We're just mud!

Sunday we mark Father's Day. For some, it will be a joyful day to celebrate a loving relationship. For others, it will be a day of sadness, recalling failure or abuse. No matter what kind of earthly father you were or what kind of father you had - you can put a different spin on the day by celebrating the Fatherhood of One who never fails! If you think you failed in the mission of fathering, remember that God gives new hearts, fresh starts, to those who ask for His renewal. If your father was absent, cruel, or abusive - you can begin the process of forgiveness with the help of God, our true Father.

The Bible says, "As parents feel for their children, God feels for those who fear him. He knows us inside and out, keeps in mind that we’re made of mud." (Psalm 103:13-14, The Message) That's rich, isn't it? He knows that you and I are just clay pots, rather fragile, easily broken. But here's another thought from the Word - "We carry this precious Message (of Christ's love and eternal life) around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us." (2 Corinthians 4:6-7, The Message) God is investing Himself in people who are just mud, made from the same elements as the dirt! His Presence in us makes us noble, transforms us from ordinary clay pots into vessels of honor, into men and women of great value, uniquely belonging to Him, members of His great family.

One of my favorite passages in the entire Bible is the story found in the 15th chapter of Luke. It is that familiar story of a son, head-strong and rebellious, who takes advantage of his father's love, leaves home, lives wildly, and comes to the end of his resources. He is broken and alone. In his desperation, he hatches a plan. "I'll go home and ask Dad if I can just work on the farm. I know I'm not his son any longer, that he could not possibly love me after all I've done to him." So he goes home. As he comes down the road toward home, he sees a familiar figure coming to him. It's his Dad! He braces for the blast of anger -- but instead finds himself embraced, wrapped in arms of love. "And that," Jesus said, "is the true nature of our Father." He is a compassionate Father who remembers that we are just mud!

Dad - maybe you're dealing with a difficult child this year, one who is resisting your efforts at guidance, who is rebelling. I encourage you to remember he or she is just a sinner, a person made of mud; then remember compassion, a love like that love which your Father has given to you.

This Sunday, in addition to remembering your dad, celebrate the Father!
______________________________

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not;
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, With ten thousand beside!

© 1923. Renewed 1951 Hope Publishing Company CCLI License No. 810055

God cares about people!

There's a lot of rhetoric out there about compassion and caring, but how much is genuine? Even among 'church people' who hear so much about loving others like God loves us, how deep does the love really go? That's a question worth asking! I recently talked with a woman whose life had slid into reverse a few years ago. Her health failed, her financial situation deteriorated, her family relationships broke down - and she ended up in desperate straits. Her last resort for housing was a shelter which she described as 'hell on earth!' The government provided the dollars but the 'service' provided by government employees was not from the heart. It was just a job to them! The people being served experienced little in the way of genuine compassion. Then she was directed to a group of people with a ministry to homeless families. There she found genuine compassion, real and deep love; that came from people who were willing to get involved in a way that is costly both in terms of money and time. Their love has put her back on her feet.

Are you serving others - even those who are ungodly or unlovely - with Christ-like love?
Do you see people as persons or objects, as real sons and daughters of God or as pieces on the chess board of life to be pushed around to fit your plays?

Yesterday I was studying the prophet Amos. He opens his sermons with this startling phrase - "The LORD roars... and thunders." In the first two chapters of his book, he tells the pagan nations surrounding Israel of their impending doom, of God's imminent judgment. Here's the really interesting part. He doesn't say God's wrath is coming because they were idol-worshippers or sexually immoral or even because they were Israel's enemies! He speaks time and again (albeit in poetic symbols that are difficult for a layman to decipher) to the cruelty that these nations visited on the people around them. He speaks to their slave trading, to war atrocities, to conquest of nations for economic benefit, and to their general inhumanity. The summary of the passage is that "God cares about people, all people!" He demands that we treat others with dignity, with compassion, and respect. It's not just good social practice to do so; it is God's holy demand of us.

Didn't Jesus say the same thing? A man asked him about pleasing God -
“Teacher, which command in God’s Law is the most important?”
Jesus said, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’
This is the most important, the first on any list.

But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’
These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.” " (Matthew 22:36-40, The Message)

The love of which He speaks is not expressed with words of syrupy sentiment, or a handshake at church, or even a $100 donation to the Salvation Army. It is a love that gives dignity to the poor person, that does not allow slurs to be spoken against those of another race, that does not demean the weak, or the sinful, or the broken. Our personal piety is a hollow expression of godliness without costly involvement with the world around that works to defeat evil, eliminate suffering, and establish the Kingdom of God.

Here's a thought from Amos. Ponder it! Meditate on it!

"Away with your hymns of praise!
They are only noise to my ears.
I will not listen to your music, no matter how lovely it is.

Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, a river of righteous living that will never run dry." (Amos 5:23-24, NLT)

Fearing God

We sing, "I stand in awe of You," but do we really know what that means? Back in 1989, in addition to pastoring a small church in Massachusetts, I worked a few hours each day selling office supplies. It was just a job, not bad, not exciting - just a place to sell pens, paper, poster board, etc. One Summer day a famous face walked through the doors of that little store. Meryl Streep walked up to the counter and asked for refills for her Mont Blanc pen. I was, much to my embarrassment, star-struck! I felt a kind of awe that I was meeting a woman who was, at that time, known all over the world for her work in major movies. Don't get the wrong idea. She didn't come into the store escorted by a big entourage or dressed in diamonds. She had her little kids with her and looked like she had just come in from working the yard. It was simply her presence that created the awe in me.

I don't find awe all that common in our worship of the Living Lord. Often I rush into His presence, whether privately or in corporate gatherings, noisily and often, with a list of demands. I attend to Him half-heartedly while thinking about the deadlines that are pressing in on me. A low view of God has robbed us of our awe, turning the Lord of Glory into the Divine Buddy, the Dispenser of the Doodads! When was the last time you sat in the Presence of the Lord with a crushing sense of His awesomeness? When was the last time that instead of turning up the volume of the music, you felt only like contemplating His Person in silence?

Ponder these words -
"Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!
He is to be revered above all the gods.
The gods of other nations are merely idols,
but the Lord made the heavens!
Honor and majesty surround him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. ...
Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.
Let all the earth tremble before him."
(Psalm 96:4-6, 9 NLT)

It is important to know that Jesus Christ loves us, that He walks with us, that the Holy Spirit comforts us. I make no case for turning God into a remote, unapproachable Person. And yet, we must balance our familiarity with the Lord with a Biblical awe - which Proverbs reminds us is the fountainhead of wisdom! (1.7) The same Jesus who held children in his arms, who extended forgiveness to an adulterous woman, and who fed hungry crowds; is also the Lord of the Revelation - whom John says appeared to him "in a robe and gold breastplate, hair a blizzard of white, Eyes pouring fire-blaze, both feet furnace-fired bronze, His voice a cataract, right hand holding the Seven Stars, His mouth a sharp-biting sword, his face a perigee sun." (Revelation 1:13-16, The Message) And how did John respond to that appearance? "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead." (Revelation 1:17, NLT) Jesus touched John and told him not to be overcome with terror! But there was real awe!

Don't lose your awe of God! Don't make Him too small. Yes, love Him as your Friend. Yes, come near to Him in full confidence of faith, but remember He is the Lord of Glory.
At your entrance into eternity, He will be your Judge, the One who, with perfect justice and complete insight, evaluates every thought, every action, every motive. He is All-Knowing, All-powerful, Present Everywhere, King and Lord above all gods!
________________

You are beautiful beyond description,
Too marvelous for words,
Too wonderful for comprehension,
Like nothing ever seen or heard.
Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom,
Who can fathom the depth of Your love?
You are beautiful beyond description,
Majesty enthroned above.

And I stand, I stand in awe of You.
I stand, I stand in awe of You.
Holy God, to whom all praise is due,
I stand in awe of You.

© 1987 People Of Destiny International (Admin. by PDI Ministries) CCLI License No. 810055

What's under the surface?

When I toured Israel I noted rounded hills in many places. They were usually covered with vegetation, like an ordinary hill, yet often were out of place, rising up from a plain incongruously. Our guide told us that these were 'tells.' A tell is a hill or mound created by human beings who lived on the site. They are like a layer cake. When one civilization was wiped out, usually by war, but sometimes by natural disaster; the next settlers on the site would level the rubble, use what they could, and build a new village on the site. Some of the tells have 20 or more layers! We visited one site where the tell had been dug into leaving a sheer face, so that visitors could see the various layers, the earliest of which dated back thousands of years. It was fascinating to think that I was looking at the work of people who lived hundreds or thousands of years before Jesus walked the pathways of Israel.

You and I live on tells, not physically, but emotionally! Under the surface of my life there is an accumulation of ideas, concepts, and values that were put there by previous generations. The way that I see life, the way that I think, didn't begin new with me, nor with my father, nor even with his father! My life is built on a foundation laid down layer by layer by those who lived before me. That's not always a bad thing! For example, I am very thankful for the Western values of self-determination and freedom that date back hundreds of years to the Reformation of Martin Luther. I am even more thankful for the ancient wisdom of Christianity that I now own which teaches me of love, compassion, and about knowing a personal God, who cares for me. But, under the surface of my life, there are also some not so good ideas, some parts of the foundation, that need to be dug out and discarded.

Part of becoming a person who lives wholly involves coming to understand what's in the rubble of the emotional tell on which life is built! Yeah, I know-- Psychologists work the whole 'parent' thing to death, so much that it is a kind of standing joke. "It's not my fault. I just needed better parents." Jokes aside, we are a product of our parents and our culture. The emotional and intellectual foundations that they passed along to us do effect the way that we think and therefore, the way that we live.

Here's the good news! The Divine Archaeologist knows what's under the surface and He knows how to make us into new creations that are built on the best foundations and rid of the worst parts of the rubble of the past. He promises - "Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it!" 2 Corinthians 5:17 The Message

We must not mistakenly think that this is a magical process that happens without our participation. When you and I receive Christ as Savior, as Lord, as Master - He begins the work in us through the Holy Spirit that makes us alive to God. But spiritual formation is a continuing process, a kind of archaeological dig in our psyche, through the stuff of memory, through the cultural assumptions, that lie beneath the surface. He helps us to properly understand those things, to give them their right value. For Christ Jesus, by the Presence of the Spirit, wants us whole and holy, marked with the likeness of our Savior.

Do you have any idea why you do the things you do, why you think the way that you think?
Have you ever started to sift through the 'stuff' that is just below the surface?
It can be fascinating and frightening at the same time. There will be "aha" moments when you realize, "so that's why I believe that," or "that's where that comes from."
As we go under the surface with the help of the Spirit, remember this - we are not looking for excuses to continue to sin, but rather cooperating with God in the process of becoming whole for the glory of God.

Here's a word from the Word to ponder today. Take it, not as a threat, but a promise of healing!God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. -- Hebrews 4:12 The Message
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Are you puzzled by the way that you're behavin'?
Do you wonder why you do the things you do?
Are you troubled by your lack of resistance?
Do you feel that something's got a hold on you?

Are you livin' in an old man's rubble?
Are you listenin' to the Father of lies?
If you are, then you're headed for trouble,
If you listen too long you'll eventually die.

If you're livin' as a new creation,
If you're listenin' to the Father of light.
Then you're livin' in a mighty fortress,
And you're gonna be clothed in power and might.

Well deep within you there's a spiritual battle,
There's a voice of the darkness and a voice of the light.
And just by list'ning you've made a decision,
'Cause the voice you hear is gonna win the fight.

© 1977 Word Music, Inc. (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.) CCLI License No. 810055

Great worship?

Every Sunday afternoon I reflect on the worship experience that I lead in the morning. I ask myself, "Was it a 'good' service?" I tend to think about questions like - did the people seem to enjoy being there? Did the sound system work properly, the PowerPoint connect with audience, the music flow well? Did the congregation laugh at the right spots and stay interested in the sermon? All those questions are focused on the audience. How easily I allow myself to get caught up in the mechanics of church, becoming a paid performer on a stage. When I do this I am inevitably dissatisfied with the experience of worship. When I remember that worship is about pleasing an "Audience of One," - offering my songs, words, and prayers to Him, the entire way in which I evaluate a 'good' worship experience changes. The single question that becomes important in evaluating worship is this one - Was God pleased?

How do you evaluate 'church?'
What expectations shape your evaluation?
Is it about the preacher's delivery of the sermons, the singers' songs, the temperature of the A/C, the friendliness of those in the sanctuary?

Or is it about connecting with God along with His people, offering yourself to Him, listening to Him, renewing your devotion to Him?

Of course, the mechanics of a service can be a distraction. If the sound system screeches, or if the music is terrible, or if the preaching is disjointed, it's only human to start to think more about those things than about the Lord God we came to meet.
And yet.... we can meet Him anywhere, if we turn our attention to Him. This came to me so clearly yesterday as I conducted a service in a home for the aged yesterday in the afternoon. The room was not attractive. Some of the congregants dozed in wheelchairs. One dear soul knew enough to realize it was a 'church' gathering, but she wasn't going with the flow. She repeated "Hail Mary" in a drone that went on and on through prayer, through songs, and well into my talk from the Bible. Another lady 'sang' her way from page to page in the hymnal in a loud monotone. She wasn't singing the same verses, often not even the same hymn! But I sensed the Presence of God and I turned my eyes and heart toward Heaven to offer myself to Him. I sang "What a Friend We have in Jesus," with a depth of emotion I have not felt in some time! I came home filled with a peaceful sense that He had met the 30 or so of us in that basement room and that He was pleased by our offering of ourselves in worship. That experience reminded me of the importance of making worship about Him, rather than about Me.

As you begin this new week, let me encourage you to consider your life as an extension of worship. We do not just worship Him in our church buildings.
We are to proclaim His worth (worship defined!) everywhere, everyday. If we are worshippers who know how to focus on Him, how to 'connect' with His Presence during our commute, in our living rooms, at the lunch room table - we will be better worshippers during the worship service!

Here's a prayer - pray it often - as you worship.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. - Psalm 19:14