Tag: identity

No Name
Proverbs 8:1–2; Mark 3:13–19

Many people have had nicknames growing up. Some of them were insulting. Some of them were just strange. Others were relating an individual to something else. Others were shortening of a proper name of the person.

“Captain” was sometimes used in my childhood (thank you, Star Trek). Ian is pretty hard to make a nickname out though (except with rhymes, which aren’t quite the same) . I was (to my face) spared nicknames. It probably also had to do with doing my best to blend in the background.

A new name was an ancient concept. Abram became Abraham. Jacob became Israel. Both received new names as they crossed a certain line of faith in and relationship with God.

Simon (Hebrew)/Peter (Greek) /Cephas (Aramaic) received a name. As near as we can tell, he was a passionate follower of Jesus. Would the comparison of Abraham or Israel apply? It didn’t seem so immediately. Upon the resurrection, though, it seems that Peter did indeed cross “the line”.

James and John were given a joint nickname. Their name has been hypothesized in many ways. My favorite is the easiest. Their father was a very LOUD man.

I shared an office with such a person. If he entered the office, I didn’t answer the phone or got off the phone, because it was hard to hear another person when this man talked in his normal tone. Imagine him yelling then (that happened…in the office…many times). That’s how I see Zebedee.

What does that tell us about James and John? They were probably loud, too. Maybe not quite to their dad’s level, but close enough! That’s my thought, anyway.

Have we forgotten the power of names? The Harry Potter series had a villain “who must not be named.” In the “world” of Harry Potter, names had power.

As a rule, Christians no longer write G-d, or Y-H, or something else. Many reverent Jews still will not write the name of God, or even the title. “Lord” is the translated euphemism for names of God.

Yet, in other ways, we recognize and abuse the power of names: Trump, Biden, Republican, Democrat, Liberal, Conservative. Often names are used to quell dissension and discussion.

Other emblems of courtesy, such as “Mister, Missus, Miss, Ma’am, Sir” are falling into disuse. While these are titles, more than names, yet these too are power. That is actually part of the reason they have fallen into disuse. They grant power to others.

That is the odd thing about names. They provide power and identity for ourselves. They can also provide power to others. They can also destroy. Like many such things, the power to destroy is very easy.

The power to destroy seems to give us power. Yet, by tearing another person down, we often display the very weakness we are trying to hide.

※Reflection※
- Have you ever had or given a nickname? What was the reason behind it? What was the feeling behind it?
- Have you ever wanted to (or did) change your given name? Why?
- What name of yours defines you best?
※Prayer※

Jesus, the Name Above All Names, thank you for drawing us into your family. May we be worthy of your name. Amen.
2021-01-26
Abandon Ship
Jonah 3:1–5, 10; 1 Corinthians 7:29–31; Mark 1:14–20

Jonah may have been the most successful preacher in history. He preached and an entire city repented, and a large city, at that. The church celebrates 4000 in one day as a supreme act, yet cranky Jonah exceeded that by far.

We often question and scorn Jonah for running away from his call. It would be similar to you being called to North Korea to preach, “repent.” The destination is a scary place for such a preacher.

Nineveh was known for the cruelty visited upon the defeated. People were impaled, beheaded, “stretched”. They worshipped a number of gods. They were enemies of Israel, and they were not friends of God. It was a good place to avoid.

Jonah just followed his common sense. It seemed suicidal to go to Nineveh. There seemed no promise of safety by God, so why go?

Plus, the demise of Nineveh seemed to be a positive for Israel. With the fall of Nineveh, perhaps things would be better for Israel.

If Jonah’s logic were to be followed, then the world would be lost. This is why Paul’s call for a sort of “disengagement” is very important to evangelism.

Often, going to those crazy places is what we are called to do. There are people from many Christian denominations that willing went where they are not welcomed to share the Gospel. In many of those same countries (and more besides), there are indigenous believers whose very lives are in danger for the common faith they hold with us.

Holding too firmly onto our understanding of the way things “should be” is generally us being too tied to the ways of the world. Holding on too firmly to the world often blinds us to the call on our life that God has made.

Simon, Andrew, James, and John did not hold too tightly onto the world. Although the Scriptures don’t tell us such, it would be inhuman if the 4 men felt nothing as they left their livelihood, families, and much of their identity. There was still something about Jesus that caused them to release the world and follow him.

※Reflection※
- What would you do or where would you go if you believed God was sending you?
- What are some of the ways of the world that hold Christians back from reaching the world for Christ?
※Prayer※

Lord, give us the strength to forgo the world in whatever ways you call us. Give us the discernment to recognize your will and your call. Amen.
2021-01-23
Path Lighting

Joshua 4:1–7; Joshua 8:30–35; Proverbs 27:17

What do you remember? What “traditions” or practices do you remember from your childhood? What did that teach you?

Over the years, the church universal developed many practices to teach the faith to its people. It often had a hard journey, as it had to teach people from varying walks of life to be one with each other. It often had to surmount the lack of general education for centuries.

Many of these practices are no longer used. Many have lost the intent, and even the instruction that went with them. They became empty words. Valuable Truth was lost because people failed to teach well.

As we each go to church, whether online or in person, or whether we only listen to sermons or we add life groups, we each have a responsibility to learn and to teach. Often, we look to experts to train us. However, the experts are, well, experts. Experts often get lost in their expertise and then they can no longer translate their expertise to the non-expert.

In many respects, from a personal perspective, that may be part of the current state of the church. Perhaps we have left too much to the experts and not sharpened ourselves.

Of course, there is danger in such freedom. There is a balance of some sort between expert and non. We may well be in a place and time where we need to discover together what that balance is.

The passages from Joshua are just 2 passages where something was done to teach. The first was the pile of stones from the middle of the Jordan river. Yes, 12 stones pulled from the bottom of spring flood raging river. This pile of stones became a physical place of teaching.

“Look at that river! God made it so our ancestors could cross it on dry land.” Imagine a young child overcome with the vision of the waters being told the story of the stones while seeing that river. That would certainly be formative. This is the kind of thing ideal in the informal settings of Life Groups.

The second passage is Joshua repeating the Law that they had been given. It was a reminder of who they were. The Law wasn’t just rules and regulations, it was their identity. In many respects, this is the more formal aspect of preaching and Sunday School.

The question that we each need to ask ourselves: is our faith important enough to us to learn?

2020-11-05
Peace-Filled Traditions

Matthew 15:1–9; Luke 11:42–46

Yesterday (or the weeks prior to it), all Americans had the opportunity to participate in a great tradition…voting. Regardless of whether your candidates won or lost, there is something great in this tradition. People choosing their leaders is a great gift, and should not be squandered.

As Halloween and All Saints’ Day have passed, so to have the traditions that go with them. Next in our list of traditions are Thanksgiving (for Americans; for Canadians, it has passed), Advent, Christmas, and New Year.

Many of the rules and traditions of the Jews were based upon the lunar calendar, or as observations of past significant events. Their traditions were formational. In other words, part of what made a person grow into being a Jew were the traditions. In many respects, despite the diaspora of the Jews, that is still the case around the world.

The US acted, for a time, as if if were of a tradition. However, in the last few decades, the US has discovered that its identity and traditions are no longer what they were. Many are upset about this, and are grieving and angry.

On the other hand, this is also the opportunity to develop new traditions and a new identity forged through the mutual pain of discontent, isolation, anger, and even despair. It doesn’t sound particularly pleasant. It hasn’t been, and probably won’t be for a while.

For many, some “great” US traditions felt more like oppression and suppression. The traditions also felt disparaging. To others they were/are part of a past that they couldn’t support.

At the time of Jesus, many Jews felt that they could not live under the traditions imposed by their leaders. Jesus indeed called the leaders out on this. The leaders had had a tradition passed down by Moses. In an attempt to “perfect” it, they made it worse. They made it unlivable.

As we move forward (for that is the only direction we can go), the church has a huge opportunity to help shape the new traditions that are to be formed. Of course, many of our own traditions will have to be challenged, and that will be painful and hard.

※Prayer※

Lord, help us to be healers and peacemakers. Help us to be bearers of peace that passes all understanding. Amen.

2020-11-03
Saintly Ones

Matthew 5:1–16; Revelation 7:1–17

※ Q: What is a Saint? ※

You would think that this question is easy. However, the meaning of saint depends on the context and even timeframe.

Chasid (חָסִיד) and Kaddish (קַדִּישׁ) are the Hebrew words that are most often translated as saint (not always, though). Chasid (חָסִיד) means faithful or devout ones (with the implication being toward the covenant). Kaddish (קַדִּישׁ) means holy ones or people of the holy ones (yes, we could, but perhaps shouldn’t, infer the Trinity there).

Hagioi (ἅγιος) is first seen in Matthew 27:52 and used to talk about those who rose from the dead upon Jesus’ death. It is most used by Paul to refer to the (what became) Christians in his letters. It became generally used that way by the other New Testament writers and the church. In Revelation, the word becomes expressly tied to those who died as martyrs.

※ Q: What does it mean to be a saint? ※

If you’ve been in the church any length of time, saint can be applied to a person of significant patience. It is also applied to many that have been in the faith for a long time and have gray or white hair (the hair color, of course, is important ????). However, that is probably a bad way of thinking about it.

If we were to tie both the Hebrew and the Greek together, we would probably get an approximation of people whose relationship is with God through faith in Jesus Christ and for whom this is their primary identity.

※ Q: Are you a saint? ※

※Prayer※

Holy Spirit, guide into a relational identity with the Father, through the Son. Amen.

2020-10-31
Circle Mission

Acts 16:11–15; Acts 16:25–40

Rob Wegner states that a missionary is an ordinary person who’s equipped to make new disciples in a new context, and that mission isn’t first an activity, it’s an identity. How does that apply to Lydia?

She has three circles. The first circle is the (Gentile) God-fearing circle. The second is the weaving/dying circle. The third circle is her household.

Each of us has a few circles. Which one are we most passionate about? If, for example, you were totally into putting lipstick on pigs and you were friends with a bunch of others about putting lipstick on pigs, then there is your circle.

Lydia’s household circle followed her. Much of that was likely cultural and authority (not that it diminishes anyone’s salvation). Lydia’s God-fearing circle became a focal point, it seems, as it later has become a believers’ hub.

That leaves the last circle…the weaver/dying circle. We don’t know what, if anything, she did to evangelize the members of this circle. As her position remained (owning a household as a woman), she likely continued her trade.

She was a missionary to the weaver/dying circle. We all have a missionary circle. We must figure out what ours is. It’s easy to default to home or church, but those are not, by normal definition, missionary circles.

A family can be a missionary circle, especially if you are the only believer, or if there was a walkout from the faith. Church shouldn’t be a missionary circle, yet often the people who need the grace and love and forgiveness of Jesus the most are in the church.

Being a missionary is not optional. God is missional. Being a child of God means being missional, too. The more we reflect and model Jesus (the missional model), the more being on God’s mission means being a missionary.

The pressure is on! However, you cannot be a successful missionary to everyone, nor every circle. You are not God. Which life circle is God calling you to be a missionary to?

※Questions※

1) If circles are better than rows (OOO>|||) what does this tell you about your life circles?

2) Why is having a missionary focus (like a circle) helpful to being a missionary?

3) Why do you think you are not a missionary?

※Prayer※

Jesus, you came to earth on a mission to reconcile Creation to you. Help us see our mission as the extension and continuation of yours. The same mission that brought us into your loving embrace. Amen.

2020-10-05
Nope. I’m Good.

Nope. I’m Good.

2 September 2020

John 8:31–41; Philippians 3:1–11

What are you relying on? This is a question that we each need to ask ourselves on a regular (if not daily) basis. It becomes easy to slip into relying on something without realizing it.

In industries such as manufacturing, timber, construction where safety is a big issue, it can be easy to fall into ease. As organizations create stronger safety programs and better safety equipment, workers can grow into a sense of comfort. Then they may overly rely on their safety equipment. Then they make mistakes that endanger themselves, others, and the successful completion of their jobs.

This can also be seen when people spend lots of money (often more than they make) to have a good life. This somewhat works when the economy is going well, but things happen, and economies weaken.

This can also be seen in politics, from local to international, as people make assumptions about their supporters or even their countries as they move around and make deals.

It is also seen in the church. While the apparent dominance of the Moral Majority of the 1980s–1990s indicated that the “church” was strong, it showed that the church had lost its way. The church relied on politics and power to make a difference, rather than the love and grace of Jesus. As the church becomes culturally sidelined, there is a growing awareness of not just the earthly power lost, but also the freedom gained and the power from on high that comes with it.

The Jews understood and venerated their ancestors, particularly Abraham and Israel. They venerated Moses as the Prophet of the Most High. They had the Law.

They had become reliant and comfortable. It seems strange for them to be comfortable with the Roman occupation. It was just the status quo, and no one wanted the boat to be rocked.

Then along comes Jesus to rock the boat, and all the complacency came to a head. For too long the Jews had taken their (very) special place for granted. It was time for them to wake up.

Part of Paul’s awakening was through this as well. While he still proudly proclaimed his Israelite heritage, he set it aside for the greater identity of being a follower of Jesus. While he didn’t toss his heritage out (for it gave him the framework to understand the work of Jesus), he recognized it for what it was…a foreshadow of what was to come…the Body of Christ.

※ Prayer ※

Jesus, may we be shaken daily by who you are so that we are never complacent. Amen.

※ Questions ※

1) Where is your life of faith too complacent?

2) Where do you see the life of the church too complacent?

3) Where else in life (outside of faith) are you seeing complacency?

2020-08-31
An Abomination

2 Kings 25:8–21; Matthew 24:1–22

The fall of the First Temple had far-reaching consequences. It was the end of the glory of Jerusalem. Granted, the Temple had long been stripped of its gold, yet the Temple was still central to Jerusalem

With the burning of the Temple, the cultural center was gone. The religious center was gone. Even though they were unfaithful the Temple was still the religious center; it was just used to honor other gods.

While the King’s palace was administratively important, and the homes were individually important, the loss of the temple was a loss of identity, even if they did not faithfully follow God. This is a conqueror mentality. Break down their identity, and build them a new one (military basic or boot camp has the same principle).

As the Jews came back, they established a God-honoring life. No, it didn’t last long. It did, for a time, re-form them around God in a good way. However, over time human power and authority threw their earthly weight around, and there were a lot of overthrowing and wars.

Eventually, the drama surrounding the Maccabean “revolt” and recovery of “right” worship in the Temple occurred. However, all the interplay amongst various Jewish actors and other parties (i.e., Romans, Syrians, etc.) eventually led to Roman rule.

Finally, Jesus predicts another fall, with the implication of it being more permanent (though that could easily be being read into it). When Jesus talks about the abomination of the desolation, there was one before the Maccabean “revolt”, and there was one after the death of Jesus.

Some Christians and Jews believe that the “true” desolation was when the Dome of the Rock (as Muslim mosque) was built on the site. It could be a third or fourth desolation or none at all.

Regardless, after each desolation a significant change occurred. Historians and theologians may argue whether these changes were good or bad or just were.

The “hidden” reality is that the desolations were merely signs of a preexisting problem…an ineffective or nonexistent relationship with God. This might seem overreach, especially to modern ears and hearts. Yet, both the Old Testament and Jesus (at least for the two desolations of which they speak) tie that in.

If any subsequent “desolations” were that, we don’t have a revelation about that, but it seems to fit.

Perhaps we should also draw parallels between this temple history and the church. The church—especially in the US, yet also in early 20th Century Europe—has been comfortable for too long.

Familiarity, as the saying goes, breeds contempt. Contempt toward and in the church is running rampant. It’s not new. The tipping point is coming, it seems.

Yet familiarity can also breed safety, security, and love. These are not something the church and Christians are stereotyped as. Right or wrong, this is the reality of the church.

The abomination of the desolation is not (yet) the buildings. It is that the world does not know the church by its love.

※Prayer※

Lord, you have called us to be known by our love. Lord, help us love as you love. Amen.

※Questions※

1) Besides the snow one, what do you think of regarding “abominable”? How about “desolation”?

2) How else might an “abomination of the desolation” look today? Would it be country, state, church?

3) How do familiarity and comfort play out in our lives: family, professionally, community, church? What are the positive and negative results of familiarity?

2020-07-08
Worship Space

Exodus 35:21–36:7; 1 Chronicles 28:9–21; 2 Kings 12:4–16 (read online ⧉)

When things return to normal, well, they probably won’t return to the past normal. In fact, who knows what the new normal will look like. Will places such as churches have to remodel to meet the new “physical separation” expectation? Really. While we may return to the building this year, there will likely be an extended expectation of physical separation. There are some people who already have a 6-foot bubble of separation (or larger) and are looking forward to everyone being like them (truly).

The rest of us will also need to adapt. Grocery stores that currently have aisles designed (on purpose) to keep as much of the product in your eyesight as possible may have a cultural impetus to remodel. How this will affect tight spaces such as the arena in Everett (where one gets to watch hockey, for example) or the baseball fields or the football fields, or the gyms of schools, and so on. All these spaces originally designed to fit the maximum number of people in the smallest amount of space may very well find themselves having to change their maximized seating to fit the new reality (our knees will be grateful).

The church will have to adapt, too. Not just Generations, but the whole concept of church, too. The facility we have, for example, was going to start to get some major work done. Some of it has moved forward. Most of it (obviously) stopped. Now what? Do we remove every other pew? Do we hand 6-foot rulers? Does it matter anymore?

Here’s the harsh reality, the churches will likely be empty for a long time. It isn’t that everyone got used to meeting online (though it will that for some). It won’t be because people got used to having a mostly free Sunday (though that will be the case for some). It will because people will have become trained through fear (back to that, again) to avoid public places and tight gatherings. The culture may well have trained many of our people to stay away.

There is no doubt that renewal and remodeling often revitalize and grow a church. People are attracted (understandably) to something that is obviously growing (why numbers are often more important than spiritual growth). When the building is changed to reduce the number of people who can participate at a time, rather than increase, what then?

Now, the church is not a/the building. However, a sense of place creates a sense of identity. The Israelites gave large amounts until it was no longer needed. In Exodus, it almost seems, “Stop! No more! We have no place to put it!” The Israelites laid claim to “their” temple. Yes, it was God’s. It was also core to their identity.

Like many of us, we don’t recognize how a physical building becomes part of who we are. It may actually explain why people connect to certain places (including church buildings) and not others. What also is of concern is what happens to spaces when they are changed (for no matter the reason), and how people will respond.

Space deeply affects our worship and fellowship, too. How people fill a space affects behaviors and responses, too. All of the outpouring of support to our churches would be great, and the plans that are made will be the best we are able. In the end, it is the people…it is you…that will make the difference in the new church in the new space…that was the old church in the old space. Be ready!

Prayer

God, you have gifted us the ability to not fear in the face of such uncertainty. Strengthen our faith and resolve to face the world as it is and to present your love and grace to the world. Amen.

Questions

1) When you imagine the “perfect” church space, what is it like?

2) Before all of this, did you sit in the middle, the back, or even (dare we say) the front of a church? Do you think where you sit and with whom you might sit (other than your immediate family) might change?

3) How does a church building shape you? If you think it doesn’t, go back to question 1.

2020-05-01
Mind Killer

Psalm 23; 2 Chronicles 6:28–33 (read online ⧉)

Of the devotionals written so far, this the 54th one around fear. That is greater than 10%. Fear is a monster. It is a consuming monster, and the world is being consumed by it.

In the great science fiction saga, Dune, Frank Herbert (the author) had his primary religiousesque order, the Bene Gesserit, recite the following in times of fear:

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

Now, this is certainly not to extol Herbert’s religious perspectives, and there are many Christians who object to the Litany Against Fear. The biggest objection involves reading into it something which isn’t there. Herbert’s blending of Catholicism and Islam, plus Stoic and Arabic cultures (plus, Spartan) makes for a mosaic that is valuable when not taken to an extreme.

I must not fear. How about #ITrustGod? Trust in God drives out fear.

Fear is the mind-killer. Think about mobs both physical and social. Fear drives out rational thought.

Fear is the little-death…a coward dies a thousand deaths, a brave man only one.

…that brings total obliteration. Fear can often override our very identities. When driven by fear, we are more prone to do things (horde) that would not normally do.

I will face my fear. People will often deny their fears. Fears are often hidden pains. Chemical dependency, people dependency, depression, anxiety, anger, fight-or-flight all can come from fear. However, facing it means not be brave, it means understanding it.

I will permit it to pass over me and through me. We must choose to not identify ourselves by our fear. Fear is an emotion. It is our emotion. It, in and of itself, isn’t us.

And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Back to facing our fears. Once we know the source and cause of our fear, it is no longer unknown. It becomes…less scary. We become less afraid, and less likely to be triggered into fear.*

Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain. This ties back to the beginning. If we allow fear to control us, we become the fear bearers. However, once we acknowledge and identify the fear, we remain and the light that is Christ remains in us, lighting our souls against the fears of the world.

Psalm 23 could well be the “Christian” version of the Litany Against Fear if we allow it to be. The Truth in Psalm 23 is that #ITrustGod. It is only when we truly operated from a place of trust in God that fear has no power.

When Solomon said his public prayer to God, pestilence and starvation and many other horrible things were “common”. Solomon’s prayer was against the common deadly things of the world. Let us be glad that these are not so common for us. On the other hand, while there are other illnesses just as deadly (or more so) than COVID-19 in the world, for some strange reason (and there are plenty of—fear-filled—conspiracy theories) this one has taken the world by storm…a storm of fear.

This is not to say let’s not abide by the authorities, it is a call for us to be bringers of hope. However, for us to be bringers of hope, we need to abolish the fear inside of us.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, you call upon us to trust you and not fear. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, guide us to be the brave example of your Son, Jesus Christ. Blessed Trinity, ignite the spark of our hearts to be the light of hope to the world. Amen.

Questions

1) What do you fear right now? Why? Is it anything you can really do anything about?

2) Why does COVID-19 seem to outweigh the fears of cancer and the flu?

3) Why does knowing who you are (your identity) help you stand firm in the face of fear?

*Now, the inner eye concept is one of the big objections from Western Christians (Eastern Christians much less so). There is an aura of New Age cultism and other non-Christian religions that use the “inner eye” wording. However, the mysticism aspect isn’t that alien to Christianity (not by a long shot). What you do with it, and where you go with it is something else entirely. This is not to condone the wording, but to look beyond it.

2020-05-01