One of my quirks that some have noticed is my shaking legs. Alisa is well aware of this “irritating” habit. When I sit down, I often bounce my legs. I do it without noticing and it is often the result of a pressure point that causes the muscles in my legs to shake. It can shake the table I’m sitting by. It can shake the pew I’m sitting in. I can easily shake the floor to the point that other people “feel” the shaking my legs are causing.
“Hi. My name is Chip and my legs often shake when I’m sitting down.”
I hope my life shakes you up. I hope my life shakes up the lives of those around me. I hope it won’t only be because of my legs, but because of my life.
Our lives are a lot like a snow globe. If left to ourselves, we become dormant. Snow globes exist to be shaken because in being shaken, they fulfill their purpose. They are seen in the way they’ve been created to be seen.
Each of us has the tendency to find a groove that works for us and stay in it. It happens in all facets of our lives. We find a comfortable place in our marriage and we stay there. We find a comfortable place in our job and stay there. We find friends that “work” for us, a church that works for us and even a lifestyle which we enjoy and doesn’t ask too much of us. It’s normal and natural for us to live in this way. But it’s too easy to become dormant then. Our values become comfort, convenience, and leisure. We value people and experiences which help us stay in this groove.
God has a different plan. He wants to shake us up. And His plan includes ‘shaking’ as a value we embrace. Many of us have been shaken up at times in our lives. Whether through difficult circumstances or transitions in our lives, we’ve experienced what it is to be shaken. It is definitely not always fun. We’re uncomfortable, vulnerable, and often dependent on others in the midst of this challenge. But I also bet that it’s in these places where the most growth has taken place – when you are being shaken.
Hebrews 10:24-25 says it a little differently,
And let us consider how to stir one another on toward love and good deeds.
Stir – shake – provoke would all be appropriate words to describe this process. And note that it says we are to do this with one another. We are to stir/shake/provoke each other with a definite purpose in mind – toward love and good deeds.
There is something contagious about being with people who are shaking out of their love for Jesus. They act different. They talk different. They love different. There is something about them which draws us to them. But it is not comfortable being around them, because they challenge us both in the words they say but also in the lives they live. They shake us up. We cannot remain the same if we spend much time around them.
That’s it! That is not only the kind of people we need to look for in our lives, it is the kind of people we are called to be. The only way a person shakes/stirs/provokes in the way described in Hebrews 10, is if they truly seek after Jesus.
Who is shaking you up? How are you stirring the lives of others? How does your life encourage others to invest themselves in the love of Jesus and living that love out throughout their lives?
One other thing: Often we are tempted to rely on others to shake us up. We go to church and get stirred. We attend a conference and get shaken up. We go on a mission trip and our lives are provoked. These are good, but too often in the between times, our globes return to dormancy. We are stirred for a short period of time and then everything settles back to the way it was before. If we are to be His followers, our globes need to spend more time being shaken than standing dormant. We can’t simply rely on “church/religious” activities. We need to live a life of self-denial, risk-taking, and trusting in the One who is the One. This will lead to a life in motion.
Stirring one another up is what love does. Allowing one another to remain dormant is not love.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Stir One Another Up - Sittser
The following are quotes from Gerald Sittser’s book, Love One Another.
Jesus called it the narrow way and warned us of its cost. He said that in the Christian life death precedes life, losing comes before gaining, renouncing the world precedes eternal life.
Jesus looks for intent and desire more than capability and success. What matters is that we want to measure up to the full stature of Christ, however far we fall short.
Christians don’t always want to become like Christ. Christians don’t always want to pursue the highest and best to which he calls us. In these circumstances the Bible commands us to “stir up” and “admonish” one another.
(147)
Faith and obedience come hard because of doubt, struggle, temptation, exhaustion, and busyness. Yet in my mind these difficulties are not the greatest obstacle in the Christian life, however prevalent they are. The greatest obstacle is more subtle, which is why the Bible warns us against it so strongly. Scripture calls this problem “lukewarmness.” I call it inertia.
Inertia in the Christian life is dangerous because it seems so natural and justifiable. It’s like water that flows to the lowest elevation possible, where it can rest after cascading down mountainsides. People have a natural inclination to seek that same state of rest and ease. We like things to be convenient and controllable, stable and predictable. We want “givens” because they provide security. Consequently, we fall into predictable behavioral patters – in private life, in relationships and in society. Inevitably free choices become necessities, spontaneous activities become habits, innovations become traditions. Bold action sooner or later turns into “the same old thing.” We like to settle into a routine. Rushing rivers always empty into placid lakes. We tend toward inertia.
Yet stability and predictability cost us something. The cost is sameness, blandness, boredom and sometimes injustice. There is nothing wrong with following a set schedule from day to day. But what happens when that schedule keeps us from enlarging our world with new experiences or challenges? There is nothing wrong with fulfilling different marital roles. Yet those roles might be unfair when children come, the husband goes back to school or the wife gets a new job. There is nothing wrong with policies that make institutions run more efficiently. Yet sometimes rules made for the sake of efficiency and productivity stifle creativity; rules made to give the most experienced people authority may gave way to an “old-boy network” that keeps new blood from rising to the top.
(150-151)
Comfort zone Christianity appeals powerfully to certain legitimate impulses within us. But it is still dangerous. It can lead to laziness of spirit, deadness of faith, a routine that gives the appearance of religion without cultivating a heart for God. It makes us nice, decent, and respectable. It can also lead to dead worship, exclusive churches, lifeless devotions, token service, easy giving, superficial knowledge of the Bible. It is, as the Bible calls it, lukewarmness, which is more perilous than open rebellion (Revelation 3).
(152)
What is true for churches is also true for individuals. Quiet and sensitive people don’t have to become noisy and aggressive; activists don’t have to become contemplatives; scholars don’t have to become popularizers. Stirring up means we become all God meant us to be. It’s not helpful or possible to stir up people to something they are not and can’t be. It’s not right to stir up a church to change so much that it becomes unfamiliar with the church it once was. Stirring up preserves the best of what we already are, the best of the tradition our church embodies. Continuity and change are partners, not enemies.
The secret of stirring up is balance – to push people, churches and Christian institutions beyond the comfort zone without breaking continuity with the past. Balance requires us to expand our vision of discipleship, not change it entirely; to enlarge our capacity to know and obey God, not swing periodically from one extreme to the other.
(159)
Jesus called it the narrow way and warned us of its cost. He said that in the Christian life death precedes life, losing comes before gaining, renouncing the world precedes eternal life.
Jesus looks for intent and desire more than capability and success. What matters is that we want to measure up to the full stature of Christ, however far we fall short.
Christians don’t always want to become like Christ. Christians don’t always want to pursue the highest and best to which he calls us. In these circumstances the Bible commands us to “stir up” and “admonish” one another.
(147)
Faith and obedience come hard because of doubt, struggle, temptation, exhaustion, and busyness. Yet in my mind these difficulties are not the greatest obstacle in the Christian life, however prevalent they are. The greatest obstacle is more subtle, which is why the Bible warns us against it so strongly. Scripture calls this problem “lukewarmness.” I call it inertia.
Inertia in the Christian life is dangerous because it seems so natural and justifiable. It’s like water that flows to the lowest elevation possible, where it can rest after cascading down mountainsides. People have a natural inclination to seek that same state of rest and ease. We like things to be convenient and controllable, stable and predictable. We want “givens” because they provide security. Consequently, we fall into predictable behavioral patters – in private life, in relationships and in society. Inevitably free choices become necessities, spontaneous activities become habits, innovations become traditions. Bold action sooner or later turns into “the same old thing.” We like to settle into a routine. Rushing rivers always empty into placid lakes. We tend toward inertia.
Yet stability and predictability cost us something. The cost is sameness, blandness, boredom and sometimes injustice. There is nothing wrong with following a set schedule from day to day. But what happens when that schedule keeps us from enlarging our world with new experiences or challenges? There is nothing wrong with fulfilling different marital roles. Yet those roles might be unfair when children come, the husband goes back to school or the wife gets a new job. There is nothing wrong with policies that make institutions run more efficiently. Yet sometimes rules made for the sake of efficiency and productivity stifle creativity; rules made to give the most experienced people authority may gave way to an “old-boy network” that keeps new blood from rising to the top.
(150-151)
Comfort zone Christianity appeals powerfully to certain legitimate impulses within us. But it is still dangerous. It can lead to laziness of spirit, deadness of faith, a routine that gives the appearance of religion without cultivating a heart for God. It makes us nice, decent, and respectable. It can also lead to dead worship, exclusive churches, lifeless devotions, token service, easy giving, superficial knowledge of the Bible. It is, as the Bible calls it, lukewarmness, which is more perilous than open rebellion (Revelation 3).
(152)
What is true for churches is also true for individuals. Quiet and sensitive people don’t have to become noisy and aggressive; activists don’t have to become contemplatives; scholars don’t have to become popularizers. Stirring up means we become all God meant us to be. It’s not helpful or possible to stir up people to something they are not and can’t be. It’s not right to stir up a church to change so much that it becomes unfamiliar with the church it once was. Stirring up preserves the best of what we already are, the best of the tradition our church embodies. Continuity and change are partners, not enemies.
The secret of stirring up is balance – to push people, churches and Christian institutions beyond the comfort zone without breaking continuity with the past. Balance requires us to expand our vision of discipleship, not change it entirely; to enlarge our capacity to know and obey God, not swing periodically from one extreme to the other.
(159)
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Practice, practice, practice
John wants to play golf with his dad. Last fall, he received a set of kid’s clubs. So last fall, we started hitting balls together. I thought it would involve lots of instruction as I helped John learn to hit a golf ball. I learned there would be no instruction. He just wanted to hit the balls. He was not interested in any instruction. It was (and is) very hard for me not to try and help him. I want to teach him how to align his feet, hold the club, keep his head down, etc. He just wants me to be present and quiet. Well, not just quiet, because when he hits a good shot, he wants me to affirm him in hitting a good shot.
Now that spring is arriving, John doesn’t just want to hit balls, he wants to play golf. This presents a dilemma because few courses (if any) allow a child his age on the course to play. But it also raises the internal challenge in me because John doesn’t know how to play. He doesn’t know all there is to know about playing golf. Who does, by the way? I anticipate a very frustrating experience for me as I “golf” with him. Will he receive instruction? Will he obey the rules? Will we play so slow that we’ll get kicked off the course anyway? Can he last 9 holes?
It reminds me of how we learn something. John wants to play golf, so he thinks the best way to learn is to play golf. He doesn’t want instruction. He wants a club and a ball and a course and his dad to take him.
So often we see learning as what happens in the classroom. We sit and listen to someone who knows what they are talking about. They impart information to us. We learn. We acquire the information and it becomes ours. It is often what happens on Sunday mornings. The preacher preaches and the people learn something new.
But learning is incomplete if it just involves the acquisition of information. We have to apply what we’ve learned. Whether it’s using the multiplication tables we’ve memorized to figure out how much it will cost to buy mulch or putting the letters of the alphabet together to form and pronounce words or keeping my head down when I actually swing the club, we have to apply what we’ve gained in our minds to the actions we take.
I’m learning that learning is often a process with three important components – information, practice, reflect.
Let’s use John and golf as an example. We tell John how to hold and swing the club to hit the ball. He acquires new information. Has he learned how to hit the ball? Yes, he knows how in his mind. He could repeat back the information. Then he practices. He actually grabs the club, swings it, and attempts to hit the ball. He actually practices the information he’s acquired. Then he reflects. Did he hit the ball? Did it go very far? What did he learn in actually doing what he was told to do? Repeat. He receives more instruction (information) about aligning his feet and keeping his head down. He practices holding the club, swinging, after aligning his feet and keeping his head down. Now he reflects. Did I hit the ball? How far did it go? Did I improve on what I did last time? Why did I improve? Repeat. On and on the process of learning goes. We don’t think through this process; it’s just natural.
But somewhere along the way, the church has lost sight of the need for practice and reflection. We are good at telling each other what to do, but whether or not there is any practice or reflection, we don’t know.
You can hear thousands of sermons. You can read thousands of books. You can have all the information and know how to do anything. But it means almost nothing if it’s not put into practice. Do you know how to pray and why we pray? Does that matter if you don’t pray? Do you know the Bible and could quote chapter and verse? Does that matter if you don’t put it into practice? Do you know how to love your spouse? Do you put it into practice?
You see one of the issues which hold us back from practice is that we expect mastery immediately. Or because we’re not very good at it, we stop trying. That’s what practice is for! John will not master golf – ever, but he can grow and learn and enjoy the game of golf. Another reason we hesitate is because we care too much what people think. If I practice and don’t look good, what will people think?
We all need practice. None of us have mastery in following Jesus Christ. But we cannot be content because we know what to do. We have to live into His life. We have to try. We have to do what He tells us to do. We have to practice and reflect as we learn. Because isn’t it true that John is not going to learn golf because I tell him how to do it? He is going to learn to golf by playing – by practicing – by growing through the experience.
Are you putting into practice what you know? It is time for practice. Practice, practice, practice.
Be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act – they will be blessed in their doing. James 1:22-25
Now that spring is arriving, John doesn’t just want to hit balls, he wants to play golf. This presents a dilemma because few courses (if any) allow a child his age on the course to play. But it also raises the internal challenge in me because John doesn’t know how to play. He doesn’t know all there is to know about playing golf. Who does, by the way? I anticipate a very frustrating experience for me as I “golf” with him. Will he receive instruction? Will he obey the rules? Will we play so slow that we’ll get kicked off the course anyway? Can he last 9 holes?
It reminds me of how we learn something. John wants to play golf, so he thinks the best way to learn is to play golf. He doesn’t want instruction. He wants a club and a ball and a course and his dad to take him.
So often we see learning as what happens in the classroom. We sit and listen to someone who knows what they are talking about. They impart information to us. We learn. We acquire the information and it becomes ours. It is often what happens on Sunday mornings. The preacher preaches and the people learn something new.
But learning is incomplete if it just involves the acquisition of information. We have to apply what we’ve learned. Whether it’s using the multiplication tables we’ve memorized to figure out how much it will cost to buy mulch or putting the letters of the alphabet together to form and pronounce words or keeping my head down when I actually swing the club, we have to apply what we’ve gained in our minds to the actions we take.
I’m learning that learning is often a process with three important components – information, practice, reflect.
Let’s use John and golf as an example. We tell John how to hold and swing the club to hit the ball. He acquires new information. Has he learned how to hit the ball? Yes, he knows how in his mind. He could repeat back the information. Then he practices. He actually grabs the club, swings it, and attempts to hit the ball. He actually practices the information he’s acquired. Then he reflects. Did he hit the ball? Did it go very far? What did he learn in actually doing what he was told to do? Repeat. He receives more instruction (information) about aligning his feet and keeping his head down. He practices holding the club, swinging, after aligning his feet and keeping his head down. Now he reflects. Did I hit the ball? How far did it go? Did I improve on what I did last time? Why did I improve? Repeat. On and on the process of learning goes. We don’t think through this process; it’s just natural.
But somewhere along the way, the church has lost sight of the need for practice and reflection. We are good at telling each other what to do, but whether or not there is any practice or reflection, we don’t know.
You can hear thousands of sermons. You can read thousands of books. You can have all the information and know how to do anything. But it means almost nothing if it’s not put into practice. Do you know how to pray and why we pray? Does that matter if you don’t pray? Do you know the Bible and could quote chapter and verse? Does that matter if you don’t put it into practice? Do you know how to love your spouse? Do you put it into practice?
You see one of the issues which hold us back from practice is that we expect mastery immediately. Or because we’re not very good at it, we stop trying. That’s what practice is for! John will not master golf – ever, but he can grow and learn and enjoy the game of golf. Another reason we hesitate is because we care too much what people think. If I practice and don’t look good, what will people think?
We all need practice. None of us have mastery in following Jesus Christ. But we cannot be content because we know what to do. We have to live into His life. We have to try. We have to do what He tells us to do. We have to practice and reflect as we learn. Because isn’t it true that John is not going to learn golf because I tell him how to do it? He is going to learn to golf by playing – by practicing – by growing through the experience.
Are you putting into practice what you know? It is time for practice. Practice, practice, practice.
Be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act – they will be blessed in their doing. James 1:22-25
Monday, April 27, 2009
Joseph & Joseph - A Journey of Hope
(Top picture: James, Joseph, Joseph, Isaac)
(Bottom picture: Joseph, Isaac, Joseph, James)
I met Joseph on the streets of Nairobi in November of 2007. He’d been on the streets for 8 years which means he started on the streets (on his own) at age 7. I shared his story at church on December 28th, 2008.
With the passion and effort of Breann Winnell, Heart for Africa decided to help Joseph if we could raise support for the Tumaini Children’s Home in Kenya.
At the same time, Isaac and James, two students at Tumaini, beg David (Heart for Africa social worker at Tumaini) to go and find Joseph and take him off the street. Isaac and James were friends with Joseph when they lived on the street.
On March 15, Jan Biddick and Breann Winnell invite the church to help sponsor the children at Tumaini Children’s Home. That same day, David Kariuki, social worker at the Children’s Home decides to go and see if he can find Joseph on the streets of Nairobi.
On April 6th, I receive an email indicating that David has not been able to find Joseph because the police have recently swept the streets of kids. They are either thrown into jail or herded out of town.
David has not been able to locate Joseph. He said that Nairobi police have been “scattering” street gangs, and that he thinks Joseph may have left the city – Tumaini is on school break right now, and David is going to go to some other places he thinks Joseph might be…he will keep us posted, and asked for our continued prayers.
On April 7th, I receive the following email from Janine Maxwell, vice-president of Heart for Africa:
Today David got up at 3 AM and took James and Isaac back to Nairobi to search again for Joseph. And guess what? They found him! This truly is a miracle because there is an estimated 500,000 children living on the streets of Nairobi so this is like finding a needle in a hay stack, especially since Joseph had changed locations! Amazing grace how sweet the sound!
Joseph was hesitant to go with them. Years of street life, drugs and alcohol can really effect a child's brain, but he said he would go if his friend (also named Joseph) could go with him. David called Bishop David and he said YES! Bring them both in!
The boys are on their way to Tumaini today! Please join us in prayer for them as they go through withdrawl, fear and all the other challenges that they will face.
On April 19th, I receive another email from Janine Maxwell:
We need to join together in prayer today. Joseph and Joseph have run away from Tumaini and convinced young Isaac to go with them back to the street.
This is not unusual for street boys as they are addicted to the street, drugs, crime and it is the only life that they know. Imagine being a 15 year old boy trying to break free from drugs and having to start school in grade one or two because you can't read or write? It can be a huge challenge.
This past Sunday, April 26th, I received another email from Janine:
Praise God from whom all blessing flow! The two Joseph's and Isaac have been found and brought home to Tumaini!!
At 3:00 AM Sunday morning David got up and drove to Nairobi with James to look for the boys again. He was there 2 days last weekend, but they could not be found.
I received the news very early Sunday morning and we are so very thankful for all of your prayers. I don't have many details yet, but will share them as they come. I specifically asked how Isaac was doing as he had been sober for 1 1/2 years. David said he was dead drunk and badly beaten, but he is home. Remember, he is now 12 years old.
The journey goes on.
Two reasons to share this story: First, please pray for Joseph and Joseph and Isaac that they would be set free from street life and experience the gift of God’s love and grace at Tumaini.
Second, it reminds me of how easily I settle for street life. How easy it is to go back to what is easy and familiar. And like Isaac, when we choose to go back to the street, we get hurt and we hurt others. It is a journey – this life. We each need help as we seek to walk God’s path and stop being drawn down our own.
With the passion and effort of Breann Winnell, Heart for Africa decided to help Joseph if we could raise support for the Tumaini Children’s Home in Kenya.
At the same time, Isaac and James, two students at Tumaini, beg David (Heart for Africa social worker at Tumaini) to go and find Joseph and take him off the street. Isaac and James were friends with Joseph when they lived on the street.
On March 15, Jan Biddick and Breann Winnell invite the church to help sponsor the children at Tumaini Children’s Home. That same day, David Kariuki, social worker at the Children’s Home decides to go and see if he can find Joseph on the streets of Nairobi.
On April 6th, I receive an email indicating that David has not been able to find Joseph because the police have recently swept the streets of kids. They are either thrown into jail or herded out of town.
David has not been able to locate Joseph. He said that Nairobi police have been “scattering” street gangs, and that he thinks Joseph may have left the city – Tumaini is on school break right now, and David is going to go to some other places he thinks Joseph might be…he will keep us posted, and asked for our continued prayers.
On April 7th, I receive the following email from Janine Maxwell, vice-president of Heart for Africa:
Today David got up at 3 AM and took James and Isaac back to Nairobi to search again for Joseph. And guess what? They found him! This truly is a miracle because there is an estimated 500,000 children living on the streets of Nairobi so this is like finding a needle in a hay stack, especially since Joseph had changed locations! Amazing grace how sweet the sound!
Joseph was hesitant to go with them. Years of street life, drugs and alcohol can really effect a child's brain, but he said he would go if his friend (also named Joseph) could go with him. David called Bishop David and he said YES! Bring them both in!
The boys are on their way to Tumaini today! Please join us in prayer for them as they go through withdrawl, fear and all the other challenges that they will face.
On April 19th, I receive another email from Janine Maxwell:
We need to join together in prayer today. Joseph and Joseph have run away from Tumaini and convinced young Isaac to go with them back to the street.
This is not unusual for street boys as they are addicted to the street, drugs, crime and it is the only life that they know. Imagine being a 15 year old boy trying to break free from drugs and having to start school in grade one or two because you can't read or write? It can be a huge challenge.
This past Sunday, April 26th, I received another email from Janine:
Praise God from whom all blessing flow! The two Joseph's and Isaac have been found and brought home to Tumaini!!
At 3:00 AM Sunday morning David got up and drove to Nairobi with James to look for the boys again. He was there 2 days last weekend, but they could not be found.
I received the news very early Sunday morning and we are so very thankful for all of your prayers. I don't have many details yet, but will share them as they come. I specifically asked how Isaac was doing as he had been sober for 1 1/2 years. David said he was dead drunk and badly beaten, but he is home. Remember, he is now 12 years old.
The journey goes on.
Two reasons to share this story: First, please pray for Joseph and Joseph and Isaac that they would be set free from street life and experience the gift of God’s love and grace at Tumaini.
Second, it reminds me of how easily I settle for street life. How easy it is to go back to what is easy and familiar. And like Isaac, when we choose to go back to the street, we get hurt and we hurt others. It is a journey – this life. We each need help as we seek to walk God’s path and stop being drawn down our own.
For more information on how you can help, go to Heart for Africa's website: http://www.heartforafrica.org/
Be Subject to One Another - Sittser
The following quotes come from Gerald L. Sittser’s book, Love One Another (2008).
. . . God . . . intends human relationships to be healthy, harmonious and whole so that, regardless of the positions we occupy in the social order, we will not be aware of who is leading and who is following, who has the most power and who has the least.
Mutual subjection is God’s way of nurturing harmony in a discordant world, unity in broken relationships, healing in a sick society and love in a divided church. It is applicable to imperfect people – like you and me – who belong to imperfect families, work imperfect jobs, participate in imperfect organizations, belong to imperfect churches and live in an imperfect world. It shows us how to function in communities that have tension and conflict running through them. It addresses people who are not married to the ideal spouse, who are not parents of ideal children, who are not members of ideal churches, and who do not have ideal jobs, colleagues, and bosses. Mutual subjection takes the world as it is, not as we want or expect it to be. It requires us to surrender ourselves to God, discerning how we can do his will in circumstances that are less than ideal.
(38)
To be subject to one another implies that we choose to order our lives under the circumstances, relationships, and roles in which we find ourselves. . . In essence, to be subject to one another implies that we acknowledge the necessity of social order, accept our place within it, and transform the social order through the power of radical obedience and sacrificial love.
(40)
Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:21
First, (this) command is addressed to everyone.
Paul requires that those who occupy dominant positions in the social order be subject to their subordinates; they are to order their lives under the very people over whom they exercise authority.
(42)
Second, how we obey this command depends upon the particular position we occupy within the social order.
The greater responsibility, however, appears to be imposed on those who occupy dominant positions. Paul commands husbands, fathers, masters, leaders and pastors to imitate Christ, who gave his life for sinners, though he had every right to assert power over them.
Third, mutual subjection appears to correct the natural abuses that occur within the social order, though without abolishing the social order itself.
(43)
. . . all Christians are to be subject to one another “out of reverence for Christ” or “as to the Lord.” Paul adds this qualification for two reasons. First, he wants to remind us that the Son of God himself became subject to us, sinners though we are, all for the sake of our salvation. . .
Though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death –
even death on a cross.
Philippians 2:6-8
. . . Second, he want to assure us that Jesus Christ is now Lord over all.
Subjection puts our rights and privileges at risk, which, considering the values of modern society, might seem foolish. But our subjection is ultimately to Jesus Christ, not to a human being or to a human institution.
(45-46)
Subjection therefore requires us to trust in the sovereignty of God. If we insist on perfect people and circumstances before we become subject, then of course we will never learn subjection. We will be forever waiting for the world to be conformed to our wishes rather than allowing God to use the world, however imperfect, to conform us to his wishes.
It is possible to be subject even when we choose to disobey those in authority over us, provided we challenge their authority in a spirit of subjection, honoring the person and position, though not necessarily their policies.
(47)
. . . God . . . intends human relationships to be healthy, harmonious and whole so that, regardless of the positions we occupy in the social order, we will not be aware of who is leading and who is following, who has the most power and who has the least.
Mutual subjection is God’s way of nurturing harmony in a discordant world, unity in broken relationships, healing in a sick society and love in a divided church. It is applicable to imperfect people – like you and me – who belong to imperfect families, work imperfect jobs, participate in imperfect organizations, belong to imperfect churches and live in an imperfect world. It shows us how to function in communities that have tension and conflict running through them. It addresses people who are not married to the ideal spouse, who are not parents of ideal children, who are not members of ideal churches, and who do not have ideal jobs, colleagues, and bosses. Mutual subjection takes the world as it is, not as we want or expect it to be. It requires us to surrender ourselves to God, discerning how we can do his will in circumstances that are less than ideal.
(38)
To be subject to one another implies that we choose to order our lives under the circumstances, relationships, and roles in which we find ourselves. . . In essence, to be subject to one another implies that we acknowledge the necessity of social order, accept our place within it, and transform the social order through the power of radical obedience and sacrificial love.
(40)
Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:21
First, (this) command is addressed to everyone.
Paul requires that those who occupy dominant positions in the social order be subject to their subordinates; they are to order their lives under the very people over whom they exercise authority.
(42)
Second, how we obey this command depends upon the particular position we occupy within the social order.
The greater responsibility, however, appears to be imposed on those who occupy dominant positions. Paul commands husbands, fathers, masters, leaders and pastors to imitate Christ, who gave his life for sinners, though he had every right to assert power over them.
Third, mutual subjection appears to correct the natural abuses that occur within the social order, though without abolishing the social order itself.
(43)
. . . all Christians are to be subject to one another “out of reverence for Christ” or “as to the Lord.” Paul adds this qualification for two reasons. First, he wants to remind us that the Son of God himself became subject to us, sinners though we are, all for the sake of our salvation. . .
Though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death –
even death on a cross.
Philippians 2:6-8
. . . Second, he want to assure us that Jesus Christ is now Lord over all.
Subjection puts our rights and privileges at risk, which, considering the values of modern society, might seem foolish. But our subjection is ultimately to Jesus Christ, not to a human being or to a human institution.
(45-46)
Subjection therefore requires us to trust in the sovereignty of God. If we insist on perfect people and circumstances before we become subject, then of course we will never learn subjection. We will be forever waiting for the world to be conformed to our wishes rather than allowing God to use the world, however imperfect, to conform us to his wishes.
It is possible to be subject even when we choose to disobey those in authority over us, provided we challenge their authority in a spirit of subjection, honoring the person and position, though not necessarily their policies.
(47)
Thursday, April 23, 2009
The Way of Life
Our situation, say the Greek Fathers, is like that of the Israelite people in the desert of Sinai: we live in tents, not houses, for spiritually we are always on the move. We are on a journey through the inward space of the heart, a journey not measured by the hours of our watch or the days of the calendar, for it is a journey out of time into eternity.
. . . Christianity is more than a theory about the universe, more than teachings written down on paper; it is a path along which we journey – in the deepest and richest sense, the way of life.
There is only one means of discovering the true nature of Christianity. We must step out upon this path, commit ourselves to this way of life, and then we shall begin to see for ourselves. So long as we remain outside, we cannot properly understand. Certainly we need to be given directions before we start; we need to be told what signposts to look out for, and we need to have companions. Indeed, without guidance from others it is scarcely possible to begin the journey. But directions given by others can never convey to us what the way is actually like; they cannot be a substitute for direct, personal experience. Each is called to verify for himself what he has been taught, each is required to re-live the Tradition he has received. . . No one can be an armchair traveler on this all-important journey. No one can be a Christian at second hand. God has children, but he has no grandchildren.
. . . Christianity is more than a theory about the universe, more than teachings written down on paper; it is a path along which we journey – in the deepest and richest sense, the way of life.
There is only one means of discovering the true nature of Christianity. We must step out upon this path, commit ourselves to this way of life, and then we shall begin to see for ourselves. So long as we remain outside, we cannot properly understand. Certainly we need to be given directions before we start; we need to be told what signposts to look out for, and we need to have companions. Indeed, without guidance from others it is scarcely possible to begin the journey. But directions given by others can never convey to us what the way is actually like; they cannot be a substitute for direct, personal experience. Each is called to verify for himself what he has been taught, each is required to re-live the Tradition he has received. . . No one can be an armchair traveler on this all-important journey. No one can be a Christian at second hand. God has children, but he has no grandchildren.
(from the Orthodox Way by Kallistos Ware in Disciplines for the Inner Life by Bob Benson and Michael Benson (1989). Deeper Life Press, p. 25-26.)
Christianity is not just a way to think. It is a way to live. It is not simply something we assent to in our minds; it is seen in every aspect of our lives. We choose each day to live our way or His way. It is a choice revealed in our actions much more than our words.
One of the most important choices I am making to live His way is to spend time with Him. This has been a struggle for me since day one of this journey with Jesus. But I am learning to start there. Instead of trying to do His work, I am seeking to let Him change me. That will not happen if I spend my life trying to live for Him at the expense of living with Him. There is no gimmick or substitute to replace time with God. To live His way is to live with Him.
We want instant results – instant change, instant peace, instant answers, etc. But God’s work on us is more like what we see each spring. If you stare at a tree, it doesn’t seem like anything is happening. But if you keep looking over the course of days and weeks, you begin to see growth. First, there’s buds. They grow. Then you see blossoms or leaves beginning to come. Growth. Fruit. It takes time, but when you plant yourself in God’s presence, growth and fruit are inevitable.
If you want to follow the Way, you have to spend time with the one who knows the Way . . . oh yeah, who IS the Way.
And then and only then, is it well with our soul.
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
“It is well, it is well with my soul.”
Though Satan should buffet, tho’ trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin – oh, the bliss of this glorious tho’t –
My sin – not in part, but the whole –
Is nailed to His cross and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, o my soul!
And, Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend.
“Even so” – it is well with my soul.
It is well – with my soul.
It is well,
It is well with my soul.
H.G. Spafford
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Nervous Water
It’s a fishing term. It is especially applicable to those who fish by sight, who look for fish in the water and then cast to them. This is not a common type of fishing up north. We fish blind. We throw a lure or bait in the water and hope a fish will come along and hop on our line.
I was taught (briefly) how to look for nervous water when I went bonefishing in the Florida Keys a long, long time ago. A friend of mine and I had saved our pennies because we wanted to go fishing with a guide in the Keys. When we arrived, our guide started to talk about nervous water – being able to see a fish under the water. Mind you, this is on the ocean so being able to pinpoint changes on the water’s surface when there is unending surface was no easy task. He taught us how to do this, because he said if we can’t see fish, we won’t catch them.
I’ve just encountered that same term, but with a whole different meaning. It actually has to do with relationships and church life. In essence, I learned that good leaders can spot nervous water in the lives of others and in the life of a congregation. But good leaders not only can spot nervous water, they know how to act and react when it comes.
Nervous water means anxiety. Anxiety is inevitable when there is more than one person in the room. And as we all well know, anxiety is inevitable in the life of a church. First, it is important to understand that anxiety is not bad, at least the anxiety I want to talk about. A good example of something that almost always causes nervous water (anxiety) is change. We just changed the bulletin here at CRC and that has led to nervous water. For some, it has been a difficult change and as a result their anxiety levels have increased substantially.
Once again, I come back to the fact that anxiety is not bad. It is not bad or wrong that someone feels anxious about the change we’ve made in the bulletin. If we start judging those who become anxious, then all of us are in trouble. Anxiety is often good and helps us to grow. It pushes us out of what is comfortable and exposes us to new experiences, ideas, etc.
But the challenge comes in how we handle our anxiety. When there is nervous water somewhere in my vicinity, it stirs my own water. Another way I’ve heard this described is ‘vibrating.’
Example 1
A person comes to church on Sunday and sits down in their pew and opens the new bulletin. They don’t like it. It is unfamiliar and they start to vibrate (feel anxious). This affects their spouse sitting next to them even if words aren’t spoken. After church, as they talk with people in the coffee hour, their anxiousness affects those they talk with – some of whom may already be experiencing their own anxiousness with the bulletin or something else going on in their head or heart.
Example 2
A group of women are sitting having coffee. One of the women starts to talk about her concerns with homeschooling. Another woman in the group, who happens to homeschool, begins to vibrate on the inside. One of her friends, who was also there, begins to vibrate, too. The whole group may not understand what is taking place within the group, but they can all feel it.
It’s easy to try and determine how others should handle their anxiety. We are good at giving advice or even judging how others should change. But the truth is the only person I can change is me. It’s easy to blame and judge those who don’t agree or who have their “issues,” but that does not help to deal with the real anxiety people are experiencing.
Remember, anxiety opens the door to growth. It can be a very helpful and important experience for relationships to grow, but it can also lead to anger, fractures, name-calling, judging, and a host of other completely unproductive responses. It is amazing how quickly a discussion about opinions becomes incredibly personal. We move from talking about what we think to feeling attacked or desiring to attack.
I am learning to recognize my own nervous water – anxiety. I am learning to see when it begins to well up inside of me. Too often, I just react, which never goes well. Now I am learning to step back, try and calm down, and seek to reflect upon what is behind all the emotion I am feeling. What is really going on? Because so often, the level of emotion I feel does not fit whatever has triggered it. I feel more than I should. Well, that means there is more under the surface that I need to consider.
One of the quotes that I keep coming back to regarding this discussion has to do with our propensity to avoid our part in the problem. Jim Herrington says in The Leader’s Journey, “Thinking that the problem is out there somewhere actually is the problem.” (50) When there is anxiety between two people, both are responsible. When there is anxiety within your family, all are responsible. Not all are equally responsible, but the only person you can really change is you.
I think of how many wives/husbands have attempted to change their spouse. They’ve criticized, manipulated, bargained, begged, etc. and have found none to work, because it won’t. But a husband or wife that is changing/growing/learning, etc., is a person who can truly help bring change within a broken system. They won’t change another person, but because they are changing, it inevitably changes the system/environment the spouse lives in.
If you want to see your family change, you need to change. If you want to see your marriage change, you need to change. How we are able to step back in the midst of anxiety and avoid simply reacting is a transformational way in which change happens.
I was taught (briefly) how to look for nervous water when I went bonefishing in the Florida Keys a long, long time ago. A friend of mine and I had saved our pennies because we wanted to go fishing with a guide in the Keys. When we arrived, our guide started to talk about nervous water – being able to see a fish under the water. Mind you, this is on the ocean so being able to pinpoint changes on the water’s surface when there is unending surface was no easy task. He taught us how to do this, because he said if we can’t see fish, we won’t catch them.
I’ve just encountered that same term, but with a whole different meaning. It actually has to do with relationships and church life. In essence, I learned that good leaders can spot nervous water in the lives of others and in the life of a congregation. But good leaders not only can spot nervous water, they know how to act and react when it comes.
Nervous water means anxiety. Anxiety is inevitable when there is more than one person in the room. And as we all well know, anxiety is inevitable in the life of a church. First, it is important to understand that anxiety is not bad, at least the anxiety I want to talk about. A good example of something that almost always causes nervous water (anxiety) is change. We just changed the bulletin here at CRC and that has led to nervous water. For some, it has been a difficult change and as a result their anxiety levels have increased substantially.
Once again, I come back to the fact that anxiety is not bad. It is not bad or wrong that someone feels anxious about the change we’ve made in the bulletin. If we start judging those who become anxious, then all of us are in trouble. Anxiety is often good and helps us to grow. It pushes us out of what is comfortable and exposes us to new experiences, ideas, etc.
But the challenge comes in how we handle our anxiety. When there is nervous water somewhere in my vicinity, it stirs my own water. Another way I’ve heard this described is ‘vibrating.’
Example 1
A person comes to church on Sunday and sits down in their pew and opens the new bulletin. They don’t like it. It is unfamiliar and they start to vibrate (feel anxious). This affects their spouse sitting next to them even if words aren’t spoken. After church, as they talk with people in the coffee hour, their anxiousness affects those they talk with – some of whom may already be experiencing their own anxiousness with the bulletin or something else going on in their head or heart.
Example 2
A group of women are sitting having coffee. One of the women starts to talk about her concerns with homeschooling. Another woman in the group, who happens to homeschool, begins to vibrate on the inside. One of her friends, who was also there, begins to vibrate, too. The whole group may not understand what is taking place within the group, but they can all feel it.
It’s easy to try and determine how others should handle their anxiety. We are good at giving advice or even judging how others should change. But the truth is the only person I can change is me. It’s easy to blame and judge those who don’t agree or who have their “issues,” but that does not help to deal with the real anxiety people are experiencing.
Remember, anxiety opens the door to growth. It can be a very helpful and important experience for relationships to grow, but it can also lead to anger, fractures, name-calling, judging, and a host of other completely unproductive responses. It is amazing how quickly a discussion about opinions becomes incredibly personal. We move from talking about what we think to feeling attacked or desiring to attack.
I am learning to recognize my own nervous water – anxiety. I am learning to see when it begins to well up inside of me. Too often, I just react, which never goes well. Now I am learning to step back, try and calm down, and seek to reflect upon what is behind all the emotion I am feeling. What is really going on? Because so often, the level of emotion I feel does not fit whatever has triggered it. I feel more than I should. Well, that means there is more under the surface that I need to consider.
One of the quotes that I keep coming back to regarding this discussion has to do with our propensity to avoid our part in the problem. Jim Herrington says in The Leader’s Journey, “Thinking that the problem is out there somewhere actually is the problem.” (50) When there is anxiety between two people, both are responsible. When there is anxiety within your family, all are responsible. Not all are equally responsible, but the only person you can really change is you.
I think of how many wives/husbands have attempted to change their spouse. They’ve criticized, manipulated, bargained, begged, etc. and have found none to work, because it won’t. But a husband or wife that is changing/growing/learning, etc., is a person who can truly help bring change within a broken system. They won’t change another person, but because they are changing, it inevitably changes the system/environment the spouse lives in.
If you want to see your family change, you need to change. If you want to see your marriage change, you need to change. How we are able to step back in the midst of anxiety and avoid simply reacting is a transformational way in which change happens.
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