  So as we seek to enrich the lives of others by affirming their sacred worth, our own sacred worth is affirmed as well.

Before we can examine the relationships we enjoy today and the relationships worth pursuing, however, I believe there is a much broader relationship we are part of as The Church, a relationship we often take for granted.  It is the relationship which exists primarily in the Scriptures, connections to our common past in the "great cloud of witnesses" (Heb 12:1).  And as we often take these biblical "giants" for granted, we certainly do not take note of spiritual heroes (often referred to as "saints") who helped to shape, teach, and clarify the fullest meaning of The Gospel through the life of The Church.

Pope Francis is getting a lot of attention because he does not fit the typical "pope profile".  He is more easily accessible than many of his predecessors, and he seems willing to answer questions without preparation.  And while he is often misunderstood (who isn't?) because his remarks are often taken out of context (whose aren't??), or something gets lost in the language translations, when read carefully he is forthright and intentional about faith, community, The Lord, The Church, and the sacred value of every living creature - including Protestants! - and human institutions ... another example of the many relationships we often take for granted.

Pope Francis was especially taken to task (and ultimately misunderstood) by so many conservative "talking heads" when the pope released his encyclical, "The Joy of the Gospel" (English translation), which addressed economic issues as well as others - all relative to how we deal with one another.  The pope was chastised as a "socialist" because, while he lifted up business as "a noble vocation", he nevertheless challenged people of business to look beyond profit margins and embrace their responsibility to the Kingdom of Heaven, emphasizing the "social function" of property beyond that which is primarily considered "private" and available only to the highest bidder.

This understanding of human relationships which appreciates the value of good business is the same accountability that chastises us when we seek to exploit any human person in any manner for the sake of profit margin.  So even in business, that seemingly most heartless of human institutions that focuses primarily on numbers and money, it is still about "relationships".  The pope rightly questioned, "How is it not news when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is [big] news when the stock market drops two points?"

When Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the Bishop of Rome, he took for himself the name "Francis" in honor of 12th-century St. Francis of Assisi who was canonized (declared a saint) in the 13th century.  What is so note-worthy of St. Francis for the pope and the contemporary Church is not only his deliberate "conversion" from a life of wealth and privilege to a life of poverty and service, but also a vision he encountered at a country chapel just outside of Assisi (Italy) in which Messiah told him to "go and repair My house which, as you can see, has fallen into ruins."

It is said that St. Francis first took this vision to mean that particular church where he was praying and its physical well-being.  Using his father's resources, then, he restored that chapel (against his father's wishes); but this is when the final straw came by which St. Francis fully and completely renounced his family's wealth, and even the clothing on his very back which had come from that wealth.

Without going into a lot of historical detail, it is enough to know that from this moment in St. Francis' life, he devoted his entire being to The Lord and to The Church, understanding that to "repair" The Lord's house did not strictly mean its physical structures.  "The House" to which the Lord referred was "the Church"; that is, the Body of Christ, the community of faith. 

In this "repair", the relationships often marginalized in society were (and still are) in desperate need of rebuilding and restoring.  St. Francis chose to restore from the "bottom" of the social barrel.  This vision is shared by Pope Francis who believes it is the necessary vision and task of The Holy Church.

These deliberate and faithful choices made by a man who "had it all" at one time are sufficient for St. Francis and many others to be included in the "great cloud of witnesses"; up there with Noah, Abraham, Moses, and King David, to name only a few.  These and so many more had the strength and courage borne of faith that reminded them - as we are to be reminded - that our lives, however grand or seemingly inconsequential, belong to the Kingdom of Heaven - meaning we belong to one another. 

Including Jesus in this company of the "great cloud", however, takes a turn we are not entirely comfortable with, if at all.  St. Francis did not have a vision of Moses or King David.  St. Francis' vision was entirely about Messiah and all Messiah would ask of him in "running with perseverance the race which is set" before us all; the same race set before The Church, Christ in the world today.

This "race" is entirely about "community" and relationships which anchor the community in all that matters, all that really makes a difference in our lives - or more importantly, all that will make a difference in the lives of those whom we consider to be ... beneath us.  St. Francis was once at the top of the social order, but he soon found himself dangerously entangled with the trappings of "empire" rather than the blessings of "kingdom".  St. Francis chose The Kingdom by choosing the "least among us".

Pope Francis seems to be following in that very Franciscan ideal of "repairing" The Lord's House (even though this is the first Jesuit pope), but not strictly the buildings.  This pope has challenged the very institution which was once in its great and rightful heritage socially scandalous and radical in obedience to The Lord and in faithfulness to the Gospel; "scandalous" in rejecting the social norms of a secular society, and "radical" in welcoming all, especially those who did not seem to belong anywhere else. 

It is not necessary to try and reinvent the wheel.  It is the relationship shared by the biblical giants as well as the saints of the past we must reconnect with, embrace, and build upon.  It is The Relationship which has endured much persecution and has withstood many attempts to undermine or even destroy it.  It must also be noted that no one who kept to themselves in their personal spirituality was ever at personal risk for the sake of the Gospel.  The risk always comes from within active, dynamic relationships; the risk to love completely rather than socially, conditionally. 

Relationships matter; but new relationships must be built upon from the "great cloud of witnesses" that has faithfully blazed the trail, each connected to the other in The Lord; for it is our past that connects us to our future.  Amen.  

A Thought

“When [The Lord] summoned famine against the land and broke every staff of bread, He had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave.  He feet were hurt with fetters, his neck was put in a collar of iron; until what he had said came to pass, the word of The Lord kept testing him” (Psalm 105:16-19).

In the Genesis story (37:1-28), Joseph was the source of much resentment from his older brothers not only because he was Jacob’s favored one but also because “Joseph brought a bad report of [his brothers] to their father” (Gen 37:2).  In other words, Joseph was a snitch!  Joseph was also a dreamer who had rather lofty visions of his own future, a vision that would come to fruition in which his brothers – and the well-being of the Covenant – would be dependent on what The Lord would do with and for Joseph in the future.  Needless to say, it took years before Joseph was able to realize The Lord had chosen him for a very special task.

Clearly Joseph was favored also in the eyes of The Lord but not strictly for Joseph’s personal sake.  Rather The Lord had His eye on the whole of Israel and His own Covenant with Abraham; Joseph would become an instrument of survival for the sake of the Covenant and the people of The Lord.  This, I think, is an element of the whole of the redemption story often overlooked especially in today’s Christian context.  We have allowed a few prominent TV preachers to convince some that when bad things happen to them, they are the result of one of two things: a) their faith is insufficient, or b) the devil is out to get them.  Neither is adequate (or even true) when measured against the biblical heroes who endured maltreatment far beyond anything you or I could imagine today, being “tested” as they were for The Lord’s purposes.

“Consider it pure joy … whenever you face trial of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2-3).  When we are tested, then, our allegiance to The Lord is not necessarily what is on the line.  Rather we are perhaps being prepared for something much greater, something that will involve the well-being of the Church herself!  Either way, the fidelity of The Lord and His greater purposes are the key component of the trials we face.

We must not allow a select few to convince us “the devil is out to get us”.  Maybe he is, but the one thing we can be certain of is that The Lord is with His Church, “even to the end of the age”.  This assurance makes that devil thing laughable.

If we feel our faith being pressed and seemingly tested beyond our capacity to endure, we must remember The Lord’s much grander purposes and stop believing the idle chit-chat of religionists who make things up as they go almost completely independent of what is actually written in the Scriptures.  We are not now, nor will we ever be, “victims” because of the Gospel.  We are now, and will ever be, “agents” of The Good News!  Because The Almighty loves our unbelieving neighbor as much as He loves His Church.

Blessings,

Michael