Devotion.al

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  • Hanging on by a strand

    Hanging on by a strand

    Seth Godin recently posted the following…

    There are three strands, present for most everyone:

    (sometimes seen as status, or the appearance of status)

    Safety (survival and peace of mind)

    Meaning ( and the path forward)

    The changes in our media structure, public health and economy have pushed some people to overdo one or the other and perhaps ignore a third. When a social network finds your button and presses it over and over, it’s hard to resist.

    New cultural forces catch on because they hit on one or more of these. And is understood through this lens as well.

    See the braid and it’s a lot easier to figure out why we might be stressed.

    “The Braid Out of Balance”, Seth Godin

    This brought to mind a passage in Ecclesiastes

    Then I turned to re-examine something else that is pointless on earth: Consider someone who is alone, having neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his work, and he is never satisfied with wealth. “So for whom do I work,” he asks, “and deprive myself of pleasure?” This, too, is pointless and a terrible tragedy.

    Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. If they stumble, the first will lift up his friend—but woe to anyone who is alone when he falls and there is no one to help him get up. Again, if two lie close , they will keep warm, but how can only one stay warm? If someone attacks one of them, the two of them together will resist. Furthermore, the tri-braided cord is not soon broken.

    Ecclesiastes 4:7–12 (ISV)

    The long-standing “go it alone” mentality of US cultural history is still very much present, despite much of the US culture going through upheavals. The braid (Godin) or cord (Ecclesiastes) is a good image to use when we think of our lives, and the inputs we have, whether power, safety, and meaning (Godin) or friends and companions (Ecclesiastes).

    Bad Math

    One of the things one learns about ropes (or cords or braids), is that it is possible to use them where one strand breaks as it bears the brunt of the load. The other two strands then have to bear an additional 50% that were not planned or expected.

    We may all understand 100%. Yet, most of us understand that we are just not capable of doing that all the time (we do have to rest). When that 1 strand is broken, the load is now 150%. Again, do-able for a short amount of time.

    It is when the last strand is broken that we experience a brutal reality of 300%.

    No one can sustain that.

    Strong Strand

    As I look around me, I see people within and without the faith in Jesus Christ1 who are leaning on something other than Jesus. Within the faith, in particular, the concern is those whose faith appears (for I cannot see their heart) to be more on a particular iteration of the Christian faith (not-so-essential theology), rather than Jesus. Even more concerning is when their iteration goes hand-in-hand with a particular political (and this is not only those on the so-called right—or extreme right—of the political spectrum).

    As much as I am trying to elevate Jesus, much of our knowledge about Jesus is in the (i.e., The Holy Bible). That, too, may result in another extreme, though, and that is only looking at the Scriptures in isolation. If we (as an individual) are the only reader, contemplators, and interpreters of the Scriptures, we will likely (as history repeatedly shows) get ourselves in trouble.

    Not that reading it together often seems much better, for the record.

    If you are looking for a faith community to join in, or have one, always keep hold loosely. I don’t mean waver. I mean don’t hold so tightly onto your tradition that you are unable to hear the other branches of Christianity honestly (rather than listening to debate), and even other faith traditions all together (including secularism and atheism).

    Open Hand

    I know someone will read the above and try to say that the other Christian traditions or other faiths will lead people astray. It might be true. However, if we are unable to engage them, then if person gets one strand of their faith (Christian or not) broken, just as the opening quote, everything may well unravel.

    “I have decided to follow Jesus,” is a refrain from an old hymn, and it is my truth. Following Jesus means that I regularly have to wrestle with my faith, my faith tradition (Wesleyan--Arminian), my political leanings and tendencies, my experiences. It also means I have to welcome the uncomfortableness of wrestling with the faith, (faith and cultural) traditions, political leanings and tendencies, and experiences of .

    Growth and Strength

    I have one caveat to the strand/cord/rope illustration. Instead of a rope that breaks and frays over time, I would say that what makes up the rope is more like a muscle. If you work it (in harmony with the other strands), it gets stronger. If you don’t work it, it rots in place.

    1For clarity, faith in Jesus Christ as defined via the Apostles’ Creed, Creed of Nicaea, Nicene Creed, Chalcedonian Creed, Athanasian Creed.

  • Know Yourself. Know Your Idol.

    Know Yourself. Know Your Idol.

    The two latest tragedies that are in front of me are the school shooting in Texas, and the abuse scandal unraveling in another denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention. Both are incredibly painful. They should be. They are another example of how humanity has fallen and how determined, it seems, humanity is to stay mired there.

    Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.

    1 John 5:21, New Living Translation

    It was this verse, however, that strikes me as the core issue…idols. Whether one is a Christian, in a Christian community, or not a Christian at all, we each have idols or, more importantly, something that is so close to being an idol that it may not be one spiritually (though that may be debatable), but functionally is.

    I from ignorance regarding the shooter at the school tragedy, and deliberately so. Reading what pundits and talking heads have to say, even first-person testimonies aren’t particularly helpful and may be more damaging in regard to a solution. From a ‘s standpoint, I see . Whether it is generational pain, cultural pain, and/or personal pain, it seems to me that someone was in such spiritual and emotional pain that they reacted in a seemingly inhumane way.

    He responded inhumanely, but he responded far too humanly.

    One of the words I’ve seen applied to him, the accused SBC abusers, and the abuse enablers (in the cases of both shooter and abusers) is inhumane. That can be a misleading term. is a moral stance that is, in the US at least, based upon cultural and supposedly Judeo-Christian frameworks. Humane from a Christian standpoint can best be framed by using Charles Sheldon’s words (culturally popularized in the ’90s), What Would Do?

    On the other hand, (i.e., less the “e”) is different. Frankly, both tragedies are emblematic of human-ness. Yes, both were inhumane, as are we. I bring this , as we often to inhumane as if it were the same as being inhuman, or not human. This is a grave danger for us, as when we remove the “e”, we tend to make out to be less than we are. This leads to tirades against others and the hardening of hearts.

    I’m convinced that the Gospel has not lost its power. I’m equally convinced that we have lost the power of the Gospel. We are agents, it seems, of becoming more human and less humane.

    In What’s Wrong with the World, G.K. Chesterton wrote, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.” I might amend Chesterton and say, “it was found difficult and abandoned.”

    Each of us has an issue that ignites us. Each of us has a pain that motivates or chains us. These can be our idols. Pray with me that God frees us from them all and that we become more like Jesus (humane) and less a sinner (human).

  • Seeing Christ In The Lives of Others

    Romans 12:16–21

    As part of our college ministry many years ago, we asked our college students to come up with their statement. It was coached in a business/organization language; it should have been better phrased as a Rule of .

    Mine was: Seeing Christ in the Lives of .

    Yes, the title was my little slogan. As of late, it has come to mind regularly. Often it is part of my to a myriad of things that I am seeing and hearing about all around, whether it be personal interactions or even Tweets (posts on the Twitter platform).

    There seems to be a predilection to be wounded and hurt first (and responding that way).

    Hurt people, hurt people

    This saying from my time in Celebrate Recovery continues to resonate with me. God’s timing for teaching me this (right before being hugely wounded) is not lost on me.

    As we watch the world around us, perhaps you need to hear this, too.

    Hurt and see

    You might be hurting now. I know I am. In fact, the reason I’m sharing these thoughts with you is that I, too, am hurting.

    Reflecting on ‘s words to the Romans should provide some to and a framework for us.

    Too often, people take these verses and go right to Paul’s quotation of Proverbs 25:21–22. Heading there first is an indication that we are responding out of hurt and/or first.

    Instead, perhaps we ought to focus on, “…show respect for what everyone else believes is good.” Many may respond with, “That excuses their behavior!” No, it doesn’t. It shows respect for God.

    Another response I have witnessed and experienced is, “that’s not Scriptural.” Sometimes that is the choice of a style of music or a style of dress. Sometimes it truly is something called out by the Scriptures as bad.

    Grace Before

    In the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition, we have the theological construct of prevenient grace. This is the grace that goes before the people even . In particular, it is God’s grace that goes before we have a clue.

    Perhaps the turmoil in the world, especially as the —just as the culture—adapts to massive changes in everything, ought to be perceived with grace, “…show[ing] respect for what everyone else believes is good.” For the record, this is hard.

    Much of the language being used by the world is very judgemental, of course, the church has much the same problem. We are called to be present in the world, but not to be of it. As we hold onto the things of old or embrace the new, looking for Christ in the lives of others may well be an answer.

    ※Reflection※

    • How might Christ be present in the current social advocacy you oppose? How might God’s grace be going before in that situation?
    • Why might it be important to “see” in the lives of others, especially those that do not know Jesus?
  • A Movement: Of Priest and Temple

    A Movement: Of Priest and Temple

    1 Peter 2:1–12

    We, self-included, often focus on “…But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood…” (1 Peter 2:9). This is a very Protestant focus. However, it is not solely one, as both the Roman Catholic church and Eastern Orthodox also focus on it.

    Much of the focus is from the “pulpit”. In other words, the pastor/priest is talking to the believers listening that they, too, are part of the priesthood of all believers. Hence, why the second half of verse 9 is as important as the first half, “…that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of into His marvelous light…”

    There is a reason for the “priesthood of all believers.” It is to be the priesthood for the world. In a number of Christian traditions, the pastor/priest has a certain role, and that is to equip the priesthood of all believers to “…proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

    What is helpful here is to go back a few verses to “…you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5, NKJV)

    In 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, Paul tells the Corinthians that they are a to God. With Peter’s words, too, we come away with this strange duality. We are both temple and priest. Yes, it is symbolism.

    On the other hand, for a people far more reverent and religious than ours, this is significant.

    As a temple, first, we are to be clean. Unless your house, for example, is miraculous, you have to clean it regularly. We “track” the world into our house. Whether it’s sweeping, vacuuming, scrubbing, or something more, we must clean our homes.

    How much more so do we track the world into ourselves, a temple of God? So, therefore, we must clean ourselves as befitting a temple of God. There are plenty of ways that clean the temple. Personally, I have found the practice of Bible reading, , and small group (in my case, 3 other guys spread across the country) to be the best cleansing (doesn’t make it easy). You may find other practices to be better. Just make sure the cleaning gets done regularly.

    This isn’t just an “inside” job, either. The outside aspect of the temple is important, too. The world sees the outside of the temple. The peculiarity of being the temple is that we are very aware of the crevices that aren’t clean on the inside. If we focus too much on the inside, however, the outside is a mess. However, if we (like so many of us do) focus too much on the outside, the temple comes crumbling down, for the internal structure cannot hold up the facade (or false front) shown to the world, and we then dishonor God by our fallen temple.

    This is not about tattoos, piercings, dyed hair, or something like that. This is about how we treat , care for others, or even love others. This is about the behaviors we allow ourselves to do, and allow others to do. As the culture has made us all too aware, we have not done a particularly good job regarding the behaviors of others.

    Nor can we forget about being “the priest”. You may have experienced this, too, where someone says that all they need to do is God in their car or online or even at church and that’s all that matters. It’s as if the priestly aspect of worshipping God with song is the “goal” of being a priest.

    If we were to look at one of the tasks of priests (the ones in the temple), we could draw that conclusion. Except…they weren’t the only priests. The majority of priests (from an Old Testament point of view) didn’t work at the temple. They were among the people.

    Much of the Christian view has been twisted (with significant reason) to view that the entirety of the priestly class was the leadership that as described in the New Testament that followed and harassed and challenged Jesus. Yet, while the Scribes and the Pharisees were the loud obnoxious ones we read about, we know that they weren’t the only ones out there (think of John the Baptist’s dad).

    The priestly isn’t only the roles and tasks at temple that need doing. It is the and guiding of the world. With even a little bit of introspection, we know that we need the of, and to be changed by, God to do either of those well.

    ※Reflection※

    • What does it mean for you to be a priest?
    • What are some of the ways that you are a temple to and of God?
    • How does you being a priest affect your understanding of also being a temple?

    ※Prayer※

    God, grant us the lamp of love that never grows dim,
    that it may shine in us and warm our hearts,
    giving light to others through our love for them,
    by its brightness provide a vision of the holy city where the true and inextinguishable light of Jesus Christ our Lord shines. Amen.
    — a modified prayer of Columbanus

  • Blazing a Way

    Blazing a Way

    Nehemiah 9:1-31

    “It’s not our fault!”

    That is proclaimed so much by so many about slavery, racism, poverty, etcetera…and they’re right. Yet, here we have the example of the Jews. It was the fault of their ancestors. However, their ancestors were dead.

    All things new

    Often, you cannot figure out the right way without figuring out the wrong way. Confessing the wrongdoing of one’s predecessors isn’t taking responsibility for it (i.e., guilt and shame for what they did). So what? Now is the time to forge a new path. Granted, the Jews of Nehemiah’s time were the descendants of those who rebelled against God. Yet, at least I can see a recognition that this confession is also a warning to themselves that this could befall them, too.

    This passage in Nehemiah really causes me to pause and think about today in the US with our laser focus on our individuality. Perhaps our personal confession is too much about ourselves and not enough about others.

    Ours to Confess

    In the Lutheran tradition (especially during ), the following is spoken by the body:

    Most merciful God,
    we that we are in bondage to and cannot free ourselves.
    We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed,
       by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.
    We have not loved you with our whole heart;
    we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
    For the sake of your , Jesus Christ, have on us.
    Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name.
    Amen.

    Our Forging

    We are being forged. It sounds impressive until you recognized the forging process. Tossed in a hot furnace until you’re so hot that you almost melt. Put onto a hard surface and hit with a hammer, and maybe bent with tongs. If that’s not enough, you might be tossed back into the furnace and brought back out, and hit/bent some more. Then you’re tossed into a vat of oil or water to cool off. If you come out warped, enjoy the next trip through the furnace.

    I’m not sure about you, but somehow that sounds kind of like now (and the previous couple of years).

    Forging Expectations

    As a white, middle-class, middle-aged male, I could be threatened by the riots, the challenges to my , the challenges to the church, the challenges to “my” culture. I might even feel threatened (or insulted) that people think that their understanding of each of these things actually represents who I am.

    Or, I follow the example of Nehemiah and the Jews. I could confess that those who went before weren’t perfect, made mistakes, and even did things I believe are wrong. I’m not taking their guilt upon my shoulders, for that is not mine to bear.

    However, leaving the wrongs things wrong just because they’re someone else’s fault is…wrong. And, because we are called to others…it is often sin.

    Sin, From a Certain Point of View

    As someone from the Wesleyan theological , the Lutheran confession of being in bondage to sin is irksome. It rubs me the wrong way. It superficially violates much of our understanding of being freed through Christ and can be seen to conflict with Entire Sanctification (aka, Perfection).

    We are in bondage to sin. Yes, I said it. Yet, it may not be our sin that we are in bondage to, but the sin of others. I am kind of “wrecked” (in a good way) with this. It transforms (in hopefully a Christ-like way) my thinking in regards to the concept of institutionalized racism and even the gap between wealthy and poor.

    We are the church. Being free to follow and fulfill the love of Christ is our holy calling.

  • Veiling Mystery

    Veiling Mystery

    Psalm 111; Isaiah 25:6–10a; Mark 6:35–44

    The veil has long existed as a physical reminder of mystery. The truly veiled becomes a mystery (again) as she walks down the aisle toward an anxious and waiting . Modern weddings have pretty much eschewed the bridal veil. The bride may have a nominal veil, but it serves no purpose but to fulfill a clothing tradition, as it does not mask the bride as she walks down the aisle. Even when we think we know what is behind the veil, there is this mystery of “what if” behind the veil that still attracts us.

    The veil mentioned in Isaiah is a mystery in and of itself. Some translations leave it as a “shroud” or “veil”. Others it a “burial shroud” due to its Hebrew root being “tight wrapping”. However, a “tight wrapping” can also be interpreted as “swaddling clothes” (i.e., for an infant).

    The veil stuck in the middle of a feast and the destruction of definitely puts some additional ambiguity in there (Hey, it’s a mystery!). Christian commentators will often invoke the “death of death” in this. They may be right.

    However, at least some of the Jewish commentators put this in the middle of something completely different. Depending on how certain words are translated, this passage isn’t a positive message to non-Jews. According to Rashi, the whole feast is actually a trap, where the feast appears to be fine food and wine, but is actually the leftovers and the dregs (the debris left in the bottom after wine is aged), and that the nations (granted, that attack the Jews) will be destroyed.

    Talk about a complete 180­­° turn! To Rashi’s understanding, the wrapping (the “veil”) is more of the that there is no escape from punishment. It is actually mind-blowing to read completely different understandings of Hebrew from people who were often trained to think the same way about Hebrew.

    This apparent contradiction is one joy I have in the , and why I’ve writing these devotionals. How can there be two completely different understandings of both the Hebrew and the interpretation?

    First, of course, are the presuppositions. From a Jewish perspective, Isaiah is all about the immediate punishment of the Jews for their sins, and the subsequent punishment of those that afflicted and assaulted the Jews for their sins (on top of attacking the People of God). So, we should not diminish or dismiss their understanding. In fact, it can actually deepen our understanding.

    One of the biggest lessons to from the Scriptures is the surface lessons and the deeper ones. Much of Isaiah does indeed lend itself to both (as do much of the prophetic works). The nations that attacked the Jews? Yep, they received their punishment, and they could not escape. The temptation of the land trapped them (the Romans has somewhat of the same problem generations later).

    On the other hand, the coming of did not overturn the traditional understanding of the Scriptures. Jesus’ coming transform the understanding. A Jew who does not believe Jesus is the Messiah, Lord, and Savior will not have their understanding of these words transformed.

    Just as we who have come to know Jesus have been transformed, so too have the Scriptures. Not literally, for Jesus is the Word, but in understanding. When the Word in the flesh came, the Scriptures gained new light, and humanity was gifted a transformed understanding of who God really is.

    ※Reflection※

    • What are some “veils of mystery” that you can think of? What impact do they have in your life?
    • How do both understandings of these verses in Isaiah inform you about God?
    • Why is transformation such an important concept when it comes to the Old Testament and our reading and understanding of the Scriptures?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, you have and are the words of life. Transform our hearts to hunger for your Word, that we can bear your Word into the world, and be a light to one another. Amen.

    ※ A Post Script ※

    As I’ve communicated before, God has released (directed?) me to something new and unknown (a mystery). This is the last daily devotional. I thank you for journeying with me through the Scriptures. As I delve into what God has in store, expect to still hear from me, just in a different way than devotions have been done. I pray that God will continue to bless your walk with Jesus and that you find those Christian companions who will continue to deepen your faith and understanding. -Pastor Ian

  • Your Contentment

    Your Contentment

    Psalm 111; Genesis 18:1–15; Philippians 4:10–20

    One of the harder things about being a is that God often doesn’t our ‘s desires. We describe God as good, loving, , and many other positive traits. Yet, the giving (or lack thereof) often gets in the way of our understanding of God’s goodness, loving, and giving nature.

    Abraham and Sarah are the case in point. Do we really think that Abraham and Sarah haven’t been praying and pleading for a child up until now? Of course not! By this point, though, all common sense of being able to have a child has been fulfilled. Perhaps (though the Bible doesn’t say) Sarah had already completed menopause. What , from a , could there be?

    Yet, Abraham didn’t stop himself from having God at the center of his (which also doesn’t mean that he stopped making mistakes). We have all known people, perhaps even ourselves, who longed for a child of their own but may have had a long road of sadness and heartbreak. Some may have ended up with children of their own. Some may have adopted. may have to invest in the children of others.

    Contentedness, however, is something altogether different…maybe.

    Paul was content. His heart was focused on something different, and that’s okay. There is often a focus on Paul’s content that is not in line with…Paul’s content. Paul’s focus was his testimony and the Christian communities he left behind. He was content that he had done his best, and content in his place in God’s plan.

    It is possible to be content while striving for something. Even Paul continued to strive for the mission and dealt with the heartache for his distant communities as they struggled.

    There is another way to view “content”, accepting circumstances with an open and loving heart. It includes trusting God. This understanding of content allows recognition that not everything is as it should be, so that there is room for improvement. This could also be understood as not allowing the circumstances to poison your heart against God or others.

    ※Reflection※

    • How have you understood content in the context of a Christian life? How does the world understand content?
    • How do we often allow circumstances to poison our hearts against God?
    • What has been (or is) the biggest issue in your life that caused (or causes) struggles in your content?

    ※Prayer※

    As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness. Amen. (Psalm 17:15, NIV)

  • Let ‘Em Fight

    Let ‘Em Fight

    Psalm 145:10–18; 2 Kings 3:4–20; Colossians 3:12–17

    It can be hard to be rid of wounds. Many physical ones heal with scars, though the deeper body ones may not heal well. For most of us, the emotional and spiritual wounds are the ones with deep and lasting effects. These are the ones that can hold us back; they can also be the ones that drive us forward. When our ones are wounded, often our response is heightened due to our desire to protect them and our subsequent failure to do so. We, then, may react toward them in ways that may seem unwise or over the top.

    Elisha’s response to Joram (or Jehoram) may have been a bit harsh. Elisha was the spiritual son of Elijah as the inheritor of the prophetic position. Joram was the son of Ahab. Elijah and Ahab had a poor . Horrible relationship might be more appropriate. Elijah lived much of his life in fear of Ahab. That likely deeply affected Elisha’s response to Joram. Even prophetic people are human.

    Although it often seems impossible to live beyond our pains or the pains of our loved ones, we are still called to do it. Will we fail? More often than not. Yet, often it is only through the striving to move beyond the pain that we can begin to heal and gain new perspectives.

    We bring our hurts with us everywhere we go, including church. In fact, one of the biggest reasons people leave a church (or the church or the ) is because people at church hurt them. The reality is that the church proportionally contains as many hurt people as the world…100%. How we deal with the hurts should be what separates Christian behavior from the world’s behavior.

    We should be honest…Christian behavior in this regard is often worse than the world’s. The world has put systems into place to mitigate some of it. It still misses a lot of it. Across the denominational landscape (i.e., in no way limited to a single tradition or denomination), the church has done a horrible job. Whether it is the burying and hiding of failures or the annihilation of the failed, the church has left a large body count in its wake.

    Paul’s words to the Colossians aren’t just to a “church”, it is to individuals. One of the biggest mistakes we in/of the church make is thinking in institutional terms, rather than individual terms. This is very peculiar as the primary Western expression of Christianity is all about individual , individual sin (for repentance and salvation). Yet, we are quick to move to an institutional framework when it (even just) might require us to deal with the failures of another.

    There is a huge piece of personal responsibility. There is a huge piece of institutional responsibility. Institutions are made of individuals, so it still comes down to individuals. How we are formed by each other and the Scriptures will play a significant part of how we deal with things. Though, the hardest part is not running away every time, and yet—after doing the hard work—there is a time to leave.

    The of one body is hard to achieve. Paul commends sing psalms and songs to one another. That “to” is interesting. Our worship songs are “to” God (as they should be as reflections of , adoration, and thanksgiving). It would be nice to know which songs and psalms Paul meant. It does mean though that we are to work on one another in the love of Christ. It also means, that we are to allow ourselves to be worked on, which often means our pains and hurts come out. What we do with ours and those of may well reflect how much we really let the Holy Spirit renovate our hearts.

    ※Reflection※

    • What worship songs (of any era) or psalms would you think of to sing to others to help form them in the image of Christ?
    • When it comes to conflict how do you deal with it at home, at work, extended family, socially, at church? How do you when you witness conflict at each of these places?
    • How do Paul’s words affect your responses, or your responses, to conflict?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, we wrestle with one another, often out of pain. Blessed Healer, heal our hearts so that we do not hurt the hearts of others.