Tag: tradition

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 mission statement. It was coached in a business/organization language; it should have been better phrased as a Rule of Life.

Mine was: Seeing Christ in the Lives of Others.

Yes, the title was my little slogan. As of late, it has come to mind regularly. Often it is part of my response 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 Paul’s words to the Romans should provide some wisdom 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 fear 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 act. In particular, it is God’s grace that goes before we have a clue.

Perhaps the turmoil in the world, especially as the church—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” Jesus in the lives of others, especially those that do not know Jesus?
2021 11 01
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 Lent), the following is spoken by the church body:

Most merciful God,
we confess that we are in bondage to sin 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 Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy 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 faith, 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 love others…it is often sin.

Sin, From a Certain Point of View

As someone from the Wesleyan theological family, 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, Christian 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.

2021 08 25
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 bride becomes a mystery (again) as she walks down the aisle toward an anxious and waiting groom. 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 name 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 death 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 vision 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 Scriptures, and why I’ve loved 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 learn 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 Jesus 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 eternal 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
2021 07 28
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 loved 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 relationship. 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 faith) 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 salvation, 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 peace of one body is hard to achieve. Paul commends sing psalms and worship songs to one another. That “to” is interesting. Our worship songs are “to” God (as they should be as reflections of praise, 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 others 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 respond when you witness conflict at each of these places?
- How do Paul’s words affect your responses, or your future 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.
2021 07 23
Burning Call
Psalm 145:10–18; 1 Kings 19:19–21; Colossians 1:9–14

One of the issues that has come up in the last year in church-ish circles is the ordination of women. Saddleback took a bold step and ordained women which went against the predominant grain of their partner body (SBC). There was an unexpected explosion in certain circles against Beth Moore. Along with misogynistic proclamations and male misconduct issues in the SBC, Moore left that body that she had grown up in.

One of the claims against women being ordained are some contextually misused verses and the traditions of the Israelites. The Church of the Nazarene has ordained women since its founding, but over the years has struggled to fulfill that promise. It’s on the right track, but there is work to be done, still.

There is often a wringing of hands in Christian Complementarianism (where only men can be leaders/pastors/elders) circles that there aren’t enough faithful men to fulfill empty roles. The Roman Catholic church, on top of its complementarian issues also requires celibacy, is also experiencing this problem. Some churches in both groups are finding creative ways around their limitations, but the reality is that there aren’t the faithful men needed.

For me, there were two transformative experiences in this regard. The first was experiencing the preaching of Dr. Nina Gunter. Any person with any spiritual sense and without theological blinders could experience her spirit-led preaching. The second was during my “Discovery” weekend of my pastoral journey, where I had to preach to my peers, senior pastor, and District Superintendent. I preached from Luke 19:38–40, where Jesus was told to rebuke his disciples. He responded, then the rocks will cry out. When I was praying over the words to preach, it came to me; God will not wait for us to proclaim God’s glory.

In other words, in the tradition of the Church of the Nazarene (and our sibling Holiness denominations) already assumed there were faithful women (and, yes, there are deeper theological reasons). I came to realize that complementarianism may actually already have its answer. If the men won’t rise, perhaps the women will (see Judges 4:4–9). Not the most Nazarene answer, at the time, but it resonated with my heart (and its implications went far beyond the ordination of women).

Faithfully responding to God has long been an issue. It goes beyond gender. It goes beyond status. It goes beyond wealth. It is a reflection of sin.

To understand, Elisha was, at minimum, plowing in a community, where people worked fields together (theirs and each others’). Some commentators believe that Elisha owned (or was the son of the owner of) all the oxen. That would be 24 oxen, so that would have been a lot of wealth (kind of like having 24 Jaguar cars). Elisha (and/or his family) owning 2 seems much more likely. That would still put him (in modern terms) in a very comfortable middle class.

Then some famous guy comes and puts his mantle (Elijah’s symbol of the prophetic office) on Elisha’s shoulders. Elisha understands that Elijah is declaring him the heir of the prophetic office, which was an unusual example in the Scriptures. Elisha’s response was (basically), “let me show respect and love to my parents.” Done. Then Elisha burns the equipment required for a yoke of oxen, then kills same oxen for a celebration.

Elisha opening, publically, severs himself from his old life. That is a lot of money to just be burning. It’s a great party, but there is no financial way of coming back from it easily. It’s similar to “burning the ships”. Hernán Cortés was famously said to have done this (he really just sank them) to keep his men from trying to return home or mutiny (there is a lot more to the story, and much of it not so positive). Elisha did it for himself.

One of the challenges that the Western Church faces is trying to return. This isn’t just buildings (So, let’s not burn them or just sell them). Actually, it’s more of a way of thinking. Looking back for guidance and encouragement? Yes. Looking back for the plan to navigate this new world? No.

You, too, have a call on your life. You, too, have oxen to burn and ships to sink.

※Reflection※
- What items/events/fears of your past or present are keeping you from living an on fire life for God? (Yes, that is a question worth asking daily)
- If there was one “thing” in your life that would indicate that your are moving on, what would it be?
- Why are we so attracted to stories like that of Cortés or Elisaha, but don’t put it into practice? What other cultural icons (generic or specific) are similar to Cortés and Elisha?
※Prayer※

Lord, there is no question that we are called to live for you. Let our lives be the bonfires that bring people into your light. Amen.
2021 07 22
And Now We Worship
Psalm 142; Amos 9:11–15; Luke 7:31–35

As mentioned previously, Amos’ prophetic mission was to the Israelites, the nation of the 10 tribes that separated from Judah and Benjamin. As part of the “rebellion” the leader of the Israelites, Jeroboam, made 2 golden calves for local worship to protect his “kingship” from reverting to Judah and Jerusalem should the people of Israel choose to faithfully worship at the temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:26–33). He was quite successful.

As the Temple had remained in Jerusalem, and the false worship at Bethel (gold calf), it seems strange to mentions the “tent of David”. The original Tent of Meeting was replaced by the Temple. The Temple in Jerusalem wasn’t destroyed. The temple of false worship in Bethel would fall in a few years due to an earthquake. The people of Israel no longer claimed David as one of their own (1 Kings 12:16–17).

The best way to explain this is to understand the underlying message of Amos: false worship was separating the people of Israel permanently (by their actions, not God’s) from God. True/pure/heartfelt worship would reunite the people of Israel with God. In other words, the false temple won’t help you (and the implication that even the Temple in Jerusalem wouldn’t). Only being someone “after” God’s own heart would restore things as they ought to be. The message to the Israelites was, be David, a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14).

However, no matter how we slice it or define it, we will often worship that which isn’t God, thinking that it will bring us closer to God. Quite often it is behavior. And, while certain behaviors (repentance, love of God, worship of God) will, we all too often confuse which behaviors.

Take Jesus’ words as shared by Luke. John the Baptist and Jesus the Prophet (yes, the Messiah, but for this point, we’ll leave it as prophet) didn’t fit into idealized behaviors that were expected. John wore uncomfortable clothing (a type worn by ascetics as a form of penance or self-denial), and ate “cakes” of dried honey and locusts (yum?). They said he had a demon. John the Baptist, for the record, was unique in his ministry, not his “taste” in clothing and food.

The same people that questioned John the Baptist’s sanity, purity, and holiness, used a completely different measurement tool for Jesus. Jesus dared to drink a lot (whether it was high alcohol or not was never the argument of his contemporaries), eat a lot (he was probably a popular guest), and spend time with the less socially advantaged.

Bluntly, these almost word-for-word statements have been used by far too many Evangelicals (even the demon-one) against Christians of other traditions (and sometimes even within). Far too many worship (yes, worship) forms of worship and obedience far more than they worship God.

There is, of course, a slippery slope. That, too, is an issue worth pointing out. If everything is allowed, then the holiness and righteousness of God are impinged upon. The freedom to do “whatever” is also often worshiped and causes its own troubles (Romans 5:20–6:14).

Who, what, how we worship are all critical considerations for our lives of faith. We just need to be careful that which we call unrighteous (or otherwise inappropriate) worship is not because of the way we see it, rather than how God sees it.

※Reflection※
- What does worshiping as a person after God’s own heart look like? How might it be different than your current practices? How might it be the same?
- Why do we often overcomplicate the worship of God? What kind of actions have you experienced that have hampered your worship of God? Have those same actions been a vital part of another’s worship experience?
- How does the worship in our hearts work with or against the worship of our actions (i.e., body)?
※Prayer※

Glory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us; glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus for all generations, forever and always. Amen. [Ephesians 3:20–21]
2021 07 14
Port Wise
Psalm 107:1–3, 23–32; Job 29:1–20; Acts 20:1–16

“Any port in a storm!”

From a strictly practical standpoint, that sailor quip makes sense. Yet, the port may have dangers of its own that were unexpected. If, for example, naval ships from opposing sides set anchor in the same bay due to a storm, once the storm abated, a different storm might begin.

Security is a multi-faceted need. We recognize our need for security in realms like jobs, health, food, protection. We have become so accustomed to increased safety that new “security” items are released into the market every year.

Security, though, is a double-edged sword, especially if you are not practicing wisdom and spiritual discernment. In certain places in the world, people place themselves under the protection of strong men and gangs. They know that the person or people they are being “protected” by are as bad, or worse, than others, but some protection is better than none.

People will place their security in the hands of politicians (this is pretty universal across the spectrum, except for anarchists and somewhat libertarians). Much of the political rancor that we are dealing with is how people feel most protected or safe. Even those saying we are protecting your freedom imply that they are protecting your freedom from “them”.

While this is relatively easy to point to in politics (though often not easy), it may well be a bigger issue in the church and within the faith context of Christianity.

Of course, there is the easy to identify, “all religions are equal,” safe port that provides zero respect to most religions, as most claim to have some sort of ultimate truth. That ultimate truth is usually not the same as other religions. Thus, all religions are not equal.

The slightly harder “safe ports” are religions dressed up in Jesus clothes, but have significantly different starting, middle, and ending points. The primary two are the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Church of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons). At least, in the beginning, the Jehovah’s Witnesses were successful because they pulled at many people’s desires to be like others. The Mormons are often successful because they really help others in ways that we need to learn.

The harder safe ports are things like prosperity and the health & wealth “gospels” which attribute success in health and/or wealth to one’s faith (and usually one’s giving). This actually has echoes in the Jewish tradition, too (and teachings that Jesus opposed).

Those were all the easy ones. In reality, the hard ones are beyond the scope of this. They include righteous acts with cold hearts, loving words empty of loving acts, giving financially without giving of oneself, giving of oneself without giving financially (though this one is not so clear cut), calling oneself a Christian or Jesus Follower and not living (or even pursuing) a holy life.

※Reflection※
- What “safe” things or ways of thinking have drawn you away from Jesus?
- What “safe” things or ways of thinking that were originally good changed to capture you, inhibiting your life with Christ?
- What are some of the safe things or thoughts that you currently have? Have you looked at them through the lens of Jesus Christ?
※Prayer※

Lord, be the Lord of our heart and the keeper of our souls that we be safe from the trials, tribulations, and temptations of the world. Amen.
2021 06 17
Just Breathe
Psalm 104:24–34; Ezekiel 37:1–14; John 20:19–23

In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, there is a simple practice performed by many, where they say, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God…” while breathing in and then “…have mercy on me, a sinner,” while exhaling.

The Jesus Prayer (as it is called in the Orthodox tradition) is a prayer practice, of course. However, it is also a breath practice. As we, in the larger Christian tradition, consider that the Holy Spirit was breathed into dirt to make humanity, it makes sense to develop a prayer based upon spiritual life and the sacrificial life of Christ.

This same breath is also the breath that God directs Ezekiel to prophesy to. This vision of breath “breathing” life into the dead makes perfect sense as dead bones are just as empty of spiritual life as dirt.

This leads us to Jesus. His disciples weren’t dead. Their bones weren’t dry (or in an ossuary). In some ways, though, they were dead. They were dead in fear. They were dead to knowing what was next. They were dead to what God was really doing.

Then Jesus breathed on them. Some commentators view this as a blessing of sorts. Others more directly tie this to the Spirit as given to humanity to begin with and the Spirit that brought the bones back to life. Within the context, Christians would generally choose the latter (it goes well with Pentecost, after all, and that is how John explains it). Yet, blessing also makes perfect sense, as part of this short passage is about Jesus telling the disciples to be…at peace, which as “Shalom” (Hebrew for all-encompassing wholistic peace and unity) also makes perfect sense.

The leads us back to the Jesus Prayer. Breathe in the Breath of Life (the Holy Spirit). Breathe out the deathly breath of sin, despair, and alienation.

※Reflection※
- Do you think much about breathing? Why or why not?
- What would it mean to you if you thought of breathing as breathing in the Holy Spirit, and breathing out all your sin (and the wages of sin, death)?
- Why do you think fire (a symbol of Pentecost) and the Holy Spirit (wind) complement each other as a blessing of God for the Church?
※Prayer※

Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior of the World, have mercy on us, we humble sinners. Amen.
2021 05 26