The loss of the ability to hear - what is commonly referred to as "being hard of hearing" - is a physical trait found in my biological family. I observed it in my grandfather, uncle, and brother. These family members are like many in our culture who lose the ability to hear. Thankfully, hearing aids can help address hearing loss in many cases.
The inability to hear is a common metaphor in scripture. It refers to a spiritual condition in which a person cannot recognize or embrace spiritual truth. Jesus, quoting the call experience of the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 6:9-10), identified this condition in many of the people who listened to him teach (Matthew 13:13-15). It was almost as if they refused to hear the truths he proclaimed. It spoke of them as a hard path that the seed of truth could not penetrate. Isaiah, too, preached to a people who did not want to hear what he had to say.
Jesus identified their hearing problem as a heart problem. "This people's heart has grown dull and their ears hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn" (Matthew 13:15). Jesus observed that the people's heart had become dull - meaning insensitive, callous, unresponsive. Their unresponsive heart resulted in ears that couldn't hear. The condition of the heart impacted what they were able to hear and see.
Jesus' words suggest this spiritual condition is chosen. It was, Jesus said, as though they consciously shut their eyes so they would not see. The inability or refusal to hear spiritual truth is a way to avoid having to change. If they saw with their eyes and heard with their ears, Jesus said, then they would understand with their heart the spiritual truth that called them to turn - i.e., to repent, to change.
Spiritual truth is a heart issue, not a matter of the intellect (although the mind is involved). The heart recognizes spiritual truth. It resonates with truth. The heart - the interior realm - is the realm of the Spirit. The heart recognizes the Spirit's witness to spiritual truth.
The inability to hear (embrace) spiritual truth is the result of a process. The heart is naturally pliable, responsive. It was created for God and for relationship with God. The heart grows dull - insensitive, callous, unresponsive - when we repeatedly resist the Spirit's teaching ... as we cling to old, comfortable ways of thinking ... as we resist the change that spiritual truth produces.
I see a lot of evidence of this spiritual condition in today's polarized culture. On the national level, I am amazed at the overt rejection of anything that does not agree with the position someone holds. News reports are rejected as fake news. Scientific study is rejected as a ploy used to deceive, manipulate and control. Medical advice for dealing with the COVID pandemic is rejected as a violation of personal rights. People are demonized so that their opinion is discounted and outright rejected. Within The UMC, we defend our positions by quoting scripture that reinforce our belief. The old saying comes to mind: "don't confuse me with facts; my mind is made up!" Or to say it another way: "don't tell me what I don't want to know."
Don't tell me anything that will require me to change.
The inability to hear and a callous heart reflect the arrogance inherent in the human condition. We want other people to adapt to us. We want reality to be on our terms. ("I don't need a mask." "I have a right to go to the beach or bar." "We shouldn't presume that a group of experts somehow knows what is best," Senator Rand Paul. "You will not die," said the serpent (Genesis 3:4).) What we want becomes reality. What we believe becomes the measure of truth. We are right so why should we change.
No wonder Jesus would often say, "Let him with ears to hear, hear" (Matthew 13:43).
Lord, give us ears to hear. Give us a heart that is responsive to you, to your Spirit, and to your truth. Give us a teachable spirit that we might learn, grow and change.
Sunday, July 5, 2020
Sunday, June 28, 2020
Jesus Rebuked Them
It's an alternate reading of Luke 9:55. That means the more modern translations omit the phrase. The NRSV, for example, simply says "But he (Jesus) turned and rebuked them" (Luke 9:55). The alternate reading is referenced in a footnote because the oldest, most reliable Greek manuscripts did not include it. It is considered an add on to the original. When a scribe was copying the original, he (and the scribes were always men) added his commentary. What he added caught my attention: But he (Jesus) rebuked them and said, "You do not know what spirit you are of for the Son of Man has not come to destroy the lives of human beings but to save them."
Jesus and the disciples were on the way to Jerusalem. But rather than taking the common route down the Jordan River, they went through Samaria. One particular Samaritan village refused to receive him. He wasn't welcome there. Their rejection didn't sit well with James and John. They didn't like Samaritans to begin with. (Most Jews of that time looked on Samaritans with contempt.) So the Samaritan village's rebuff of Jesus touched a raw nerve with James and John. "Who did they think they are? Don't they know who Jesus is? How dare them?" James and John were ready to put the Samaritans in their place. They wanted to show them what's right. They wanted to punish them for their arrogant rejection. They wanted to call fire from heaven to consume them. That'll show them.
But Jesus rebuked the two disciples. The rebuke must have stung. They, James and John, were the ones in the wrong, not the Samaritans!
The alternate reading suggests the essence of the rebuke: you do not know what spirit you are of. The scribe recognized that James and John's spirit was out of step with the spirit of Jesus. So he added, "That's not how we do things. That's not the spirit out of which we live. You are not aware of the spirit that you are expressing, much less the spirit that is in your heart."
The alternate reading points to two things: first, the spirit out of which we live and, second, a lack of awareness of that spirit (self-awareness).
The spirit out of which we live is about what is in the heart. That spirit is reflected in what we say and what we do. James and John's desire to punish the Samaritans reflected how they viewed the Samaritans - as less than and no good. And here's the thing: they were not aware of their spirit, much less how it was out of step with the spirit of Jesus.
As I observe the polarization in our nation today (choose an issue: pandemic, wearing masks, freedom to go to restaurants and bars, race, Black Lives Matter, Police brutality, Support the Blue, Trump), what strikes me is the spirit that is expressed in what is said and done. I suspect that most of us are like James and John, totally unaware of the spirit we are expressing. A lack of awareness means the attitude (spirit) of the heart has not been examined. A lack of self-awareness indicates a lack of self-reflection.
If there is no self-reflection and no self-awareness, how do we know if our spirit reflects the spirit of Jesus?
Much of what I see being said and done attacks and demeans those with whom we disagree. But Jesus is not in the business of attacking and destroying. Jesus doesn't call fire from heaven to punish and destroy (thank you, God!!). Jesus lives out of the spirit of love. Love is expressed in compassion, understanding, mercy, forgiveness ... and rebuke!
Self-reflection which leads to self-awareness is a vital part of being a follower of Jesus. It is how we align our spirit with the spirit of Jesus. It is how we learn to respond with compassion, understanding, mercy and forgiveness rather than with anger that wants to call fire down from heaven on anyone who takes a different position than we do. And it is how we avoid the rebuke of Jesus.
Jesus and the disciples were on the way to Jerusalem. But rather than taking the common route down the Jordan River, they went through Samaria. One particular Samaritan village refused to receive him. He wasn't welcome there. Their rejection didn't sit well with James and John. They didn't like Samaritans to begin with. (Most Jews of that time looked on Samaritans with contempt.) So the Samaritan village's rebuff of Jesus touched a raw nerve with James and John. "Who did they think they are? Don't they know who Jesus is? How dare them?" James and John were ready to put the Samaritans in their place. They wanted to show them what's right. They wanted to punish them for their arrogant rejection. They wanted to call fire from heaven to consume them. That'll show them.
But Jesus rebuked the two disciples. The rebuke must have stung. They, James and John, were the ones in the wrong, not the Samaritans!
The alternate reading suggests the essence of the rebuke: you do not know what spirit you are of. The scribe recognized that James and John's spirit was out of step with the spirit of Jesus. So he added, "That's not how we do things. That's not the spirit out of which we live. You are not aware of the spirit that you are expressing, much less the spirit that is in your heart."
The alternate reading points to two things: first, the spirit out of which we live and, second, a lack of awareness of that spirit (self-awareness).
The spirit out of which we live is about what is in the heart. That spirit is reflected in what we say and what we do. James and John's desire to punish the Samaritans reflected how they viewed the Samaritans - as less than and no good. And here's the thing: they were not aware of their spirit, much less how it was out of step with the spirit of Jesus.
As I observe the polarization in our nation today (choose an issue: pandemic, wearing masks, freedom to go to restaurants and bars, race, Black Lives Matter, Police brutality, Support the Blue, Trump), what strikes me is the spirit that is expressed in what is said and done. I suspect that most of us are like James and John, totally unaware of the spirit we are expressing. A lack of awareness means the attitude (spirit) of the heart has not been examined. A lack of self-awareness indicates a lack of self-reflection.
If there is no self-reflection and no self-awareness, how do we know if our spirit reflects the spirit of Jesus?
Much of what I see being said and done attacks and demeans those with whom we disagree. But Jesus is not in the business of attacking and destroying. Jesus doesn't call fire from heaven to punish and destroy (thank you, God!!). Jesus lives out of the spirit of love. Love is expressed in compassion, understanding, mercy, forgiveness ... and rebuke!
Self-reflection which leads to self-awareness is a vital part of being a follower of Jesus. It is how we align our spirit with the spirit of Jesus. It is how we learn to respond with compassion, understanding, mercy and forgiveness rather than with anger that wants to call fire down from heaven on anyone who takes a different position than we do. And it is how we avoid the rebuke of Jesus.
Sunday, June 21, 2020
Thinking Theologically: Spirit-Guided Thinking
One of the key roles of the Spirit in our lives is guiding how we think.
As Jesus prepared his disciples for life after his death, he said the Spirit would be their teacher as he had been their teacher: "But the Holy Spirit will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you" (John 14:26). In our lives, the Spirit is our teacher, teaching us the ways of God that Jesus taught and lived - Spirit-guided thinking.
Paul spoke of God's wisdom which the Spirit gives: "These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit ... No one comprehends what is truly God's except the Spirit of God ... Now we have received the Spirit that is from God so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual" (1 Corinthians 2:10-13). Translation: the Spirit teaches us the ways of God, thereby teaching us to think from a spiritual, God-oriented perspective - Spirit-guided thinking.
I refer to this Spirit-guided thinking as thinking theologically.
As we grow in Christ, the Spirit teaches us to think theologically, that is, from a different perspective. The character of God and the ways of God that Jesus taught shape how we think. Our attitudes and actions, in turn, begin to reflect the ways of God.
Note that I speak of how we think, not what we think. The distinction is important. What to think is about beliefs and positions, particularly the "right" belief and position. How to think is about learning to use logic, reason, and study in the pursuit of truth. It is about learning to discern the Spirit's guidance in the pursuit of spiritual truth. When we are taught what to think, someone else (the church, tradition, teachers) determines what is truth. When we are taught how to think, the Spirit guides us to determine truth based upon the teachings of Jesus. When we are taught what to think, we live by rigid rules and codes of what is acceptable and what is not. When we are taught how to think, we live by principles that guide us.
Until we learn to think theologically, our thinking is shaped by what we have been taught. It reflects the understanding and values of the the culture in which we grew up (family, school, church, community). Until we learn to think theologically, our thinking is unconscious and un-examined. We assume what we think is right. We assume God agrees with us and use the Bible to support our beliefs. Our attitudes and actions are governed by what we already believe without any consideration of what Jesus taught or the ways of God.
Until we learn to think theologically, we think from the perspective of dominance and power and privilege, not from the perspective of powerlessness and oppression. We think from the perspective of the have's, not the have not's. Until we learn to think theologically, we have little awareness of or tolerance for perspectives that are different from our own.
I see this reality in the various reactions to current events. I see lots of anger and little compassion. I see lots of bitterness and hatred but little kindness. I see lots of being offended and little effort to be understanding. I see lots of us-them polarization and little embrace of all as beloved children of God. I see lots of people protecting a culture in which white people enjoy privileges and benefits (but others do not) but little concern for, much less advocacy for, the powerless and marginalized whom the prophets championed (see Isaiah 1:17) and whom Jesus embraced.
I wonder: what kind of attitudes and actions would Spirit-guided thinking produce? What position would we take if we learned how to think theologically? What would we do if our thinking was shaped by the teachings of Jesus and the ways of God?
After all, isn't that what it means to be a follower of Christ?
As Jesus prepared his disciples for life after his death, he said the Spirit would be their teacher as he had been their teacher: "But the Holy Spirit will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you" (John 14:26). In our lives, the Spirit is our teacher, teaching us the ways of God that Jesus taught and lived - Spirit-guided thinking.
Paul spoke of God's wisdom which the Spirit gives: "These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit ... No one comprehends what is truly God's except the Spirit of God ... Now we have received the Spirit that is from God so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual" (1 Corinthians 2:10-13). Translation: the Spirit teaches us the ways of God, thereby teaching us to think from a spiritual, God-oriented perspective - Spirit-guided thinking.
I refer to this Spirit-guided thinking as thinking theologically.
As we grow in Christ, the Spirit teaches us to think theologically, that is, from a different perspective. The character of God and the ways of God that Jesus taught shape how we think. Our attitudes and actions, in turn, begin to reflect the ways of God.
Note that I speak of how we think, not what we think. The distinction is important. What to think is about beliefs and positions, particularly the "right" belief and position. How to think is about learning to use logic, reason, and study in the pursuit of truth. It is about learning to discern the Spirit's guidance in the pursuit of spiritual truth. When we are taught what to think, someone else (the church, tradition, teachers) determines what is truth. When we are taught how to think, the Spirit guides us to determine truth based upon the teachings of Jesus. When we are taught what to think, we live by rigid rules and codes of what is acceptable and what is not. When we are taught how to think, we live by principles that guide us.
Until we learn to think theologically, our thinking is shaped by what we have been taught. It reflects the understanding and values of the the culture in which we grew up (family, school, church, community). Until we learn to think theologically, our thinking is unconscious and un-examined. We assume what we think is right. We assume God agrees with us and use the Bible to support our beliefs. Our attitudes and actions are governed by what we already believe without any consideration of what Jesus taught or the ways of God.
Until we learn to think theologically, we think from the perspective of dominance and power and privilege, not from the perspective of powerlessness and oppression. We think from the perspective of the have's, not the have not's. Until we learn to think theologically, we have little awareness of or tolerance for perspectives that are different from our own.
I see this reality in the various reactions to current events. I see lots of anger and little compassion. I see lots of bitterness and hatred but little kindness. I see lots of being offended and little effort to be understanding. I see lots of us-them polarization and little embrace of all as beloved children of God. I see lots of people protecting a culture in which white people enjoy privileges and benefits (but others do not) but little concern for, much less advocacy for, the powerless and marginalized whom the prophets championed (see Isaiah 1:17) and whom Jesus embraced.
I wonder: what kind of attitudes and actions would Spirit-guided thinking produce? What position would we take if we learned how to think theologically? What would we do if our thinking was shaped by the teachings of Jesus and the ways of God?
After all, isn't that what it means to be a follower of Christ?
Sunday, June 14, 2020
Some Things Never Change
There it was. Some 850 before the birth of Jesus. The very same thing that I see happening in our nation today. It must be a part of our human nature.
The situation (2 Chronicles 18): King Jehoshaphat of Judah was visiting his father-in-law, King Ahab of Israel. During the visit, Ahab sought to enlist Jehoshaphat in attacking a neighboring kingdom east of the Jordan. In their planning, the kings sought Yahweh's guidance by consulting the prophets (in the same way we ask God to bless our plans and efforts). Ahab's prophets unanimously agreed that Yahweh would make their plans successful. But Jehoshaphat wasn't convinced. He wanted to consult one other prophet. So Micaiah was summonsed. Ahab didn't like Micaiah because "he never has a favorable prophecy for me." The messenger who was sent to summons Micaiah told him what the other prophets had said. Then he said: "Try to speak like one of them and foretell success" (2 Chronicles 18:12).
And there it was, in black and white: we don't want to hear anything that contradicts what we believe or challenges what we want. We want the comfort of having things our way. We want to do what we want with God's blessing.
Ahab wanted to invade the neighboring kingdom ... and he wanted Yahweh's blessing in doing so.
Today, we don't want to hear anything that does not support our position on all that is going on in the world. We don't want anything to disturb our way of life or our traditions or the way things have always been. Translation: our comfortable way of life and the privileges we enjoy. So we surround ourselves with those who say what we want to hear and what we already believe, like Ahab's prophets.
Because we don't want to hear anything that contradicts what we believe or challenges what we want, we are not open to truth. In fact, we are resistant to truth. We do not want to hear a word from God. (You might want to reread that last statement.)
A word from God - truth - might be disturbing. It might challenge our understanding, our opinions, our positions. It might call us to change how we think. It might call us to change how we view and treat others. It might disrupt our comfortable way of life. It might call us to extend to others the privileges we ourselves enjoy. A word from God might call us to do the hard work of learning and growing and changing.
Being resistant to a word from God and to God's truth, we don't want preachers who proclaim God's truth. (Ahab: "I hate him because he never has a favorable prophecy for me." The messenger who summoned Micaiah : "Try to speak like one of them and foretell success" ) We want preachers who tell us what we already believe, not preachers who challenge us to think deeper. We want preachers who tell us how good we are, not preachers who call us to grow. We want preachers who entertain us, not preachers who make us think. We want preachers who tell us stories, not preachers who teach us the ways of the kingdom. We want preachers who make us comfortable, not preachers who challenge us. We don't want preachers who disturb our comfortable way of life.
In our resistance to truth, we push back against anything that challenges the comfort of our status quo. We counter "Black Lives Matter" with "All Lives Matter." In doing so, we miss the point. We are offended when someone takes a knee during the national anthem, calling it unpatriotic and disrespectful. In doing so, we miss the message being sent. We are angry when people take to the streets in protest, condemning rioting and looting as though all protesters were rioting and looting. In doing so, we miss what the protests are saying. We are quick to defend "The Blue" when people speak of police brutality, calling for police reform and police accountability. We argue "You don't have to fear the police if you're not doing anything wrong." (Those who say such do not know the black experience.) In doing so, we seek to keep things the way they are (because the way things are works for us). Our push back reveals the white privilege we enjoy (and are quick to deny because we cannot see it and don't want to see it).
Resisting truth - in whatever way it is proclaimed (prophets, preachers, protests) - has devastating results. Ahab and Jehoshaphat ignored Micaiah and marched into battle. And Ahab was killed.
Resisting a word from God is resisting God's effort to grow us into Christ-like maturity. It keeps us stuck in immaturity. Rejecting truth (in whatever way it is spoken) keeps our thinking stunted, sentencing us to prolonged emotional-relational-spiritual immaturity. Pushing back against change keeps us stuck in old ways that are no longer effective in a new reality. Protecting the status quo is ignoring - or worse, discounting - the cries of those for whom the status quo does not work (and never has). It sows the seeds of rebellion - a rebellion that will disturb and disrupt in destructive ways.
Wanting my way - desiring comfort over challenge - clinging to the status quo while resisting change - closing our eyes to truth - all are part of our human condition.
But they are not the way of the followers of Jesus! Jesus followers are called disciples, another word for student or learner. The very heart of being a disciple is learning the truth of God that Jesus taught. It is being open and teachable, not obstinate and resistant.
There it was ... in something that happened some 850 years before the birth of Christ. Some things, it seems, never change. Except by the grace of God and the work of the Spirit!
The situation (2 Chronicles 18): King Jehoshaphat of Judah was visiting his father-in-law, King Ahab of Israel. During the visit, Ahab sought to enlist Jehoshaphat in attacking a neighboring kingdom east of the Jordan. In their planning, the kings sought Yahweh's guidance by consulting the prophets (in the same way we ask God to bless our plans and efforts). Ahab's prophets unanimously agreed that Yahweh would make their plans successful. But Jehoshaphat wasn't convinced. He wanted to consult one other prophet. So Micaiah was summonsed. Ahab didn't like Micaiah because "he never has a favorable prophecy for me." The messenger who was sent to summons Micaiah told him what the other prophets had said. Then he said: "Try to speak like one of them and foretell success" (2 Chronicles 18:12).
And there it was, in black and white: we don't want to hear anything that contradicts what we believe or challenges what we want. We want the comfort of having things our way. We want to do what we want with God's blessing.
Ahab wanted to invade the neighboring kingdom ... and he wanted Yahweh's blessing in doing so.
Today, we don't want to hear anything that does not support our position on all that is going on in the world. We don't want anything to disturb our way of life or our traditions or the way things have always been. Translation: our comfortable way of life and the privileges we enjoy. So we surround ourselves with those who say what we want to hear and what we already believe, like Ahab's prophets.
Because we don't want to hear anything that contradicts what we believe or challenges what we want, we are not open to truth. In fact, we are resistant to truth. We do not want to hear a word from God. (You might want to reread that last statement.)
A word from God - truth - might be disturbing. It might challenge our understanding, our opinions, our positions. It might call us to change how we think. It might call us to change how we view and treat others. It might disrupt our comfortable way of life. It might call us to extend to others the privileges we ourselves enjoy. A word from God might call us to do the hard work of learning and growing and changing.
Being resistant to a word from God and to God's truth, we don't want preachers who proclaim God's truth. (Ahab: "I hate him because he never has a favorable prophecy for me." The messenger who summoned Micaiah : "Try to speak like one of them and foretell success" ) We want preachers who tell us what we already believe, not preachers who challenge us to think deeper. We want preachers who tell us how good we are, not preachers who call us to grow. We want preachers who entertain us, not preachers who make us think. We want preachers who tell us stories, not preachers who teach us the ways of the kingdom. We want preachers who make us comfortable, not preachers who challenge us. We don't want preachers who disturb our comfortable way of life.
In our resistance to truth, we push back against anything that challenges the comfort of our status quo. We counter "Black Lives Matter" with "All Lives Matter." In doing so, we miss the point. We are offended when someone takes a knee during the national anthem, calling it unpatriotic and disrespectful. In doing so, we miss the message being sent. We are angry when people take to the streets in protest, condemning rioting and looting as though all protesters were rioting and looting. In doing so, we miss what the protests are saying. We are quick to defend "The Blue" when people speak of police brutality, calling for police reform and police accountability. We argue "You don't have to fear the police if you're not doing anything wrong." (Those who say such do not know the black experience.) In doing so, we seek to keep things the way they are (because the way things are works for us). Our push back reveals the white privilege we enjoy (and are quick to deny because we cannot see it and don't want to see it).
Resisting truth - in whatever way it is proclaimed (prophets, preachers, protests) - has devastating results. Ahab and Jehoshaphat ignored Micaiah and marched into battle. And Ahab was killed.
Resisting a word from God is resisting God's effort to grow us into Christ-like maturity. It keeps us stuck in immaturity. Rejecting truth (in whatever way it is spoken) keeps our thinking stunted, sentencing us to prolonged emotional-relational-spiritual immaturity. Pushing back against change keeps us stuck in old ways that are no longer effective in a new reality. Protecting the status quo is ignoring - or worse, discounting - the cries of those for whom the status quo does not work (and never has). It sows the seeds of rebellion - a rebellion that will disturb and disrupt in destructive ways.
Wanting my way - desiring comfort over challenge - clinging to the status quo while resisting change - closing our eyes to truth - all are part of our human condition.
But they are not the way of the followers of Jesus! Jesus followers are called disciples, another word for student or learner. The very heart of being a disciple is learning the truth of God that Jesus taught. It is being open and teachable, not obstinate and resistant.
There it was ... in something that happened some 850 years before the birth of Christ. Some things, it seems, never change. Except by the grace of God and the work of the Spirit!
Monday, June 8, 2020
How Shall We Respond
How shall we respond to all that is going on? Yet another death of a black man at the hands of a white police officer - another round of protests, now extending into its third week - more calls for justice and police reform - protests giving way (yet again) to rioting, looting, and destruction of property - push back against the protests and riots - judging and condemning (by both sides) - defending and supporting police officers - calls for law and order - more polarization of the nation.
How shall we respond to all of this - especially when we have been here before - too many times. When we thought (deluded ourselves) that we had moved beyond some of this?
How shall we respond to all that is going on so that, this time, things can be different?
More importantly, how shall we respond as followers of Jesus?
To respond as the followers of Jesus means our response is one shaped by the teachings of Jesus, rooted in the character of God.
Responding as the followers of Jesus calls us ...
Responding as the followers of Jesus calls us beyond political positions and deeply rooted cultural values. It calls us beyond personal preferences to God's preferences. It calls us beyond the demand for our way to the pursuit of God's ways. Responding as the followers of Jesus calls us to move beyond reacting to thinking, beyond repeating the same old rhetoric to asking different questions, beyond thinking as we always have to seeking deeper understanding that leads to different answers. It calls for hard work and intentional effort. It calls us to step into the discomfort of the unfamiliar in order to gain insight into another person's reality. Responding as the followers of Jesus calls us to be more than we have been in the past. It calls for emotional-relational-spiritual maturity.
Responding as the followers of Jesus calls us to love as Jesus loved.
Obviously, we cannot do this on our own. But we can do this - we can respond as the followers of Jesus, loving as Jesus loved - through the power the Spirit gives. Our inability to do this in our own strength opens the door to the Spirit's power.
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
How shall we respond to all of this so that things can be different this time?
How shall we respond to all of this - especially when we have been here before - too many times. When we thought (deluded ourselves) that we had moved beyond some of this?
How shall we respond to all that is going on so that, this time, things can be different?
More importantly, how shall we respond as followers of Jesus?
To respond as the followers of Jesus means our response is one shaped by the teachings of Jesus, rooted in the character of God.
Responding as the followers of Jesus calls us ...
- to value what God values: people - all people - each person - without exception - particularly the powerless and marginalized.
- to use power the way God uses power: in life-giving, life-enriching ways - to lift up and build up - to pursue wholeness and maturity - to serve. In short, to be a servant.
- to speak truth to power and privilege even when they do not have ears to hear.
- to speak on behalf of those who have no voice: "rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, lead for the widow," that is, to "do justice" (Isaiah 1:17).
- to embrace the non-violent ways Jesus taught.
- to refuse to polarize or give up on anyone: to seek to engage the other - to hear and be heard - to seek reconciliation and mutual good.
- to pursue peace rooted in justice (power used to serve, empowering the powerless).
Responding as the followers of Jesus calls us beyond political positions and deeply rooted cultural values. It calls us beyond personal preferences to God's preferences. It calls us beyond the demand for our way to the pursuit of God's ways. Responding as the followers of Jesus calls us to move beyond reacting to thinking, beyond repeating the same old rhetoric to asking different questions, beyond thinking as we always have to seeking deeper understanding that leads to different answers. It calls for hard work and intentional effort. It calls us to step into the discomfort of the unfamiliar in order to gain insight into another person's reality. Responding as the followers of Jesus calls us to be more than we have been in the past. It calls for emotional-relational-spiritual maturity.
Responding as the followers of Jesus calls us to love as Jesus loved.
Obviously, we cannot do this on our own. But we can do this - we can respond as the followers of Jesus, loving as Jesus loved - through the power the Spirit gives. Our inability to do this in our own strength opens the door to the Spirit's power.
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
How shall we respond to all of this so that things can be different this time?
Sunday, May 31, 2020
We're Better Than This - A Message for Pentecost
Today is Pentecost Sunday - one of my favorite Sunday's of the year. Pentecost celebrates the outpouring of God's Spirit on the followers of Christ. It celebrates the presence of God among God's people and the power of God for his people.
Pentecost draws on four images from Hebrew history, communicating four truths.
The first image is the Shekinah presence of God. At Sinai, the people were instructed to construct a Tabernacle "so that I may dwell among them" (Exodus 25:8). When the Tabernacle was completed, "the glory of the LORD filled" it (Exodus 40:34). God's presence, symbolized in a cloud, filled the Tabernacle. It became the place where God dwelt among his people, where heaven and earth were united. That same experience was duplicated when Solomon dedicated the Temple, replacing the Tabernacle (1 Kings 8:10). Now, at Pentecost, God's presence (symbolized in the wind and fire, Acts 2:2) comes to dwell among the followers of Jesus. They/we become the Temple where God dwells in the midst of God's people, where people heaven and earth are united, where people encounter God.
The second image relates to the Jewish festival of Pentecost. That festival celebrated the giving of the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai. At that first Pentecost, God gave the Spirit to do what the Law could not do. The Law could tell us what to do and how to live, but it could not give us the power to do so. (See Romans 8:3-4.) The Spirit guides us into the truth Christ taught (John 14:26) and empowers us to live that truth. Through the Spirit, the law is written on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33), that is, God's character is ingrained within us. The Spirit transforms our hearts and minds so that we can live the ways of God.
The third image is of the anointing with the Spirit. In the Hebrew scriptures, chosen individuals were said to be anointed with the Spirit to do God's work. This anointing is the meaning behind the word Messiah (Hebrew) or Christ (Greek). In the Hebrew scriptures, prophets, priests, and kings were anointed with the Spirit. The prophet Joel spoke of a time when God's Spirit would be poured out on all people - men and women, young and old, slave and free - so that they could do the work of God (Joel 2:28-29). Peter identified Pentecost as the fulfillment of that day (Acts 2:16-18).
The fourth image is the Old Testament story of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) where men no longer spoke one language. The diversity of languages, that is, the inability to communicate, led to the scattering of the people and the creation of different peoples. Pentecost is a reversal of Babel. Through the power of the Spirit, the apostles were able to speak in languages other than their native language (Acts 2:4) so that the good news of Jesus could be communicated to all people. The healing and reuniting of the nations is possible as the Spirit draws us together in Christ. The healing of the brokenness of the nations is possible as the Spirit teaches us and empowers us to live the ways of God Jesus taught.
I need to hear the great truths Pentecost proclaims. God lives in us and among us. The Spirit transforms our hearts and minds, empowering us to live the ways of God that Jesus taught. The Spirit gives each of us abilities to use in ministry so that all have something to contribute to the work of God (1 Corinthians 12:4-7). The Spirit overcomes the brokenness and divisiveness of the world, bringing all together in Christ as the Church.
I need to be reminded of these great realities today. You see, I am grieving. My heart is heavy. My spirit is weary. I grieve what is happening in our nation this week. I grieve the brokenness and division that is being played out. I feel powerless and defeated by what I see.
I have not posted about the week's events. I have not known what to say. I have no words. Yet something deep within (the Spirit?) pushes me to speak, to say something, to speak out - as a follower of Jesus, as a so-called spiritual guide, as a human being, as a white man who grieves alongside of his black brothers and sisters.
The words that come to mind are "We're better than this."
We're better than the seemingly non-ending parade of black deaths at the hands of some police officers and white vigilantes.
We're better than the blatant racism that fuels that seemingly non-ending parade.
We're better than the blind patriotism that demands unquestioned loyalty to the police (or the military or the flag or the president) without also demanding accountability that ensures justice for all.
We're better than riots in the streets filled with destruction and looting (again).
We're better than riot squads, tear gas, rubber bullets, and snipers on roof tops with which we greet the rioters.
We're better than the judgment passed on the rioters because of the inability to understand, much less feel, their pain and the anger that grows out of it.
We're better than rednecks toting AK 47's, waving Nazi and Confederate flags, being allowed to storm state houses and shut down state governments.
We're better than the systemic racism and white privilege to which we turn a blind eye.
We're better than the "offense" we take at such realities being called to our attention.
We're better than the condemnation we heaped on those who attempted to call our attention to these realities before there were riots in the streets.
We're better than the us-them polarization that divides our nation (and The UMC), that pits one group against another.
We're better than the tribal thinking that views anyone who is not like us in skin color or language or nation of origin or religion or politics or economic status or sexual orientation as "other" who is to be feared and who has no place in our nation.
We're better than the arrogance with which we judge those not like us.
We're better than the rigid, close-minded positions we take that refuses to hear, much less honor, other positions.
We're better than the hateful, demeaning attacks we launch against anyone who does not agree with us.
We're better than the conspiracy theories and fake news we swallow hook-line-and-sinker because they reinforce what we already think and don't require us to change.
We're better than the refusal to heed the findings of scientific research that inconvenience us and questions our lifestyles.
We're better than the fear-driven, self-serving spirit out of which we react to the "other" and to the events surrounding the "other."
Is this what makes America - or any other nation or any people - great?
We're better than this ... aren't we?
I want to believe we are better than this, but it seems we are not better than this. But we can be. The message of Pentecost gives me hope that we can be better than this - through the power of the Spirit.
Merciful God, may it be!
Pentecost draws on four images from Hebrew history, communicating four truths.
The first image is the Shekinah presence of God. At Sinai, the people were instructed to construct a Tabernacle "so that I may dwell among them" (Exodus 25:8). When the Tabernacle was completed, "the glory of the LORD filled" it (Exodus 40:34). God's presence, symbolized in a cloud, filled the Tabernacle. It became the place where God dwelt among his people, where heaven and earth were united. That same experience was duplicated when Solomon dedicated the Temple, replacing the Tabernacle (1 Kings 8:10). Now, at Pentecost, God's presence (symbolized in the wind and fire, Acts 2:2) comes to dwell among the followers of Jesus. They/we become the Temple where God dwells in the midst of God's people, where people heaven and earth are united, where people encounter God.
The second image relates to the Jewish festival of Pentecost. That festival celebrated the giving of the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai. At that first Pentecost, God gave the Spirit to do what the Law could not do. The Law could tell us what to do and how to live, but it could not give us the power to do so. (See Romans 8:3-4.) The Spirit guides us into the truth Christ taught (John 14:26) and empowers us to live that truth. Through the Spirit, the law is written on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33), that is, God's character is ingrained within us. The Spirit transforms our hearts and minds so that we can live the ways of God.
The third image is of the anointing with the Spirit. In the Hebrew scriptures, chosen individuals were said to be anointed with the Spirit to do God's work. This anointing is the meaning behind the word Messiah (Hebrew) or Christ (Greek). In the Hebrew scriptures, prophets, priests, and kings were anointed with the Spirit. The prophet Joel spoke of a time when God's Spirit would be poured out on all people - men and women, young and old, slave and free - so that they could do the work of God (Joel 2:28-29). Peter identified Pentecost as the fulfillment of that day (Acts 2:16-18).
The fourth image is the Old Testament story of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) where men no longer spoke one language. The diversity of languages, that is, the inability to communicate, led to the scattering of the people and the creation of different peoples. Pentecost is a reversal of Babel. Through the power of the Spirit, the apostles were able to speak in languages other than their native language (Acts 2:4) so that the good news of Jesus could be communicated to all people. The healing and reuniting of the nations is possible as the Spirit draws us together in Christ. The healing of the brokenness of the nations is possible as the Spirit teaches us and empowers us to live the ways of God Jesus taught.
I need to hear the great truths Pentecost proclaims. God lives in us and among us. The Spirit transforms our hearts and minds, empowering us to live the ways of God that Jesus taught. The Spirit gives each of us abilities to use in ministry so that all have something to contribute to the work of God (1 Corinthians 12:4-7). The Spirit overcomes the brokenness and divisiveness of the world, bringing all together in Christ as the Church.
I need to be reminded of these great realities today. You see, I am grieving. My heart is heavy. My spirit is weary. I grieve what is happening in our nation this week. I grieve the brokenness and division that is being played out. I feel powerless and defeated by what I see.
I have not posted about the week's events. I have not known what to say. I have no words. Yet something deep within (the Spirit?) pushes me to speak, to say something, to speak out - as a follower of Jesus, as a so-called spiritual guide, as a human being, as a white man who grieves alongside of his black brothers and sisters.
The words that come to mind are "We're better than this."
We're better than the seemingly non-ending parade of black deaths at the hands of some police officers and white vigilantes.
We're better than the blatant racism that fuels that seemingly non-ending parade.
We're better than the blind patriotism that demands unquestioned loyalty to the police (or the military or the flag or the president) without also demanding accountability that ensures justice for all.
We're better than riots in the streets filled with destruction and looting (again).
We're better than riot squads, tear gas, rubber bullets, and snipers on roof tops with which we greet the rioters.
We're better than the judgment passed on the rioters because of the inability to understand, much less feel, their pain and the anger that grows out of it.
We're better than rednecks toting AK 47's, waving Nazi and Confederate flags, being allowed to storm state houses and shut down state governments.
We're better than the systemic racism and white privilege to which we turn a blind eye.
We're better than the "offense" we take at such realities being called to our attention.
We're better than the condemnation we heaped on those who attempted to call our attention to these realities before there were riots in the streets.
We're better than the us-them polarization that divides our nation (and The UMC), that pits one group against another.
We're better than the tribal thinking that views anyone who is not like us in skin color or language or nation of origin or religion or politics or economic status or sexual orientation as "other" who is to be feared and who has no place in our nation.
We're better than the arrogance with which we judge those not like us.
We're better than the rigid, close-minded positions we take that refuses to hear, much less honor, other positions.
We're better than the hateful, demeaning attacks we launch against anyone who does not agree with us.
We're better than the conspiracy theories and fake news we swallow hook-line-and-sinker because they reinforce what we already think and don't require us to change.
We're better than the refusal to heed the findings of scientific research that inconvenience us and questions our lifestyles.
We're better than the fear-driven, self-serving spirit out of which we react to the "other" and to the events surrounding the "other."
Is this what makes America - or any other nation or any people - great?
We're better than this ... aren't we?
I want to believe we are better than this, but it seems we are not better than this. But we can be. The message of Pentecost gives me hope that we can be better than this - through the power of the Spirit.
Merciful God, may it be!
Sunday, May 24, 2020
You Will Receive Power - Ascension Sunday 2020
"You will receive power" (Acts 1:8).
Jesus promised us, his followers, power ... God's power ... power through the indwelling Spirit. "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you" (Acts 1:8). (That promise was fulfilled at Pentecost. More about that in next week's blog.)
We humans like power. Power makes us feel capable and strong. It means we have the strength to do and to achieve. It makes us feel in control. And we humans like to be in control ... which is why we like power and hate being powerless.
Being powerless makes us vulnerable. It equates to being out of control. Being powerless means someone else or something else has power over what happens to us. Every experience of fear is fundamentally an experience of feeling powerless (being vulnerable, at risk). The level of anxiety with which we live is directly tied to the degree of powerlessness we feel. Few things create as much angst and anxiety in us as feeling powerless.
Thus, Jesus' promise of power speaks to something deep within - that for which we long (power), that which we fear (powerlessness).
What is this power Jesus promised?
Jesus promised us the power of the Spirit ... the power the Spirit gives ... God's power ... and, thereby, a power beyond our own. The Spirit empowers us to do what we cannot do in our own strength. The Spirit empowers us to do what Jesus taught (John 14:12). The Spirit empowers us to live the ways of God. The Spirit empowers us to love as Jesus loved.
We experience the Spirit's power at the point of our powerlessness. (Sit with that thought a minute.)
And that creates an emotional bind for us. We don't like being powerless. We fear it. We resist it. We fight it. But acknowledging our powerlessness (need) opens the door to the Spirit's power. It puts us in a position to receive. It puts us in a position for the Spirit to work. It puts us in a position for the Spirit to empower us to do what we cannot do in our own strength.
Understanding this spiritual reality-we experience the Spirit's power at the point of our powerlessness-leads us to embrace two spiritual practices so that we might experience it in our lives.
First, it invites us to treat our experience of powerlessness as a call to prayer. Rather than fearing and fighting our powerlessness, we allow it to prompt us to turn to the Spirit for the power to do what we cannot do in our own strength. Recognizing our anxiety and/or fear prompts us to claim God's promise "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). It calls us to still our hearts and minds, placing ourselves in a position to access the Spirit's power. (My book The Fruit of the Spirit: the Path That Leads to Loving as Jesus Loved describes how to still our hearts and minds in the midst of anxiety - what Paul calls self-control and I call self-management.)
A second spiritual practice is the cultivation of a spirit of glad dependency. This spirit moves beyond the self-sufficiency we so value (and its underlying arrogance). It embraces the limitations that are inherent to our humanness. It accepts the challenges life brings. It expresses a deep trust in God's grace and faithfulness. The spirit of glad dependency trains us to live in partnership with the Spirit. (Daily meditation is one way to cultivate the spirit of glad dependency.)
Living in harmony with this spiritual reality-we experience the Spirit's power at the point of our powerlessness-impacts the way we use the power God has given to us. (Our power has many forms: ability, knowledge, wealth, experience, achievement, position, standing, the right to choose or free will.)
Our default inclination is to use our power for the good of "me and mine." That includes using our power against those we view as "other." Partnership with the Spirit trains us to use power the way Jesus used power: to serve others. The Spirit moves us beyond our default self-oriented nature by transforming our hearts and minds, ingraining the servant spirit (the mind of Christ, Philippians 2:5-11) deep within us.
"You will receive power" ... God's power ... power through the indwelling Spirit (Acts 1:8). But the power we receive is not power to do whatever we please or power to get our way or power to control others or power to control what happens. Rather, it is power to manage ourselves. It is power to live the ways of God that Jesus taught. It is the power to love as Jesus loved.
Jesus promised us, his followers, power ... God's power ... power through the indwelling Spirit. "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you" (Acts 1:8). (That promise was fulfilled at Pentecost. More about that in next week's blog.)
We humans like power. Power makes us feel capable and strong. It means we have the strength to do and to achieve. It makes us feel in control. And we humans like to be in control ... which is why we like power and hate being powerless.
Being powerless makes us vulnerable. It equates to being out of control. Being powerless means someone else or something else has power over what happens to us. Every experience of fear is fundamentally an experience of feeling powerless (being vulnerable, at risk). The level of anxiety with which we live is directly tied to the degree of powerlessness we feel. Few things create as much angst and anxiety in us as feeling powerless.
Thus, Jesus' promise of power speaks to something deep within - that for which we long (power), that which we fear (powerlessness).
What is this power Jesus promised?
Jesus promised us the power of the Spirit ... the power the Spirit gives ... God's power ... and, thereby, a power beyond our own. The Spirit empowers us to do what we cannot do in our own strength. The Spirit empowers us to do what Jesus taught (John 14:12). The Spirit empowers us to live the ways of God. The Spirit empowers us to love as Jesus loved.
We experience the Spirit's power at the point of our powerlessness. (Sit with that thought a minute.)
And that creates an emotional bind for us. We don't like being powerless. We fear it. We resist it. We fight it. But acknowledging our powerlessness (need) opens the door to the Spirit's power. It puts us in a position to receive. It puts us in a position for the Spirit to work. It puts us in a position for the Spirit to empower us to do what we cannot do in our own strength.
Understanding this spiritual reality-we experience the Spirit's power at the point of our powerlessness-leads us to embrace two spiritual practices so that we might experience it in our lives.
First, it invites us to treat our experience of powerlessness as a call to prayer. Rather than fearing and fighting our powerlessness, we allow it to prompt us to turn to the Spirit for the power to do what we cannot do in our own strength. Recognizing our anxiety and/or fear prompts us to claim God's promise "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). It calls us to still our hearts and minds, placing ourselves in a position to access the Spirit's power. (My book The Fruit of the Spirit: the Path That Leads to Loving as Jesus Loved describes how to still our hearts and minds in the midst of anxiety - what Paul calls self-control and I call self-management.)
A second spiritual practice is the cultivation of a spirit of glad dependency. This spirit moves beyond the self-sufficiency we so value (and its underlying arrogance). It embraces the limitations that are inherent to our humanness. It accepts the challenges life brings. It expresses a deep trust in God's grace and faithfulness. The spirit of glad dependency trains us to live in partnership with the Spirit. (Daily meditation is one way to cultivate the spirit of glad dependency.)
Living in harmony with this spiritual reality-we experience the Spirit's power at the point of our powerlessness-impacts the way we use the power God has given to us. (Our power has many forms: ability, knowledge, wealth, experience, achievement, position, standing, the right to choose or free will.)
Our default inclination is to use our power for the good of "me and mine." That includes using our power against those we view as "other." Partnership with the Spirit trains us to use power the way Jesus used power: to serve others. The Spirit moves us beyond our default self-oriented nature by transforming our hearts and minds, ingraining the servant spirit (the mind of Christ, Philippians 2:5-11) deep within us.
"You will receive power" ... God's power ... power through the indwelling Spirit (Acts 1:8). But the power we receive is not power to do whatever we please or power to get our way or power to control others or power to control what happens. Rather, it is power to manage ourselves. It is power to live the ways of God that Jesus taught. It is the power to love as Jesus loved.
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