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Devotion.al

Tag: internet

  • Looking and Not Turning Back

    Genesis 19:15–26, Deuteronomy 17:14–20, Proverbs 26:11, Mark 13:14–20

    Looking back to see how far you’ve come is a good practice. One of the gifts of doing so is seeing where God had been moving when you were unaware. It is also good to see what decisions you made that you will be able to make a difference for the future.

    As someone once said, looking in the rear-view mirror only shows where you’ve been, not where you are going.
    Lot’s wife looked back to her life of old (and possibly one of wealth and comfort) during the escape from Sodom. Instead of looking to where she (and her family) were going, she looked back…and died.

    As we get to Deuteronomy, looking back has taken another turn. Israel was not to “turn back” Egypt. Yet, Israel did it again and again, including their leaders. While in Deuteronomy there was still some (wrong) nostalgia for Egypt, this should have been long gone after a few generations in the Promised Land. Egypt remained such a part of the Israel story that even Jesus was taken there by his parents to escape a deadly situation. God used it as a fulfillment of prophecy. The only reason that this was so significant was that Egypt continued to be a place Israel looked back to.

    We all look back. Think of the many memes of the internet that look back to some ideal time in the past, as if there weren’t things going wrong “back then”. The world of church and American Christianity has a strong tendency toward this. A lot of effort is spent looking back at the ideal age that past (whatever age that is). This means that the church is spending a lot of energy looking in the rear-view mirror and not ahead. This is why one of the struggles of the church is following culture, rather than leading it.

    While it might seem crass to talk about vomit, the reality is that dogs return to vomit for some strange reason. While people don’t return to their vomit, per se, they still return to what they know, even if it is bad for them. This is one of the struggles that many people have as they try to change for the better. The old way is comfortable, even if it sometimes disgusting.

    Looking back—thinking of what is lost—is a huge problem for any of us. All too often that can lead to a repeat performance of what we left behind. As Jesus warns of Jerusalem’s (and the temple’s) fall, it isn’t so much wail about what was lost, but escape to what lies before.

    1) Do you ever find yourself mourning or dwelling upon what was left behind or what could have been? Why? What emotions do you feel before and after thinking about it? Does that give you any further insights?

    2) What is one thing of the past you see that your employer, social association, church, etcetera is stuck on? Why do you think that is? How can you move things forward?

    3) The fear of the unknown/uncertain often keeps us from moving forward. While we may understand that what occurred in the past wasn’t healthy, why do we go back to it? What is it about the future that we are often missing?

  • Deceptive Holiness

    1 Timothy 4:6–16, Colossians 2:1–23

    myth: usually a traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon.

    Myths are powerful. Often the struggle of myths is their competition with one another. Focusing on “…explain a practice, belief…”, we all know that there are plenty of practices and beliefs in church that people have. Many of these have been built up to such a point that the Gospel seems to lose to “the way things must be.” The Church of the Nazarene is no different (we’ll try to be careful walking on eggshells). The first Church of the Nazarene was “born” on the streets of Los Angeles’ Skid Row (or its equivalent). There was a huge problem with alcoholism and alcohol in general. So, one of the principles was no drinking, and it makes perfect sense. The Christian life was held up as an example to live up to, and one of the ways to escape the path of destruction was to stop drinking. Having a religious and social “contract” created a place of restoration and health.

    However (you knew this was coming), the righteous rationale became a litmus test for holiness. If you consumed, sold, or make alcohol, you were obviously not holy. This sounds a little over the top, doesn’t it? Does that mean generations of Christians (including Paul’s successor, Timothy) were not holy? Of course not! There is an argument (questioned by many) regarding the alcohol content difference between Biblical wine and today’s wine, but that really isn’t the issue. If we took things to the extreme, we would only be holy if we were monks or nuns (or the Protestant equivalent). That seems pretty silly, too.

    Let’s be clear. We can look around us and see alcohol (and many other things) are a significant problem. Alcohol (and those other things) can easily lead one away from family, church, and God. On the other hand, many of these things should not be presumed to do this. Do many of the troublesome things lead us away from Jesus? Absolutely! God is full of grace and mercy, and still constantly calls us to him, and away from those things we find tempting.

    Alcohol is an easy one. What about the internet? The internet has enabled the destruction of many families and churches. There are many people addicted to the internet (or something on it). The church isn’t calling for the banishment of the internet (okay, there are probably local churches that are). In fact, the internet may be the greatest evangelism tool we’ve had since the printing press. Alcohol, the internet, food, money all have the potential to destroy humanity.

    With that being said, then, what are we to do? Holiness isn’t just personal. John Wesley noted that holiness is only truly found in social holiness. That means we are all to be holy to/with/for each other. The rules of holiness, just like the rules of the Jews, are shadows of things to come. We are called to walk with each other toward Jesus. We are to study together, pray together, weep together, praise together, worship together. We are called to live as framily. Rules are easier than holiness. Rules are a checkbox to complete. Sadly, often when we complete the checkboxes we think we’re done. Until we’ve gone through the veil of death, we are never done walking the road of holiness toward Jesus.

    1) Have you ever accused or thought of someone not being “holy” or living the “Christian Life”? Why? Was it a “rule”, or was it Scriptural?

    2) Who are you walking with on the road of holiness? Are you actually talking to them about your holiness journey and theirs?

  • For the Opposition

    Psalm 11, Deuteronomy 32:35, Ezekiel 18:30–32, Matthew 5:43–48

    If you’ve been on social media any amount of time, you might notice that the longer you’re on it, the less you see from those who think differently. Another way to think of it is that the more you interact (click, “like”, just stare at) with a post that makes you angry or feel persecuted, the more posts of exactly that kind you will see. This is the reality of social media that was visibly part of the 2016 presidential campaign and was part of both the 2008 and 2012 campaigns, but we were all just ignorant.

    This is incredibly important to understand and needs to be used to intellectually and emotionally filter any social media or traditional media interaction you have. Why? Because others are also experiencing their own confirmation bias, and it might be in tension with yours. The most disturbing part of social media is how it is reinforcing some of the basest human tendency…finding an enemy.

    There is no question that we are in a divided nation and an increasingly divided world. The lines are coming more rigid, and the walls between seem to be growing larger. It would be nice to be able to blame social media and the internet. Except that we are the problem.

    In both Psalm 11 and Deuteronomy 32:35, God makes it clear that it is God’s place to punish “the enemy,” yet we often try to take the place of God. God leaves people to their own demise, but we seem to want to hurry them along, often in an attempt to make ourselves feel/look better.
    Ezekiel tells us that God wants repentance and reconciliation. When God leaves us to our own devices (or the result of our actions) it’s not that God wants that result for us. God never desires our physical or spiritual death. Yet, we often are not the first to aid others, retaining our “us versus them” heart.

    Jesus calls us to pray for our enemies. Enemies, though, is a very emotionally laden word. A better understanding would be those who are in opposition to us. The opposition could be political, differing faiths, differing denominations, differing ideas of whose grass is greener or has more weeds and crabgrass. Persecution definitely is in regards to beliefs, but, still, we are called to pray for them.

    1) Prayer changes people. Have you ever had the experience of praying for a person who “opposed” or “persecuted” you and had your heart changed rather than theirs? Do you think that is normal, or abnormal? Why?

    2) In the context of Jesus’ words and the first question, why does Jesus direct us to pray for opposers and persecutors?

    3) Which opposer or persecutor will you commit to pray for?

  • Monday after Easter

    John 1:19–23, Acts 2:22–32

    Not it! That what John says, at least. Yet, his behavior causes people to call into question what his purpose is. If we look at this part of John’s story through the lens of today’s media and internet world, someone saying, “not it,” is not quite what is expected. Many people, especially in tech and politics seem to paint themselves in a Messianic light. They want people to emotionally believe that the person in question will save them. Both the person wanting it and the people giving it understand that the person in question is no Messiah. However, there still seems to be this need.

    We can see it in people who claim to know Jesus, too. They attach themselves to politicians and church leaders in an almost Messianic way. It’s actually pretty sad. Jesus should be their Messiah. Actually, Jesus is their Messiah, but they’ve forgotten in their hearts. Christians have no excuse to look at others being their savior. They have already claimed to know that Jesus is the one and only savior (i.e., Messiah).

    John wants nothing to do with the Messianic bit. He’s more than satisfied pointing to the true Messiah. For John, pointing to the Messiah and getting people started in the right direction is for him the very good life. John’s lifestyle doesn’t really call to people. There really aren’t a lot of people saying, “I want to live in the desert, wearing a fur coat, drinking only water, and eating bugs.” As strange as the life he lived out was to people, he still drew people. He didn’t say, “live just like me.” He did say, “repent.” His lifestyle wasn’t the goal. Jesus was the goal.

    When Peter preaches to the people of Jerusalem he uses the recent story of Jesus’ life and death. He then uses what they know (scripture) to drive home the point. Then, instead of beating on them for their collective part in the death of Christ, he announces the resurrection. Wait? What? No guilt trip? Nope. Just some random guy pointing to Jesus. Some guy whose life was dramatically changed. Pointing the way to Christ. That is what Peter did.

    When it comes to the very good life, the greatest joy may be pointing someone to Jesus. Why? Jesus is the key to the very good life, the key is free, and the number is unlimited.

    1) What is the very good life to you?

    2) Both John and Peter point to Jesus. Why is pointing to Jesus part of the very good life?

  • Communal Sacrifice

    Exodus 12:1–20, Nehemiah 8:1–18, Psalm 133

    The Exodus story, specifically the first Passover, always comes up around Easter. Which makes perfect sense, as Holy Week revolves around Passover, along with the seemingly obvious linking of Jesus being the ultimate Passover lamb (i.e., the sacrifice needed for Passover). All the Israelites were going to sacrifice a lamb for a household. This was a large communal thing. One could (and did) ignore it at their peril.

    Communal is something done or shared in a community, such as a church. An action done by everyone creates a powerful effect. In the US, we’ve forgotten a lot of communal activities, much of this having to do with our culture of independence. We miss a lot. It is why communal celebrations such as Communion and Baptism are so important to the life of the church. There is something also very powerful—and community building—in sharing a meal together.

    “If the household is too small for a whole animal, that person and the neighbor nearest his house are to select one based on the combined number of people; you should apportion the animal according to what each will eat.” (Exodus 12:4)

    There are 2 important observations in this verse. The first is how important and sacred this sacrifice is. Sacrifices mentioned later do not have this built-in focus on not wasting the sacrifice; just properly disposing of it. This one mentions not wasting it as part of the sacrifice itself. It is to be part of the consideration when choosing the lamb to be sacrificed. There is a shared burden for neighbors to make sure that each other has enough, but not too much.

    The second observation is that by setting this boundary, extra emphasis is added to the communal nature of this specific sacrifice. This sacrifice and celebratory observation of Passover is not to be done in isolation.
    Isolation—the internet notwithstanding—allows us to not learn from others, not to be in community with others, and not love others. When the Israelites return from exile, we read (Nehemiah 8:1-18) that the Israelites learned, mourned, and celebrated in community. Upon learning that there was supposed to be another festival—the Festival of Booths—they gather together (community) and celebrated it. Our celebrations, our learning, our mourning are (generally) more powerful in community, rather than in isolation. Fellowship and unity grow. Yet, we still tend toward isolation.

    Psalm 133 sums it up:

    How good and pleasant it is
    when brothers live together in harmony!
    It is like fine oil on the head,
    running down on the beard,
    running down Aaron’s beard
    onto his robes.
    It is like the dew of Hermon
    falling on the mountains of Zion.
    For there the Lord has appointed the blessing—
    life forevermore.

    1) Do you find yourself tending more toward isolation rather than community? Why?

    2) If you are an introvert, how will you allow yourself to be drawn and actively seek community? If you are an extrovert, how can allow and encourage people to join the community without overwhelming them?

    3) What other communal rituals (including secular ones) can you think of? What power do they have in people’s lives, and why?

  • Being Pulled

    Deuteronomy 9:13–21, Luke 21:34–38, Hebrews 3:12–19

    The culture wars are over. Or are they? Just this week, the Chinese government reaffirmed its attack on Christianity, promising to root out any “Westernizing” characteristics to Chinese culture. The conference last month held by the United Methodist Church was a conflict of cultures (particularly US/Canada versus the Southern Hemisphere). Many American Evangelicals continually attack the prevailing American culture, while others embrace it. These words are not meant to start a strong cultural “conversation”. They are meant to make you realize that there always has been, and always will be a culture war. The culture wars won’t always be in your face. That’s actually the problem. It’s the little things that can lead us toward the wrong things. It is also the little things that can bring us to the best things.

    Moses’ summary of the Israelites behavior (so quick to turn away from God) is a summary of many people’s relationship with God. It is first hot but goes cold quickly. While we can look at the Israelites as different than ourselves, our tendencies are still there. The Israelites may have been called into a covenant life with God (just as we are), but they still were products of a hybrid Egyptian/Hebrew culture. It wasn’t “pure”. There was a culture war in the hearts of the Israelites from the moment Moses approached Pharoah, to…well, it just continued. It never really stopped. The entirety of the Hebrew Testament is a culture war. God’s ways versus the people’s ways.

    Jesus warns the disciples of this when he tells them to be on guard. Now we could say to ourselves that we don’t have a practice of carousing or drunkenness, and most of us don’t when it comes to alcohol. However, there are other behaviors that, while different, result in the same dullness of mind: overwork; exhaustion; over-consumption of internet, media, food, etc. Our minds are easily dulled. Without the sharpness to discern good from bad (long- and short-term), and Godly from not-Godly, we can make decisions that lead us away from a more fulfilling life with God.

    As we turn away from God, and as the world pulls us away from God, bad thoughts, patterns, and habits can build and develop in us to further harden our hearts. When we fully participate in a Godly life, which includes (but is not limited to) fellowship with other believers, our minds should be prepared when it comes to the world. We cannot stand on our own. It would be nice to not have to rely on others, but that is not the way God wired us. We are intended to be in community. This is why the author of Hebrews uses “we”. As participants in the body of Christ, we guard each others’ hearts, and we (should be) sharpening each others’ minds to better discern the worldly from the Godly.

    1) Are you participating in the body of Christ? This does and does not mean showing up on Sundays. Often the temptation on Sundays is to be a consumer or observer, rather than a participant. So, if you are participating, how is it helping you to sharpen your mind?

    2) If you are participating, and your mind is not being sharpened, what can you along with others do to add sharpening? If you are not currently participating, what are you doing to sharpen your mind?

    3) Have you ever experienced something similar to a “dullness of mind”? What significant decisions, if any, have you made in those times? Do you have any regrets with those decisions?

    FD) Friends can have different cultures. Have you ever had a struggle with a friend because there was a cultural difference? What did you do?