I believe it to be a grave mistake to present Christianity as something charming and popular with no offense in it…We cannot blink the fact that gentle Jesus meek and mild was so stiff in His opinions and so inflammatory in His language that He was thrown out of church, stoned, hunted from place to place, and finally gibbeted as a firebrand and a public danger. Whatever His peace was, it was not the peace of an amiable indifference.
“We know that not only is the Sabbath meant for refreshment, but it is also a much deeper, grander sign of our need for spiritual rest. Back in Exodus 31, God called the Sabbath an “eternal sign.” He created it-along with many other things-as a reminder of our need for Him.”
Mark Early quoted in Breakpoint Radio Program 3/18/2008
Some of the most encouraging feedback I have received in awhile was on my recent post Sacred Rhythm. It has been good feedback, but I missed something all together in the discussion on it. I neglected the rhythm that comes from having a Sabbath rest. Not only is it important, it is a mandate from God. We are told to “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Ex 20:8 NIV)
God intends His creation to have rest. He knows that when we do not build in a day of rest we begin to disconnect from relationships, from nature, from family, and ultimately from God. Rest is good. It is contrary to our human nature and therefore we must make effort to do it. I know all I want to do is be a doer, and a doer, and a giver, and a doer. But I also know that I do no one any favors after doing that for a few weeks without a break. I am not very fun to be around.
Hebrews 4 10-11 reminds us that not resting is a sin. God took a Sabbath, and so should we. “For anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.” I do not think that too many Pastors are picking up on this and reminding their parishioners to remember to rest. Most rest we take is out of obedience to our bodies (sleeping) and sometimes a little time in the evening.
More and more people, religious or not, are recognizing the value in including a Sabbath in their week. Just setting aside a day to put the phone down, to spend time with family, and to go about building relationships with friends and family. I believe this is the kind of rest that makes God happy. I want to know God is happy in my life. I know I disappoint him way to much.
I believe that the model for Sabbath that God put forward is a good one. When He says on the 7th day God rested, we should set aside a day every 7 days to rest. I do not believe this means that it has to be a Sunday. In fact, for anyone involved in church work I do not think they are really having a Sabbath; they are working their tails off. I also believe people such as police officers and in other positions that require them to work during the weekends are to still Sabbath, although on a different day.
We are built by our creator, we commune with Him in His creation, and we commune with him in our bodies, and in our spirits, and in our minds. We are patterned after our creator (Imago dei) and our creator rests. Therefore, we need to do the same. We are image bearers of the King. As such, we need to nurture the image we have and stay in tune to the King, and none other.
O.K., here is the story. I will make it quick.
I love the ministry of Thru the Bible Radio and J. Vernon McGee. He died in 1988 but he still is on the radio reading through the whole bible in 5 years and providing insight and commentary. It is a wonderful ministry.
I have wanted a commentary set on the bible written by him. It is a 5 volume set and it is a little bit pricy on my limited means. I prayed about it a few years ago, but thought nothing more of it. My life has moved forward without it and I have found on line sources and commentaries for my writing in the meanwhile.
This morning I walked into the break room to put my lunch away and lo and behold a whole commentary set was sitting on a table. Better yet, the words FREE were written on a sheet of paper in front of them. Yes my friends, God is good. I snagged those books faster then a red neck grabs his beer before going into the tornado shelter.
God is so very, very good. He knows what I need, and when I need it and how. I should never fret, even though I do a lot.
God did the same thing for me many years ago. When I was in high school I read a book called Primary Purpose by the now defrocked Ted Haggard. I prayed to one day experience him and his church. 5 years later I was working in Colorado Springs, newly married and worshiping in his church when God said “remember that prayer?”
It is so great the way the Holy Spirit works. We pray for something, and unless we are just truly longing for it we after a time forget it until God says “remember when?”.
I wonder what else He has in store for me. Time will tell, and I am ready!
“…cyberspace is a vast and virtual public meeting place where one can encounter
the contents of peoples minds and the purposes in their hearts. Cyberspace,
in other words, is the town hall of the global village”
Lou Marinoff quoted in
The Middle Way, Finding Happiness in a Word of Extremes Pg 357
Today I feel like the pottery in this picture. There is a lot of me there, some sharp, some dull, some colorful and some monochrome. None of the chards are coming together to make much sense or to be of much use to anyone. Today I am a mess. Today I am but shards of pottery strewn about the floor of the craftsman’s floor waiting to be discarded, never to be found again until such time an archeologist figures out that my life is interesting and comes and digs up the remaining pieces.
I am uncomfortable today because I have been looking at the pieces of my life and asking God “what is the meta narrative here?” What direction am I and my family headed? Are you listening God? Are you there God, it’s me Carl? I am asking you what you want with this broken vessel. I have denied you, I have been polyamorous with my heart, I am nothing but a prostitute to this world, why do you want me Lord? I have nothing to offer to you Lord; I have nothing to share that is of any value to you. My past, my present all do not add up to much. Really they just add up to pain and suffering for you and for me. Maybe you should just leave me. Let me suffer here broken and alone.
As a person prone to manic depressive states this is a low one for me. I am not a head case (at least I don’t think so) but I do have very distinct up swings and down swings in my emotional and physical well being. I know that it is nothing but spiritual warfare and that Satan is dancing all over me trying to get me down to the point of destruction. Well, that won’t happen. God is light and he is love and I know he is here even in the lows. Thank God that he does not just pick up and leave when the thoughts and meditations of my mind and heart turn raunchy and putrid. His grace is clearly sufficient and all that I need.
Something that potters in the times of Jesus did that I found to be utterly fascinating is they used to take broken pieces of pottery, much as the ones that are above, and graft them into new pieces of pottery. Archaeologists are finding all sorts of pottery that is nothing much more then hundreds of pieces of pottery all put back together in a new form. All the potter did was provide the cohesion for all the pieces. He added pieces of new clay and applied just the right heat to make just the right molecules heat up to the point that they were new again.
I love what Paul has to say in Romans 9 20-21 “But who are you, O man, to talk back to God?”Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” 21Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? As the master potter puts together the clay he uses some for noble purpose, and some for common purpose. But a piece of pottery that was once used in something common like a cup can find itself reused as a piece for a platter used to serve a king. Man I love that thought.
God is the heat that is applied to my life to bond me with other pieces of pottery. You are a piece of that pottery, I am a piece of that pottery, this blogging community that is getting more and more tight knit is all made of these pieces of pottery. We are all more connected and entwined in each others lives then we can even know this side of heaven.
In the end, what are left is God’s people, His church, and we are a perfect vessel ready to go to work for God. We have to be careful that we stay in cohesion with one another in all things. My little piece, and your little piece, and the little pieces of others lives come together to make something truly beautiful, we are a vessel at the feet of a King.
Dr. Michael Egnor has written a wonderful piece over at godandscience.org about patients who are in a “persistent vegitative state” and whether or not they actually are as science would describe them. I highly recommend reading the article here. It is not terribly technical and is an excellent apologetic from a person inside the medical field on end of life issues. I have watched research and development in this area ever since the infamous Terri Schiavo case a few years ago. I feel Christians need to weigh in on this more, with more vigor and with more education about the facts.
Oh yes. If you can not appreciate the rhythm and the call and response in this piece you need to check your pulse. I can close my eyes and imagine a slave in the 1800′s singing this song as they worked themselves to the bone, signaling other slaves how to arrive at freedom’s gate. Just let the visuals take you along for a ride, it is well worth it.
Compassion and Competition do not belong together. If ever there were two terms that need to stay as far as the east is from the west from each other, these words are it. I am speaking of the new show Oprah aired last night where she gives contestants an assignment, they go and raise as much money as possible for the person or cause they are assigned to and submit to judging each week after they are done. I think this is terrible. the ultimate prize is one million dollars for the person who “does the most good.” Yes folks, consumption at its finest.
First, anytime a person gives with the expectation of getting something in return the money is tainted. It would be like a pastor who is trying to stimulate tithing by telling the congregation that if they tithe for 3 months (verifiable with pay stubs) that they will be entered into a raffle at the end of the time for a new car. The disposition of the heart is in the wrong place from the word go. When you are giving in order to get something you are not being compassionate, you are being selfish.
Second, to be truly compassionate in your giving you give to a cause or a person that you support because you have some sort of relationship with them. In other words, you have an investment in seeing them prosper. In this show Oprah assigns them to a specific task or family. I am not saying that a person can not become emotionally involved with the cause, but add this to point # 1 and you have a recipie for a self centered person who does not have the eye on the goal…they have an eye on the money and on thrashing the competition.
In a consumer driven economy where the ultimate goal is to provide goods and services at the best price while making the best money this type of thing works. The Free Market Economy is a beautiful thing, but compassion and giving do not belong in such a paradigm.
I do have one good thing to say, and I hope this prediction is true. I think people, ordinary Joe and Dianes will watch this show and a few of them will be inspired to do something great for their neighbor, or for a worthy cause. Just as the mega hit Extreme Home Makeover has triggered many home makeovers (without all the cameras and fanfare) I think this show has the same potential. Only time will tell.
O.K., Amy just came and kicked the soap box out from under my feet, I guess that means I am done. I will now go back to my corner cube in the cubicle jungle and hopefully lend some inspiration to donors to give to my employer. I guarantee I will not be handing out a million dollars though.
Sorry, writing has been a little light. I have a few writing projects and thoughts in the hopper, but when I write them it is nothing much more then verb vomit. That is usually a good sign that I am partially at writers block. I will get through it, bear with me.
