Rhoades' Reflections

Reforming Cowardly Barking

2011-01-12T11:00:00.000-08:00

Meet Daisy, the second dog in our household. She is a young dachshund who was added to the family to keep the older dog company. Daisy has acute hearing and barks at the oddest noises. She habitually barks when the house’s heater comes on. Every time I swivel the steps down on the stool in the kitchen she rouses her self from sleep and comes barking. And she even gives a warning yap when I switch the light on in the living room corner.

Now with such sharp hearing you might think she would make a great guard dog, however she is actually a cowardly barker. Some time ago when we had a contractor working in the back yard, Daisy barked continuously to warn us, but she wouldn’t even step one paw out the door to confront the alleged thief. She knew before we did that there was a big shepherd dog next door, but she alerted us with her barking from the safety of her doggie bed in the living room.

Her cowardly barking has been nagging at me for several months. Daisy’s behavior reminds me of how easy it is for Christians to bark and complain about perceived injustices. We can rant and rave over compromised character within leadership or the church’s ignorance of unreached peoples in their community, or any other number of issues within our ministry or teams.

Like our dachshund Daisy, we can feel pretty chuffed with our ability to identify injustices, ungodly behavior, or enemies. We tend to see ourselves as Christian guard dogs. But, like Daisy, we often prefer to bark from safety and comfort. It is way too easy to yap and whine without lifting a finger to bring about change, to lovingly confront others with vital issues, or to pray for God’s practical strategy for tackling a concern.

Jesus actually charged the religious rulers with increasing the rules and laws while not lifting a finger to help bear the burden. The Pharisees and scribes were devout guard dogs of the Law, barking at everyone, but not doing anything to protect or save the people they were barking at. When Jesus came along he saw the same problems, but he was moved by compassion to help lift their burdens. He healed the lame, blind, and lepers. He taught those wandering in spiritual blindness, and he extended forgiveness and love to the disenfranchised of society. His death on the cross made the way for lifting their eternal burden of sin, guilt, and shame.

I’ve started retraining Daisy. When she starts barking at some unknown “enemy” I send her outside to bark. She’s learning not to bark in the house. Thanks to Daisy, I’ve been much more alert to my own tendency to complain! Instead of whinging, complaining, or whining “in the house” I’ve been challenged to go out “there” and take action. Some times it means praying my complaints and doggedly seeking God for justice just as the persistent widow did (Lk 18:1-8). Some times it’s as simple as asking God what he wants me to do about what frustrates me and then go after it.

Daisy’s quirky behavior has had some merit in this house. Thanks to Daisy, I have a constant reminder to quell my tendency to complain. And thanks to God, I can transform my acute sense of wrongs and injustices into points for prayer, love, and action.

Jesus' Take on Titles

2011-01-12T10:52:00.000-08:00

Africa has become known for its civil wars, but there’s also been a “title war” taking place within the church over the last decade. Titles became so important, that the church created a hierarchy of titles for pastors to climb. The role of archbishop became the highest place of honor and the miserly title of “pastor” was reserved for the insignificant or the novice. I could conjecture where this title war started, but that would achieve nothing. The fact is that many Christian leaders quickly joined the throng in the race after lofty titles.

So, I was intrigued when I arrived at the topic of titles when studying Jesus’ tirade against the religious leaders of his day. In the middle of enumerating the things they did to receive praise from man, he named title-mongering. As we listen to his teaching, we can clearly recognize that he was teaching his followers what not to do, using the religious leaders as an example. And using lofty titles was one of the taboos he passed on to his followers.

But, what surprised me was the reason he gave for not using titles such as “Rabbi,” “Teacher.” “Father,” or “Master” (Matt 23:7-12) Jesus stated several times, “for one is your Master.” It dawned on me that titles have the potential of deceiving us as leaders into thinking that we are somehow lofty teachers or fathers, or masters! Instead God means for us to be reminded that He is our Master. Christ is our Master. And we are his servants. That simple change in perspective has the potential of changing my moment-by-moment choices.

I understand that Christ would have us as leaders carry titles that remind us of who we serve because we certainly need that reminder on a daily basis! This perception aligns with Jesus’ constant reference to the Father’s authority over him in his every word and action. Jesus consistently reminded himself and his disciples of his servanthood and sonship. And his discussion about titles reflects his practice. As we read the epistles we see that Paul caught this meaning from Jesus’ teaching and constantly called himself a slave of the Lord, a fellow servant with Christ, or a bond servant of the Lord.

In addition if I follow Jesus’ whole discussion of religious leaders, I also recognized that titles are also meant to remind us as leaders that we are serving people. We are meant to help carry the burdens of those we serve. Jesus so clearly showed the leaders’ absorption with their own titles, reputation, and benefits rather than being consumed with caring for those under them. Jesus’ life directly contrasted the leaders’ practices as he constantly ministered to those around him with abandoned disregard for his own needs and reputation.

My discoveries sent me on an exploration trip, not into my titled friends in Africa, but to examine my own “titles” to check if I’ve drifted in my perceptions away from servanthood to my Master. My titles also remind me to evaluate how well I am doing at serving those I am meant to serve? How securely am I anchored to abandoned service, or am I drifting into absorption with titles, reputation, and the benefits of leadership? Since God is the Master, it’s time for a check up with him. What does he expect of me in my service roles and how closely aligned am I or how far have I drifted from his intentions?

God doesn’t want us to get in a fig about what title we are called, but he does want us to be serious about who we are serving and how! I believe that’s what was important to Jesus. That’s Jesus’ take on titles, and that’s what he wanted to pass on to the generations of people who would follow him and would be called by his name.

photo courtesy of photobucket

Blue Coat Hangers and Change

2011-01-08T00:19:00.000-08:00

My thinking started with a “blue hanger.” I was helping my mother-in-law hang up the clothes from the dryer. She instructed me to put her trousers on a blue hanger. I have to admit, my immediate thought was “how ridiculous,” and then I thought to ask her “why?” She told me that the blue hangers were stonger. Simple! I’m glad I asked. While hanging up her trousers I shared with her my delight in hanging clothes on the clothes line in South Africa with color matched clothes pins. Not because they are stronger, but because I love coordinated colors! Simple! We had a good laugh together.

We all have reasons for our decisions and habits, reasons we may have completely forgotten until a disturbing disruption or someone’s strange question reminds us. The factors we consider in making those decisions vary – maybe color, practicality, speed, comfort, beauty, simplicity, historicity, family concerns, taboos and on and on!

I was acutely aware of how easy it was to disregard my mother-in-law’s desire to use a blue hanger. Color choice seemed rather a peculiar point, but strength made more sense! And my color choice for beauty probably seemed ridiculous when my husband was trying to help me hang up the wet clothes. The factors we each considered were different. I lean toward beauty and practicality while he leans completely towards practicality! The factors reflect our personalities and our values.

You know, I easily slid into using the blue hangers to help my mother-in-law, but I haven’t always been so quick to adapt to other’s ways of doing things. Some things just look ridiculous from my perspective because I’m looking through my very limited viewpoint of a few factors!

When we moved to Africa I was bombarded with so many other factors that I had rarely considered previously – community, unfailing politeness, and unbounded hospitality. I found my ways of doing things totally disrupted as I needed to incorporate these other factors into my decision making! I couldn’t just decide for myself, I had to consider my whole team! I couldn’t just speak what was “normal,” I had to carefully weigh every word and inflection! I chafed against many of the required changes at first, but eventually, I too considered many of these newly acquired factors when making decisions.

Seeing, hearing, and understanding another culture definitely exposed me to a broader array of factors to consider in making decisions. So when I consider making changes in my life now, I also need a shift in my decision making factors. Just talking out my reasoning for old ways can help me see why I’ve been stuck. Sometimes reading the Word can jog me out of old ways of thinking and challenge me with other factors I’ve ignored. And sometimes it just takes God’s revelation to clearly see factors I’ve never considered and I’m on my way to new behavior.

I’m really excited about blue hangers now. Not because they are color coordinated with my clothes, but because they remind me that I have so much to learn from others and from God. And blue hangers remind me that a shift in perspective is vital to change.

picture courtesy of photobucket

Lessons from my 2010 Teaching Adventures

2011-01-01T00:43:00.000-08:00

While we’ve made some major transitions and experienced some personal crises this past year, we have had some significant teaching adventures in various regions of Africa. As we approach midnight of the last night of this year, I paused to consider a few lessons I learned from this year’s teaching adventures.

1) Doing interactive teaching in three languages: We were privileged to do several workshops with leaders speaking English, French, and Portuguese. There was an amazing buzz as individuals did simultaneous translation with small groups of listeners while we taught in English. For discussions we broke learners into groups by language so they could process and scribe discoveries in their heart language. It was difficult to have all the charts and task assignments translated and written out in three languages before teaching. Facilitating group feedback through interpretation was also complicated. Interactive teaching in three languages – challenging! The impact? Awesome!

2) Facilitating workshops with my husband: I found how difficult it is to “lead” in the classroom when your assistant is your own husband. No matter how gracious you are in taking the reins back, it can look like you are running over your husband’s authority(a cultural taboo in Africa)! I also discovered how challenging it was to follow my husband’s lead when he was in charge mostly because I misread his intentions. I tried to take an assistant’s position and simply scribe group responses for him, while he was waiting for me to participate in some of the discussions from the front! Alertness to body language, clearly defined roles and agreed upon cues are vital in working together successfully.

3) Teaching member care skills in the African context. We shifted the focus of our member care training to the developing of specific skills that we wanted students to be able use when returning to their fields of service. That focus required that we incorporate lots of practice time into our daily schedule and eliminate some of the up-front teaching!

I found the most successful sessions were those in which we broke skills down into small stages of teaching and practice, teaching and practice. By the end of those sessions, students were quite comfortable in completing all of the steps. And the most important factor for most of our African students was the role plays in which facilitators demonstrated various skills such as confronting, debriefing, re-entry briefing, and grief briefing. The visual presentation enabled them to “see” how to do the skill and recall the mini-drama.

Most of the lessons I learned this year were out of teaching adventures that stretched us way beyond comfort level and into unchartered territory. To keep learning, I’m looking out for more teaching adventures and gearing up for more risk-taking. Meanwhile, I keep learning at the feet of the Master Teacher.

Cookies, Statistics, and Church Planting

2010-12-31T22:09:00.000-08:00

During our annual indulgence in Christmas cookies, I’ve been reminded of special cookie events from my past. For a short while I became famous within a very small community for making cookies. I love baking cookies, so I became the cookie champion for our family Christmas gatherings. We ladies would sit around chatting while munching from a big platter of more than eight varieties of cookies that I’d baked. These coffee and cookie chats are one of my favorite Christmas memories.

But I was also reminded of a special week in our early days of living in Zambia when Randy and I ate cookies for supper every night. Oh the sweet memories! As part of a coordinating committee for a city-wide crusade, we offered to sort the response cards and distribute them to pastors the following morning along with follow up packets. Each day after helping close down the crusade venue we would head to our tiny apartment with our stack of response cards. We were pretty tired, so we munched on our special cache of home made cookies while we recorded information from the cards on our little Apple 2c computer. Our supper of cookies made a tedious task rather pleasant.

Our foray into statistics also yielded some surprising findings. After sorting the cards by geographical locations we would put them in groups to distribute to the area pastors we had trained for crusade follow up. By the second day it became apparent that a major part of those responding at the crusade were from one “compound” near town that was known as a haven for thieves. But with this information came a dilemma. We had no pastors to give these cards to. At our daily pastor’s briefing we discovered there was no evangelical church in this compound! We had hundreds of new believers with no church and no shepherd. We added special prayer to our nightly cookies and statistics.

Near the end of the week the leaders of one denomination offered to send all their Bible school students into the compound for two weeks of outreach. The students’ courageous visits to new believers and their families resulted in a church plant in the middle of this poverty ridden location. One student was so moved by the needs he encountered that he was inspired to commit to return after graduation to pastor this fledgling church.” Jack is still there!

I love recalling those late nights of statistics and cookies. And I delight in remembering this special pastor and church that have made Jesus known to their neighbors, ministered to the needs of community, and lowered their compound’s crime rate. Cookies, statistics, and church planting make for wonderful memories.

photo courtesy of photobucket.

Today, Another Gift from God

2010-12-27T07:40:00.000-08:00

There’s something awesome about rising up early – a new day ahead. It’s new. Never a rehashed day or a left over day. Always new! Nothing has to be the same as yesterday! We start afresh.

New day, starting with God’s mercy

New day, clean slate

New day, fresh joy

New day, new challenges

New day, set a new pace

New day, new horizons

New day, new perspectives

New day, relive commitments

New day, new blessings

New day, new substance for praise

New day, opportunity for obedience

New day, new strength

New day, fresh glimpses of God

(picture from photobucket)

My World has Shrunk

2010-12-14T22:05:00.000-08:00

My living space has shrunk to the spare bedroom in a tiny house with my mother-in-law. My regular jaunts for doctor’s visits, lab appointments, and shopping are within a 5 mile radius of this little house. And when my friend picks me up to accompany her to court 20 minutes away I feel like I’m on holiday! For the time being I’m fairly limited in being able to be away from the house. Randy and I even had to slot in a short coffee date on a grocery run while mom was in bed. For the time being, no more day trips to encourage isolated missionaries, no more five-day road trips across four nations of Africa, and no short hops on a plane two countries north. Right now my assigned portion is this slice of suburbia. My world has shrunk and I’m feeling the pinch and the pain of my loss.

And in the moments I feel overwhelmed with the narrowness of choices, travel, and food I am reminded of Jesus who left Heaven’s infinity to live in a narrow slice of troubled land. His ministry was primarily limited to the Jewish people and particularly the poor and needy. During his ministry he had no permanent home or transportation. (Okay, I have it really good!)

During my season of restriction I am starkly reminded that God is in charge. He’s my boss. Hey, I know it, but I can easily forget that! God can tell me where to live and what to do. He can send me to suburbia to care for my mother-in-law. And that is what my life as a servant is to be about!

I’ve also been reminded that this servant calling is not about what I want or even about what I think I need. In our mushy comfort driven society we’ve been brainwashed to think that we are supposed to be monitoring our lives to ensure that our needs are met and that anything that imposes on those needs has to be out of line or unjust. In other words, we think we are entitled and God has to cough up!

As a result, I can be tempted to subconsciously think that God is crowding me and overlooking my needs. Not true. The clear point Jesus made about not worrying is “Your father knows you need these things” (Mtt 6:32). It is during the reoccurring moments I feel claustrophobic in my little suburban bubble that I have to choose to trust God to care for what he knows I need just as Jesus did.

And God reminds me that when I’m focusing on giving up my freedom to travel, my nice home, our sturdy four x four, and my own kitchen, I can easily be distracted from actually serving those I’m sent to serve! Jesus so clearly left everything behind when he came to earth as a man, but we have no record of any time he whined about his losses or the cost of serving. We do have stories of his unabated focused ministry to those he came to serve.

And one delight of our transition is the times of joy I’ve experienced when I fall into bed after a busy day of drudgery and hear God’s “well done.” At those times I’m reminded of God’s stamp of approval on servanthood.

I’m not quite sure yet of all God’s purposes and plans for this transition, but if I just make progress in implementing these lessons of servanthood in this new context, it would be worth everything I’ve given up. Maybe that is just what God had in mind!

picture from photobucket

Who is the Star?

2010-12-09T22:13:00.000-08:00

My friend invited me to attend a performance of Handel’s Messiah at a local Methodist Church. Sure, I thought, that’s a Christmas tradition I haven’t enjoyed for years! So in the rather gloomy cool weather we set off for the church and joined other clumps of friends and family trickling into the impressive sanctuary. While the congregation stumbled through several verses of Noel, the choir marched in and took their places across the front third of the sanctuary. I have to say, I wasn’t all that expectant about the quality of the program as I saw the wide variety of choir robes representing many local churches.

However, as a professional soloist began his rendering of “Comfort Ye My People” my heart began singing. The words began to soak into my soul, reminding me that the historical precedent of Jesus’ lonely arrival on earth was God’s proactive compassion for his people. The concert continued with movement after movement of musical renditions of God’s written Word. I found myself lost in the beauty of the words that ushered me into a place to gaze upon the majesty of the God of the earth. He is the God of the world, no matter how they ignore him, shut him out of their world, or scream against him. He is God.

By the time we reached the crescendo of the Hallelujah Chorus I was ready to stand and shout “This is our God. This is the God we serve. This is the God we are talking about! Look at Him. Give him praise.” And then the crowd roared with applause while the orchestra members bowed and each professional soloist received a surge of applause and a bouquet of flowers. Concert over, Crowds trickling out the doors and back to their cars.

I was so sorry the concert was over already. And I was grieved that the star of Handel’s Messiah did not receive his due. The star of the concert was not the stupendous composer, or the great director, or the magnificent soloists, the talented choir members, or the committed committee who organized the event. The real star was the God of all the Earth who sent Jesus the Savior of mankind. And in the buzz and hurry of the traditions of thanks, applause, and gifts we left him out of our applause and praise.

My renewed wonder at God’s splendor and Amazing Provision has stayed with me. And my longing has intensified for God’s name to be proclaimed and honored as he deserves. My prayer is that in all the buzz and hurry of Christmas traditions we remember to honor the real Star of Christmas.

Crossing Bigotry Barriers

2010-12-07T22:49:00.000-08:00

During my early grade school years, one of my best friends was Vanessa. She happened to be an African American, but I don’t recall thinking anything of that. I enjoyed her friendship. I played at her house after school, and I invited her to Sunday school. Just kid’s stuff. By bringing Vanessa to church our family turned the church on its head. As my parents told me later, the leaders asked them to stop bringing her to church or find another church. So we moved to another church! I was too young to understand what bigotry was, and I didn’t learn it at home. My parents nurtured us in Christian love towards our neighbors, no matter their race or status.

As a teen I vividly recall the afternoon a group of angry black youths surrounded my sister and I, accusing us of killing Martin Luther King. None of those hot headed teens could read our hearts. They only reacted to our white skin. And that is the nature of bigotry of any kind - choosing responses based on unique outward distinctions rather than identifying the humanness of the heart we all share.

Many decades later our world is still grappling with various forms of bigotry. Despite intentional “diversity training,” News constantly reports injurious incidents of hatred and bullying and educators are asking, “Can we teach empathy to our students?”

All cultures engender some form of bigotry whether based on tribe, nationality, gender, status, or language. Jesus came into a decisively bigoted culture, encountering barriers between Jews and Gentiles, Jews and Samaritans, religious synagogue goers and tax collectors, and the healthy and the infirm. When Jesus purposed to make the disciples into ministers of his Good News he shouldered the daunting task of breaking down the destructive barriers that could thwart them in preaching Good News to anyone anywhere.

We could all do with some wisdom from the Master Teacher who succeeded in transforming this group of rowdy bigots into ministers of the Gospel willing to compassionately cross bigotry borders. I’ve observed a few practices Jesus incorporated into his discipleship training to bring about this change.

Jesus intentionally ministered across bigotry boundaries. Jesus refused to honor culture-bound bigotry. He was like a bigotry hound sniffing out the smallest scent of bigotry. And then he did just the opposite of cultural practices. He touched lepers. He called a blind beggar out of the crowd for healing. He crossed the lake to meet with the demon possessed monster the whole town feared. He talked to a Samaritan slut. He healed the daughter of a Canaanite Gentile. He banqueted with despicable tax collectors. If there was a bigotry barrier he purposely crossed it!

Jesus immersed his disciples in bigotry border crossings. He walked with them among the poor, the blind, the lame, and the beggars. He strode with the disciples into the pool of Siloam where the ignored dregs of society waited for a miracle. He hiked his followers through Samaria and kept them there for two days of ministry. He and his disciples chatted over meals with despised publicans.

Jesus exposed ugly attitudes of bigotry. Ever the teacher, Jesus tackled stinking attitudes with stories. The tale of the Good Samaritan contrasted haughty religious indifference towards a robbery victim with the surprising compassion of a despised Samaritan (Lk 10). Jesus addressed the older brother’s snooty self-righteousness towards his brother’s self-inflicted poverty in the story of the prodigal son (Lk 15). Jesus also included teaching about judging, arrogance, and self-righteousness wherever he went.

Jesus honored those whom others “despised.” Jesus ministered across bigotry borders, but he also took opportunities to honor those who were normally despised by society. The Gospels show Jesus honoring a Roman centurion, a Canaanite women, and a repentant harlot for their faith (Lk 7:9; Matt 15:28; Lk 7:50).

Can empathy be taught? Yes. My parents gave us a good start. Yes. Jesus showed us how. But the task is not for the weak. Jesus showed that we must sniff out bigotry barriers in our culture and in ourselves. Only then can we take steps to intentionally cross bigotry barriers to minister to whomever wherever Jesus sends us.

Picture from Photobucket.com

Debunking the Comparison-Trick

2010-12-03T22:29:00.000-08:00

Recently I had a challenging day and was scrambling for God’s grace and patience. No, it wasn’t a family tragedy, or a lost job, or a diagnosis of a terminal illness. It was simply facing recurring pesky irritations in our house. It was nothing new that hadn’t happened before, I just felt more vulnerable and others’ comments felt like barbs entering my spirit. I was having difficulty not lashing out with unkind words or my defensive sarcasm. My impulse was to find a place to be alone and cry, but then I thought, “This is nothing compared to what others are facing. Buck up, Jane.” I swallowed my tears and kept trying.

But the neat comparison-trick didn’t really work. The comparison only succeeded in making me feel more inadequate and stupid and pushed me to be even more irritable! The comparison-trick only delayed my ability to deal with how I was feeling. It was only when the lights were out and Randy was gently snoring next to me, that I was able to breath and get fresh perspective.

God came so close, and surprised me with his response. He didn’t compare my pain to someone else’s pain. He saw and understood my hurt, my trials, and my struggles. And he embraced me with his tender compassion. I awoke in the morning with a solid sense of his support and faced the same challenges with more grace and self-control.

Today I’ve spent more time rolling these thoughts around and questioning the validity of the comparison-trick I had learned sometime in my past (probably during a time when I needed a kick to spin me out of self-pity). I recalled that God hand picks the temptations that are allowed in my life (1 Cor 10:13). Because of that, there’s no need for me or God to compare my struggles to another person’s trials. This testing is mine and God is personally committed to walking me through them! No haranguing, no criticism, and no indifference. Only compassion, encouragement, and instruction.

Jesus is my ultimate model. I can’t imagine Jesus needing the comparison-trick to keep him moving and victorious. He constantly focused on others’ needs, even during the most intense testing times in the Garden and on the cross. Because Jesus walked in flesh with imperfect parents, reactionary disciples, ungrateful recipients, arrogant leaders, and constantly demanding crowds there’s probably not one of my trials with which I could shock him (Heb 4:14-16).

I think I’m going to ditch the comparison-trick and focus on these take -away points from my brief valley experience.

As I receive God’s understanding and love I am more equipped to love others and keep moving. No comparison-tricks or any face-straining efforts needed. Just more of Him.

The way God responds to me should guide me in how to respond to others’ trials. I want to respect the pain that results from their personal “allowed temptations.” No pain is insignificant. Advocating the comparison-trick is out. Respecting their situation and understanding their pain is in. God, make me a compassionate cheerleader to help others through their individual trials.

Just like Jesus, the more difficulties and trials I face, the more equipped I should become to be able to understand and empathize with others’ struggles. God, I invite you to fill my heart with more of your understanding and compassion.

So, even my flash-trial has proven valuable, debunked another personal myth, and taken me a few steps further on my journey to be like Jesus.

picture from Photobucket

The Tension of Obedience

2010-11-30T21:29:00.000-08:00

During our missions training we had a school mate who decided not to prepare breakfast for everyone because she felt the Lord had told her instead to spend the time with her kids. So we all missed breakfast that morning. So much for house authority. So much for school authority, and so much for kindness to fellow students!

I was shocked that she could so easily ignore house rules. But in the many years since that time I have encountered the same tension she experienced between obeying what she thought God had said while still honoring human leaders and established policies. I’ve experienced times in which I attempted to follow God’s leading and bumped into fences and roadblocks of policies and rules and misunderstanding from God’s leaders!

Reflecting back, I may have looked just as foolish as my former school mate. I also realize I might have missed God’s timing or ways, and God might have wanted my godly leader to nudge me back on the path where I had missed an obscured turn. Had I listened to my leader, I could have waited more patiently for God’s perfect timing. I’m not at all sure, even now. Knowing God’s will and honoring God’s leaders, and following the rules can be complicated!

Jesus faced this dilemma during his time of ministry. He did hear from God. He did know God’s ways, and he did have his timing right. He did not intentionally snub leadership or rules, but he was clearly honoring God’s authority by his obedience. Even then, the religious leaders questioned his healing and deliverance ministry and challenged his teaching. They were irritated by his friendship with sinners and his popularity with the common crowd.

Things came to a boiling point near the end of his ministry when the religious leaders challenged him in the temple, “By what authority are you doing these things and who gave you this authority?” They hit the nail on the head. Their contention with Jesus was really about authority and power. But they had it wrong. They were the ones not operating under the authority of God. They had missed God’s cues. They had missed his heart. They didn’t know God’s ways. They ignored his prophets. And they were clearly operating under the thumb of the Roman government and fear of the people. “By what authority are you doing these things?” was the question those leaders needed to hear. And Jesus gave them three stories to expose their wayward independence (Matt 21-22).

From Jesus’ example I can learn how to honorably do God’s will when it seems out of sync with the rest of my religious world. Jesus was boldly confident in God’s clear directives for every word and action. He allowed no room for missed timing or ungodly ways. Jesus also carried out God’s directives with kindness and generosity towards the religious leaders while speaking truth. He preached in their synagogues and ate in their homes. Only when they publicly challenged him did he confront with a fist-in-velvet-glove manner.

But I can also learn from the religious leaders how easily any one of us can slip into the same state! We can become pompous in our spirituality and lash out at those who do ministry differently or apply biblical truth in an “extreme” way. How different it was for the few religious leaders who actually checked Jesus out with an open heart and mind. And how important it is for me to lay down my easily-biased views and invite God’s perspective on other ministers and their ministries. The religious leaders forgot that God is the final authority not them. That truth is critical for me to walk in the humility and confidence God intended. This humility can make the complicated journey of doing God’s will and honoring God’s leaders far less treacherous.

picture from http://www.public-domain-photos.com/.

When Good Habits Work Against Us

2010-11-26T22:19:00.000-08:00

My habits were strangling me. No, I don’t mean addictions. I mean routine patterns I had developed for my quiet time. For a number of years previous to this point I set my goal to read through the Bible each year. But eventually my consistent habit of daily devouring chapters of the Old and New Testament left me dry and spiritually listless. My habits had finally begun to work against me.

My finely tuned habits for regular “devotions” served me well through high school, college and even into missions. They kept me on track, provided regular spiritual input for the routine traumas of life, and periodically gave me a kick just where and when I needed it! But the time came, when my well established routines actually stunted my growth. And that is what I’ve been pondering - this strange phenomenon of how habits, routines, and even traditions can fail us and actually work against us.

Routine habits can become cumbersome. Okay, in some things I am a routine junkie. If something is worth doing, it is worth a good routine. Routine junkies are tempted to keep fine tuning their habits until the task requirements become so daunting that the routine collapses or they begin to avoid the task for self preservation. The habit can relate to having a quiet time, regular prayer time, answering email, preparing a teaching, or even exercising. I can be an expert at making anything more and more complicated!

For a while, I was getting up before dawn every morning for my quiet time. Coffee at hand, Bible spread out on my desk, computer open to commentaries, and I was off and running. I wrapped up my quiet time with an extended time of praying my new found insights into my mission setting. Sounds great (and it was awesome!) But after a while, I dreaded the early hour and couldn’t quite stir up the enthusiasm for extended prayer times. My spiritual passion was still there, but my fine-tuned routines had become too tedious. Another routine bit the dust…until I established my next routine.

Routine habits can actually prevent improvements. When I’ve established a noble habit, it is profoundly difficult to dislodge that fortress of efficiency! It’s mine. I created it. It has served me well. How could I possibly change it? Enter, my quiet time that was killing me. No matter how good it was to read my Bible through every year, the ease of my daily ritual delayed even thinking about improving the quality of my devotions. It was convenient to drag myself to my chair, open my Bible, read through my assigned chapters, and check off my list. Done for the day!

My well established routines were like wall paper covering cracked walls. Until I began peeling back the rituals, I was unaware of the emptiness that had crept into my relationship with God. And when I really saw the cracks, I was willing, even eager, to let go of my devotion rituals. Only then did God lead me down a new path of Bible reading and journaling that led to deeper reflection on his character and to learn about myself.

Routines can be very helpful in establishing patterns for Bible study, communication, church attendance, exercise, healthy eating, or building relationships. But when good habits begin to become cumbersome, ineffective, growth-stunting, or block needed change, I am left with one option. Let God challenge my routines and direct uncomfortable changes that will move me on to deeper growth and deeper levels of yieldedness. I can’t afford to let my good habits work against me.

picture from pixmac.co.uk

Discovering Forgotten Treasure

2010-11-25T22:14:00.000-08:00

I love going through a cupboard to find treasure. This began as a little girl when I was forced to clean the walk-in closet in the large bedroom I shared with my sister. We had periodically “cleaned” our room by tossing our possessions into the back of that long dark closet. So when we reluctantly tackled the closet I was delighted to rediscover clothes, shoes, books, games, and toys we had blithely tossed into the darkness. The cleanup was tedious, but I discovered the pleasure of treasure hunting.

So yesterday I got to tackle one cupboard in my mother-in-law’s kitchen because I needed to get at the roasting pan. It’s not my kitchen, but I was still stirred by the spirit of discovery. In that one cupboard I found some amazing “treasures.” I mean, really. My mother-in-law has a heavy duty roasting pan that is more than fifty years old but still as good as new. I got to try it out today!

And on the bottom shelf, buried under stacks of saved paper bags and boxes of wax paper and foil I found the most amazing like-new cake pans just awaiting an eager cake-baker. I also found a little packet of original sample “Ziplock bags” with the words “you’ve never seen a storage bag like this before!!!” This well preserved sample could be in the Dow museum.

In the busyness of our recent transition I’ve been pondering forgotten treasures. While walking through the “lostness” that normally accompanies transition, I’ve been recalling the memory treasures we have piled up through our years of serving in Africa. I have flashbacks of chatting with friends over tea, under a tree, in a sidewalk café, and while bouncing over the ruts of an African road. When I miss the direct ministry, I take a foray into recalling the faces of students we have taught in simmering heat under thatch, in the icy cold of a morning, in spacious airy classrooms, and under trees. I revel in the parade of students who have become leaders and missionary statesmen. Treasures imbedded in my memory.

In this new season when we are so far from our teaching and traveling life, I’ve experienced a sense of emptiness. I’m not teaching a workshop. I’m not discipling new missionaries. I’m not visiting or praying with missionaries. But God stepped in to remind me of the hidden treasure he’s created inside of me through many years of service. Through hardship he’s shaped my character and taught me longsuffering and patience. He’s nurtured in me a deep sense of trust in His faithfulness. And he’s hammered out knowledge, skills, and tools for teaching and inspiring learners. Rubbing shoulders and even clashing with others has dug deep wells of understanding and empathy. Treasures gathered along the missionary journey.

I fully expect God to direct us about how to continue ministering into Africa from our new location. But for this season of separation, I’m enjoying the treasures I’d forgotten. Jesus told his disciples, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old." (Matt 13:52) I’m enjoying the new treasures I’m finding in serving my mother-in-law and the new insights I’m discovering in my reading and studying, but I want to be a wise householder who brings out old treasure, polishes it, and puts it to use again. I love rediscovering hidden treasure. What about you?

picture from www.pixmac.co.uk

Discipling is Messy

2010-11-21T00:10:00.001-08:00

Jesus did not just cast out words for the sake of lofty ideas. His intention was to make disciples. Not only was he charged with speaking truth from the Father, he had the added challenge of gathering a group of men that would follow him around, learn from him, become like him, and carry his message.

Unfortunately many of us are satisfied with being biblical philosophers casting out pearls of wisdom without intentionally planning to be a discipler. Discipling gets messy. Discipling means having people hanging around, and constantly asking questions or challenging us. Having people always watching our lives doesn’t fit well with our culture of individuality and comfort! We want our space and it should include privacy as much as possible! Our natural tendency is to put up fences so people don’t come too close or stay too long. But, that is not how Jesus did discipling.

Jesus sought people who wanted to be like him and intentionally shouldered this huge responsibility of discipling. Jesus wanted disciples who would follow him everywhere he went so they’d observe how he responded to lepers, tax collectors, and arrogant leaders. He wanted followers who would savor his every word and question his assumptions. Jesus’ teaching content was not just his wonderfully delivered sermons, it included his life. He didn’t just depend on being an excellent word monger. He depended upon being an excellent model that others would want to shape their lives to.

In the end, the sign of Jesus’ success was not just having crowds of eager learners around him, but having men and women who would duplicate his compassion, his boldness, his humility, his profound devotion to the Father, and his willingness to set aside his own aspirations to serve others. Only such men and women were qualified to carry his Good News message.

If we are serious about imitating Jesus, we also must be serious about making disciples - nurturing Jesus Wannabes. I’ve made a short check-list to help me be more intentional:

1. Be a radical disciple of Jesus: There’s no way I can create Jesus-disciples if I am not radically committed to be like Jesus in my attitudes, behavior, speech, and actions.

I wanna teach like Jesus
I wanna love like Jesus
I wanna lay down my life like Jesus
I wanna speak truth like Jesus
I wanna forgive like Jesus
I wanna suffer like Jesus
I wanna be meek like Jesus

I can’t pick and choose – I have to want to BE like Jesus – the whole package. I have to let go of “me” to live like him. I can’t hang onto pride, selfishness, or stubbornness. There’s no room for arrogance, ambition, or defensiveness.

2. Check my measure of success: Do I measure my success by how many Jesus wannabes I inspire? It’s not just about filling my schedule with teaching and ministry. And it’s not about filling our classes, workshops, Bible studies or churches with people. We know from Jesus that crowds of followers are not the same as a handful of stout Jesus-disciples. Am I inspiring people to live like Jesus in every aspect of home, business, community, and ministry?

3. Make lifestyle changes: By nature, I’m a privacy hog. I love privacy and root it out wherever I go. That is counterproductive to discipling like Jesus! After all, discipling requires being available and visibly demonstrating Christ-likeness in all areas of life. For me “laying down my life” for the sake of others means giving up my “need” for alone time and my craving to “be invisible.”

When it comes to really imitating Jesus, discipling is messy. It can’t be neatly compacted into a six-part Tuesday evening series. Jesus-style discipling overflows into sharing everyday life with those who are eager to follow Jesus and allowing them to learn from me how to do it. But that is Jesus’ way to produce messengers who carry his message by their lives.

Bathroom Fiascos, Order, and God

2010-11-17T16:32:00.001-08:00

Moving into my mother-in-law’s house has made me sharply aware of patterns of order. Now, I love order, but I’ve discovered that not every one has the same ideas about what order looks like! Just this morning, I had to use the “basin” towel to wipe down the shower since the appointed “shower” towel was not available. I tried my hardest to right my wrong before my mother-in-law’s discovery. Too late. She discovered the “basin” towel missing before I could replace it. She was totally gracious, but it did disrupt her world.

In my own flat in South Africa I also had an appointed rag to wipe down the shower. In addition I had a bath mat which I kept over the tub when not in use. Several years ago I was sorely tested as a hostess when I continually found the white bath math on the floor conveniently located for dirty shoes. After several days of repeatedly replacing the mat over the tub so it wouldn’t get dirty, my guests cleared up the confusion by explaining that having a mat on the floor in their homes was how you kept your bathroom beautiful! Conflict of order nearly did our friendship in!

These minor bathroom fiascos simply illustrate the wide variety of personal approaches to order. I’ve also discovered that it’s not good enough to have a sense of order (although some of us women might disagree with that statement). I’m learning how important it is to understand my mother-in-law’s detailed rules of order and try to accommodate as much as possible while living in her house! I try to get it right. I try to honor her as owner of her house. I don’t always succeed, but I try.

The issue of order has been nagging at me for several weeks. I overheard a shouting match between two parents outside my house while their daughter looked on, hearing the vicious cussing and name calling. I wondered how God felt about the disorder in this little family that he loved. And I questioned how God feels about disorderly conduct between believers, ministry team members, and ministers of the Gospel. How it must grieve him to see hearts sullied by insensitive comments, selfish attitudes, and careless words. His orderly world has been disrupted.

God loves order. He created a magnificent world with complex order that we are still trying to discover after centuries of scientific study! His natural laws oversee order, and he’s given us biblical truth to maintain order in relationships at every level! He is passionate about order in couples, in families, in teams, in communities, in cities, and in nations.

I might be able to argue sometimes that I have better ideas of order than my mother-in-law, but I can’t argue with God’s appointed order. It’s his house. It’s his rules. And he rules in unselfish love for each member of his household. His order is meant to benefit every person. Who can argue with that!

I have to be a learner in my mother-in-law’s house. And out of love and respect I’m in the process of adapting my own patterns to accommodate her rules of order for the kitchen, the office, the bathroom, and the refrigerator! How much more we need to constantly learn about God’s desired patterns of order and make alterations in attitudes, words, and behavior so as to accommodate his order for friendships, sexual relations, parenting, leadership, and church. So, here’s to continued learning, loving, respecting, changing, and accommodating. Let’s work to restore order in God’s house!

The Power of Contrition & Apology

2010-11-13T21:54:00.007-08:00

In a recent article Dan Berrett looked at the moral benefits of Rev. John I. Jenkin’s apology to the parents of a student who died in an accident while in the care of his university. As the president of the University of Notre Dame, Rev. Jenkins startled the academic world with his public apology that crossed the grain of the more traditional responses of defensiveness and silence.

While many have been impressed with Father Jenkin’s courage in taking the blame for the student’s death, others view his public apology as a risky gamble that could jeopardize the university legally or economically. The article reports some critical issues that organizations consider when deciding whether to apologize or not for perceived mistakes, injustices, accidents, or deaths.

Organizations are not alone in this decision process. Every individual goes through a similar decision making process when deciding whether to apologize or not for something we’ve done or said to our spouse, our kids, our coworkers or our neighbors. Our final decisions may not be so public or come under such scrutiny, but we would benefit in examining our decision making process, as I did, to consider the true basis of for making that decision to say “I was wrong. I’m sorry.”

In high profile cases, organizational leaders normally consult with their lawyers to consider the financial or legal risks involved in public admission of sorrow or apology. Of course, it makes sense to seek council, but such risk assessment centers primarily on self preservation and does not necessarily focus on the victim or family’s needs during such a time. It begs the question, “Is admission of sorrow and apology given for image management and damage control, or is it given sincerely out of grief for the damage and hurt done to others?”

Lest I be accused of casting stones at others, let me throw a few at myself. I may not consult lawyers in making a decision about apologizing, but I certainly do a risk assessment! What will she think of me? Will she retaliate with cruel words? What if I admit I was wrong? Will she heap me with more criticism? Maybe she’ll melt and admit her wrong. Maybe she won’t ever consider promoting me again. I have scanned the potential risk for myself without a thought about whether an apology would benefit the other person!

In his article Dan Berret did allude to the benefits of contrition and apology. The family could be grateful. He pointed out that “families want compassion, care, and even an apology: a heartfelt sincere statement that 'I’m sorry.’” And herein lies the heart of the virtue of contrition. Admission of regret and apologizing for wrongs are powerful because they minister grace to those who have experienced offense or loss. God has prescribed contrite sorrow and apology as the means of healing relationships devastated by wrongs.

God knows how people work. He knows that genuine sorrow and apology benefit the recipient. The offended receives whispers of grace and kindness from those least likely to give it. Expressions of genuine sorrow or regret communicate compassion when compassion is least expected. A person’s apology shares the burden of blame for shattered relationships and demonstrates the value he places on restoring that relationship. A humble apology creates an atmosphere of openness that nurtures restoration.

God knows that contrition and apology benefit the giver as well by helping to relieve his heavy burden of guilt and regret. By apologizing, the offender is relieved of the inclination to hide or distance himself from others. A person’s honest acknowledgment of fault is critical before healthy changes can take place. But most of all a personal encounter marked by repentance marks the first steps down the path of restoring relationships.

I admire Father Jenkins for taking a public stand to express his heartfelt apology. I’m convinced that God longs for more Jesus-followers to salt the earth with genuine contrition and courageous apology in the face of potential risk. Whether at an organizational level or in interpersonal relationships, may we courageously embrace God’s ways and radically demonstrate the power of contrition and apology.

photo or Mr. Rudd's public apology compliments of Flickr Photos

Trusting God’s Reward System

2010-11-10T16:36:00.005-08:00

I was stunned at age sixteen to be told by doctors that I would never have children. Of course it was devastating to have my dreams of having children demolished in one flash, but my most crushing struggle was questioning why God would let that happen when I had committed my life to missions. Even though I wrestled with that question on and off for many years, I persisted in my calling, married, and headed off into missions.

My continued insistence on his healing was rooted in a wrong understanding of his love and my expectations of his reward for my commitment. When I recall the depressing effect of my unrelenting questions and demands, I realize that I didn’t really have a workable understanding of God’s reward system.

I know I’m not alone. I’ve observed believers and even ministers of the Gospel in a wrestling match between living on the edge of poverty and pressing in for a modicum of comfort or provision. Other ministers are known to feverishly grasp the promises of God for blessing and insist on extravagance to prove God’s riches and their own faith. When Christ’s servants are not clear or comfortable with God’s reward system they can weave and waver in their call to sacrificial service and relationship with the Master, just like I did.

Some servants ground their reward-thinking in Scriptures that speak of God’s promised spiritual blessings and focus on eternal rewards. Others search out passages of promised material blessings and scramble after the here-and-now blessings. Neither view is completely correct! Neither one reflects the fullness of God’s character and ways. A view that skews towards only spiritual blessings darkens God’s compassion and care for his servants’ present needs. A view that ignores future blessings casts long shadows over the greatness of God who plans eternity and stores up unique treasures in Heaven for those who serve Him. Either way God’s reward system is a magnanimous expression of his mercy, grace, and goodness.

While we need to find a view that embraces the fullness of God’s reward system, there are inherent dangers in insisting on here-and-now rewards. First, I could miss out on enduring treasure of far greater worth. If I insist on house or spouse or praise or raise, he may give me second best rather than other intended blessings! After years of insisting on healing, I finally yielded to God’s ways and settled into deep contentment with his love. I was able to recognize the treasures God had lovingly given – the gift of an adopted son, the amazing joy and grace that go with adoption, many spiritual children all over Africa, and an increased capacity to trust God’s ways.

Second, if I focus on temporal blessings I am much more prone to be shortsighted in how I live. Temporal rewards are delightful for a season but do I want to sweat and slave for present comfort or am I called to live for the future? When I was seriously questioning God, I went through periods of longing for a child that diluted my passion for evangelism, discipleship, and godliness. I became more like a donkey being led by the carrot in front of its nose. With my eyes crossed on the promise of immediate blessing I missed seeing the other delights of the journey and lost sight of what was far ahead.

Third, if I insist on immediate gratification for my service I might miss out on the most important treasure – the friendship and intimacy with God. There is something very special about pressing into the will of God regardless of hardship, discomfort, and living without. In my times of deepest longing, God pressed closer. My personal breakthrough came during an encounter with God that was so real that I knew He was all I ever needed. I saw the longings that had separated me from him were like a hearth of ashes compared to the fellowship of bearing the yoke beside Jesus. In the intimacy of that moment I willingly yielded to his ways.

Does God promise temporal blessings? He sure does. I could write a book about the sweet delights I’ve received at his hand. But in the end, I’d rather be surprised by his choice of immediate blessings than to insist on my way at the cost of disappointment at baubles that melt away like cotton candy. Today I am definitely more comfortable with the mysteries of God’s reward system and content to let him surprise me with the treasures he plans for me.

Too Fossilized for Change?

2010-11-05T21:43:00.004-07:00

I’m not really a dog person, but I accidentally volunteered to feed my mother-in-law’s dogs twice a day when she was going in for surgery. And here I am again months later, now serving as the “expert” in dog feeding. One of her dachshunds is 16 years old, gray hair and all. As far back as I can remember Freddy has always yapped his sharp bark the whole time his food dish was being prepared. When I wasn’t the dog food expert I could go outside to escape. But now that dog food preparation is my job, I decided something had to be done about that yapping. But the question is, can a 16 year old dog learn new tricks? I discovered that, yes, an old dog can learn new tricks.

Well, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about flexibility and change. There are major changes in my life as we’ve uprooted from our South African home to return to the States. And instead of driving for days to visit our missionary friends we will have to be flying in across the oceans. These major changes are difficult enough, but I’ve discovered that sometimes it is much more difficult to make the smaller changes in our lives. Changing habits or the way we’ve always done things is much harder.

In moving into my mother-in-law’s house to help care for her I ran smack into my own set patterns that I was unaware of in my own home. I had well-honed patterns for meal preparation. I liked to leave the house to arrive at the exact time for church, not 30 minutes before and not late. And I allowed myself only a few minutes to prepare things before leaving. Works for me! But my patterns did not merge well with my mother-in-law’s lifestyle or needs. I needed to make some changes in how I did things but found just how decrepit and inflexible I felt. Was I too fossilized to change?

When I recognized that my inflexibility was in direct conflict with my desire to be godly and bring Him glory, my training began in earnest! The next element of training was serious prayer. And the Master Trainer took over and started putting me through my paces, including daily opportunities to make choices based on my mother-in-law’s needs rather than my own habits and desires. I’ve been able to see some of my patterns changed and I’m slowly learning “new tricks.” Just like Freddy, I’ve had days of relapses in which I just wanted to be me, or should I say “the old me.” But persistence is winning the day. I never want to get too fossilized for change. I’m so grateful that the Master Trainer is always ready to teach me “new tricks.”

The Stamp of God’s Grace

2010-11-04T06:50:00.003-07:00

Sunday afternoon relaxing meant sitting in the sun on the couch in our 8x10 room reading a book. I was basking in the sun coming in the open door and the lazy schedule that meant I didn’t have to cook for the community of 20 missionaries. Suddenly I froze as I noticed out of the corner of my eye a black shape sliding into the open door and slithering behind the book shelf that divided our tiny home into living room and office. In that split second I realized two things. One, that black shape was a spitting cobra. Two, it was sliding towards Randy who was enjoying his quiet Sunday on the other side of that book shelf. In the next second I screamed and leaped out the open door onto the small veranda. My scream communicated the urgency and Randy raced out to join me.

It wasn’t long before other members of our team joined us as we awaited the departure of our unwelcome Sunday visitor. More than an hour later the cobra casually slithered outside the door, but at the sight of a waiting crowd it raced to shelter under the nearby container, conveniently out of the reach of the men armed with stones and grass slashers. We continued to rehash all the details of this event and swaggered on with more snake stories until the supper bell rang.

Remembering that event more than 16 years ago, I can only laugh. What an odd form of entertainment we had in those early days of missions. We had snake visits and obnoxious monkeys stealing our crops and intimidating our dogs. We fought raging bush fires that threatened the borders of our campsite during dry season, and during the rainy season we dealt with the floods that covered the bridges that we used to visit our neighbors. We had spontaneous and community oriented entertainment in those days. There was little privacy so every event gathered the troops. And every event ended with more stories and laughter and natural camaraderie. Those were difficult days, but I miss those days.

As a mission community we didn’t have much. We lived in small camp-site rooms and had cold water showers. In response to frequent power outages we often cooked and ate by candlelight, resorted to using the pit toilets we had dug, and hauled our water with buckets from the river. But we were a team who shared the challenges and adventures together.

One thing I learned during those days was that I could adjust to almost anything. Outside ablutions, cleaning dishes with cold water, and even pit toilets became “normal” after time and I could almost not imagine another life! And I learned that I could do it with joy. In these days when my husband and I are in major transition and strained by tight living quarters in my mother-in-law’s house, I am reminded of those early days. And I know that I will be victorious and will one day look back and see the stamp of God’s grace and joy on this season of our lives also.

Picture from http://www.freesnake.com/spittingcobra2.html.

Addressing Hot-Button Topics without Using a Sword

2010-10-31T21:43:00.002-07:00

As society drifts farther and farther away from biblical roots we are seeing the crumbling of long standing social patterns. Life long marriage to one partner is no longer the norm. Sexual purity before marriage is rarely expected, and gay relationships are slowly gaining acceptance on social and religious fronts. Unfortunately, the church’s traditional ways of responding to immorality has garnered criticism from those inside and outside the church. As a result, Christians are floundering in how to respond appropriately to the eroding values and practices.

As believers seeking help to maneuver these social rapids, we can look to the One who has gone before us to show the way. Jesus came into a nation with complex social issues. The religious leaders were twisted with legalism and tainted by corruption. The population was divided in how to respond to Roman domination – by accommodating or wielding a sword. Apparently divorce and remarriage were being practiced but controversial enough that the religious leaders devised a plan to trap Jesus with a question about its legality. We can reap nuggets of wisdom by observing Jesus’ ways of responding to these social woes.

Be Aware and Ready
I’m always challenged by the fact that Jesus had ready answers to the sticky questions put to him. He was clearly aware of what the social issues were. He ate in people’s homes. He chatted, heard their questions, and observed their behavior. He had an uncanny ability to discern the underlying attitudes and values that supported social practices. But more than that, he had obviously processed the critical issues and knew God’s perspective. He was always ready with an answer.

Speak with Authority
More than that, his answers were always presented with authority. He didn’t wobble or waver with personal opinion or scrabble to say things in a “politically correct” way. He spoke as a messenger of God and all answers clearly pointed listeners back to God as the authority and His Word as the standard for determining truth and righteousness. No listener could go away without a clear picture of truth and its Author.

Call Sin “Sin” without Using a Sword
Looking over Jesus’ shoulder in Matthew 19:3-12, you can see Jesus authoritatively addressing God’s perspective on the issue of divorce and remarriage. He clearly demonstrated here how to address sinful practices and attitudes without attacking any person or group. He still called sin “sin.” Neither did He try to sugar coat the word “adultery.” Truth could land where it wanted, and He left the Holy Spirit to do the rest! He could love every person and still scatter truth.

Become the Approachable Go-to Guy
You can see Jesus addressing this hot-button topic surrounded by crowds of people, disciples, and religious leaders. Matthew’s details reveal that this was a discussion, not a lecture. One Pharisee asked the first question, another piped up with a follow-up question, and at least one disciple contributed his sage summary, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry."

Some listeners were hanging on his every word, and others were testing him. But they all invited him to expound on his understanding. People loved to be around Jesus and listen. He was accessible and approachable. He was loving, humble, and personal. He offered fresh authoritative perspectives, and He was not predictable. It was almost guaranteed that listeners would not hear the same tedious answers they had heard in the synagogue.

I’m overwhelmed by Jesus’ wisdom and grace. His example challenges me to think beyond prattling against sin from my Christian cocoon. Neither is it an option to try to demonstrate unconditional love to my friends while ignoring the corrosive effect of sin on their lives. Instead of preparing an impersonal Christian treatise on sexual immorality, I’m challenged to engage in loving dialogue and prayerfully seek God’s perspective and answers. I refuse to be content with my shallow opinions. I want to be ready with authoritative answers when I’m invited to dialogue. And finally, I must persist in yielding to the chiseling work of the Spirit so my attitudes reflect the heart of the Father. Only then can I come close to imitating Jesus’ wisdom in addressing hot-button issues.

What approaches have you taken in responding to hot-button issues?

Come into the Light

2010-10-26T16:34:00.002-07:00

Writing is a mirror to the soul. When I’m writing you’ll see what I choose to show you and you may catch glimpses of attitudes that I actually don’t intend you to see. Sometimes I’m perturbed by my own attitudes. I don’t want you to see my internal wrestling to be more kind, positive, or self-controlled or to be less jealous, critical or caustic. I’m more inclined to let you see my insights on living a walk of faith and my bragging about Jesus.

There’s something scary about coming out into the open wearing the day’s grime in my attitudes. In the privacy of my thoughts I can ignore nasty stubbornness or quick judgments. But I’m called to come into the light, filthy rags and all. In the light I see truth, and therein lies the power of light. Ugliness is seen as ugly. I cry out for mercy. I catch a glimpse of God’s grace and the flash of His ready forgiveness sets me on a path of repentance. The power of light.

In the safety of God’s presence, facing ugly truth about my shameful attitudes is tolerable. But being truthful about myself to others can be frightening, especially when I don’t know how others will respond. We’ve all experienced a variety of reactions to our attempts at openness: appreciation, kind understanding, criticism, preaching, gentle chiding, shock, disappointment, concern, or wariness. Reactions are filed away and we’ve made value judgments on openness. We may have vowed to never be transparent again, or we may have warm memories of the appreciation others showed towards our humble attempts to being transparent.

Regardless of how other people might react, coming into the light has an amazing power, and that power is what can drive me to openness regardless of my past experiences or my fears. Speaking the truth sets me free. I’m free from trying to escape your discovery! I’m free from dodging the light. I’m free from the effort of dressing up to present a perfect picture of a person called of God. I’m free from the enemy’s threats to expose me! I’m free to let in more light. And I’m free to pursue the path of God’s amazing grace.

Writing the truth also has the power to help others who are scrambling to evade discovery of their miserable failures to be like Christ. Speaking the truth about my own battles with my sin nature can free others to come into the light and experience the exhilaration of truth in God’s warm embrace of love and forgiveness.

While I’m convinced that openness has power, I’m also considering some parameters that might be important for channeling this power in a public place such as a blog.

1. As a believer, my openness should include the truth about my struggles with my fallen human nature as well as the truth of God’s abounding mercy and grace for victory. If I only whine about my ongoing struggles with fear, I can leave my listeners with a sense of hopelessness, bondage, or even disappointment. But if I also share the secret power of God’s rhema word to strip away the chains of fear, then I have shared truth that can help to set the captive free as Jesus intended.

2. I only have the right to be open about my own humanness. I do not have the right to expose another person’s sin or failure. Therefore my own openness about responding to slander should not be worded in such a way as to throw glaring light on the source of that slander. If my own openness risks harming another I need to reconsider my motives and my words. Can I reword what I am saying so I speak the truth about my own battle in a powerful way that can set readers free without stripping another of his reputation?

3. My truth-speaking should always be guided by the Father. Even Jesus, the perfect source of truth did not speak on his own. The Father directed the where, when, how, why, and what of truth! There are times when God asks me to be open about my own struggles in order to help others. And there are other times when I run ahead of God and for the sake of openness or my own agenda speak about my past failures or my present skirmishes. I’ve seen those times of truth fail in achieving anything of benefit for God, myself, or others.

Openness directed by God has the potential of a flashing bolt of lightening - light, truth, and power in one stroke. Humble open writing can be powerful in the hands of God. Am I ready?

Picture from Comstock Photos

Judging is Easy…but Grace is Challenging

2010-10-20T16:21:00.003-07:00

You’ve seen it. Word circulates that Jean was seen at a cozy table for two with the boss. She’s been your friend. Now you avoid her at break time. When her name comes up in conversation all the office mates sling slurs at her reputation and bring up previous whispers of marriage trouble. Others dig up old grievances with the boss. And you are the only Christian at your office.

It’s so easy to quickly judge a person’s actions and come up with what they should have done, but the truth is that another person’s sin bounces the ball into your court and puts you to the test. How will you respond to the person’s sin or failure? Now it’s up to you to choose how you will respond: understanding, criticism, gossiping, shunning, confronting, forgiving, showing grace, ignoring, or extending mercy. And how you respond will determine where the ball goes and if the ball will be returned to you!

I’ve become aware of some uncomfortable truths. Anyone (me included) can make a judgment; not everyone can make a well informed, just, or godly judgment. Everyone can criticize; not everyone can listen for understanding. Everyone can gossip; not everyone can demonstrate loving support in the face of critical attitudes. Anyone can shun someone; not all of us are adept at godly confrontation. Anyone of us can condemn; not all of us can forgive.

Judging is easy; grace is challenging. It takes grace to lovingly confront someone after a personal offence or when you’ve observed an indiscretion. The much more difficult task is to continue to demonstrate love when someone has obviously failed. And that is where Christians have the opportunity to demonstrate the character of Jesus.

Jesus set aside judgment in order to demonstrate love. He could extend mercy because he was clear that it wasn’t his job to judge! He did not go out of his way to avoid sinners. Neither did he shun those who criticized and slandered him. He moved towards them with love and gentle truth. He never participated in petty gossip parties. He was always ready with grace for any sinner who came across his path. He was sought out by obvious sinners because of this love and grace.

And that is the challenge in this age. Anyone can judge. We can all do it well. And if we can’t, we can all learn by listening to our neighbors, watching t.v. or reading our current newspapers and magazines. Judging and criticism abound. But where are the grace extenders? Who can we learn that from? As a parent, are you teaching your children to be grace-extenders? As a workmate, are you demonstrating grace, kindness, and mercy? As a neighbor are you gossiping grace or judgment? As Christians we have abundant opportunity to be grace-extenders and grace teachers in our generation. Judging abounds. What about grace?

Greed for Significance

2010-10-13T15:43:00.004-07:00

Would I be content to be a fingernail in a body or would I insist on being an eye? The Bible uses this analogy to poke at our human tendency towards comparison and discontentment even within the church (1Cor 12). Somehow I can laugh off my brother’s desire to be an eye rather than an ear or a foot rather than a hand. But the truth is Paul wrote about it because it is so universally human to want someone else’s giftings or to feel useless if we aren’t playing a more significant part.

Come on! You know it’s true. We’d all like to repress our own thoughts of inferiority and quash our longings for more significant roles or recognition. Some of us do a better job than others at winning the battle over needing recognition. Some of us are so secure we can work behind the scenes and know we are significant. Others quiver at playing a servant role without appreciation and impatiently await recognition and promotion.

Why this drive for significance? I’m not sure if our culture feeds the flame of longing for significance or if our culture simply accommodates that human need. It certainly seems as if our school programs are pushing our youth to make a mark on their world and television ads harangue us with what we need to be of value in our culture. It’s also possible that trendy theology nurtures a discontentment with simple whole-hearted service and instead charges believers with a greed for mega doses of personal destiny and significance.

I’m grappling with a few questions. Firstly, who is in charge of my destiny? Is it really me or is it God. And if it is God, as I’ve been raised to believe, am I content with what God has planned for me regardless of whether it involves recognition, honor, or promotion? In other words, what if God really does want me to be a fingernail in his Kingdom? What if that is what he decides my role should be even when he knows I may be smashed, broken, or ignored? Such an assignment will truly test who is really driving my life, where my security lies, and how well I handle the very human greed for significance.

And God does need fingernails, and liver cells, and heels, and armpits. He needs faithful Christians who share with their neighbors; he needs office workers who pray for their work mates; and he needs people committed to care for the despised and neglected of the world. When the curtain is pulled back and we truly see from a heavenly perspective, we will see the childish nature of our search for significance. Meanwhile, God, give me the grace to confidently serve whomever and wherever you want without demanding that you fulfill my human greed for significance.

Doubt-Proofing My Life

2010-10-13T15:37:00.002-07:00

Is it really possible to doubt proof my life – to journey confidently through each season, tribulation, or loss without a trace of doubt? It is very doubtful.

Writers all over the web are talking about doubt these days. The discussion has allowed many believers to take their masks off and openly admit their own wrestling matches with doubt. But the truth is that doubt is not new. It’s as old as the ancients of Scripture. Just read through the Bible again with your “doubt glasses” on. You’ll find Abraham faltering in his faith and fathering Ishmael. You’ll see Joshua crying on his face before God when Israel failed at Ai. He was overwhelmed with a sense of failure overshadowed by doubting the validity of God’s promises. Join Elijah under the tree in the wilderness doubting his call and God’s ability to bring revival to Israel. Glance through the prophets and see the valleys of doubt nestled beside lofty prophecies.

Doubt seems to be one of the many facets of the human journey of faith. While the journey may be largely described as victorious and joyful, many of our biblical forbears experienced times of searching and even despair. As humans with limited understanding of spiritual realities and a propensity to trundle after our emotions, it is more than likely that we will experience times of doubt. The more amazing element of our journey is our ability to recover from doubt and follow after our God with resolute submission and the wonder of ensuing joy.

While I don’t believe that we can fully doubt-proof our lives, I believe an awareness of its likelihood to appear somewhere on our faith journey can help us be better prepared when it blusters near in its attempt to derail or devastate us. Doubt questions God’s Word, God’s promises, God’s ways, and God’s character. We can take comfort in the fact that doubt need not deter us from a victorious journey. In fact doubt can be the means of deepening our roots into the eternal source and strengthening our stance in the raging winds attempting to devastate all that is God’s in this age. In that sense, times of doubt are beneficial in developing the strength and breadth of our faith. And for that reason, I don’t think I’ll work on that doubt-proofing idea. I think I’ll focus instead on developing my ability to press into God and his Word. What about you?

Whaling into Projects with Abandon

2010-07-05T13:56:00.001-07:00

Randy has this amazing ability to work without regard for messes, stained clothes, or scratches. In contrast, I have to wear an apron even when making toast! Now his unique ability can be frustrating to a wife who watches him tie into an emergency repair with absolutely no regard for his new shirt! However, I have also realized what a benefit this ability is in enabling him to tackle any project with all his energy. He easily eliminates risks that could hold him back. He’s not bothered with the danger of getting burnt or scratched, dinged or damaged. A potential acid burn on his shirt never holds him back from tackling a grungy repair. He throws himself fully into projects or construction virtually risk-free.

Maybe this is a guy thing or maybe it’s a personality thing, but I could use at least some of this care-free approach when tackling my projects and ministry. If I am constantly hampered by the what-ifs that flood my mind, I will be tempted to quit before I start. I do think it is a personality thing, but I wonder if it also has to do with values. Now I might step on a lot of toes, mine included, but the truth is that for Randy, the completed project, or the repaired brake line or other critical part, are far more valuable than a paltry pair of jeans or safari shirt! And rightly so! Most often his projects and repairs are critical to our ministry – much more critical than preserving a sharp appearance.

So, when tackling projects, I can ask myself what my real concerns are. Who or what am I really doing this for? Is this really about serving the kingdom or is there an awful lot of concern for me, my appearance, my image, and what I look like at the far end of this trail?

I have to say, that when Randy tackles a project, he doesn’t give a whisker of time to these questions because they are already programmed in his approach to life. And I think that is the same way Jesus approached ministry. He had already determined what was important for his life and serving. When risks of criticism or possible attempts on his life were required he plunged right in because he had already eliminated those risks as obstacles to obedience. And for me and others like me, if we constantly work on chiseling out some of these issues in our own lives, we might find ourselves whaling into projects and ministry with just as much abandon. Here’s to risk-free obedience.

Clinging to God's Sovereignty

2010-07-03T08:15:00.004-07:00

Since the beginning of the year we’ve been plagued by long delays with renewing our passports, getting our current volunteer visa stamped in our new passports and then waiting for approval on our visa renewal application. Due to these inexplicable delays we have had to cancel several ministry trips and our primary ministry format has come to a grinding halt. While we floundered emotionally with these changes, we kept plowing ahead on preparations for upcoming training with the faith that in time, surely, these delays would come to an end.

While I know I can trust God and his perfect planning, I’ve wrestled periodically with doubts. Maybe I’ve done something that put ministry on hold? Maybe I haven’t been praying enough? During worship, prayer times, and preparation these niggling thoughts were usually put to bed, and I was able to move forward quite confidently in spite of repeated disappointments. I appreciated the extra space for rest, relaxation, unhurried Bible study, and creative writing time. In fact, both Randy and I have been feeling quite refreshed. Periodically the doubts roused themselves from their slumber and attempted to intrude into my rest. However, clinging to God’s sovereignty sent them packing.

And then, as quickly as you can say “God’s sovereignty,” all of God’s omniscient wisdom and planning became clear. One phone call from Randy’s mom explained God’s creative delays which positioned us to be at home and readily available to fly back to the States to support her through pending surgery and recovery. Without the delay in passports, and visas we would be somewhere in the middle of Mozambique with our truck when Randy’s mother really needed our physical presence with her. And our delays ensured that most of course planning and teaching preparation was done ahead of time so that we could travel to assist her.

And the elusive work visas? The day after the phone call, we went to Home Affairs to find that our visas were ready – Say what??? The countless delays had conditioned us to be prepared to do “battle,” but the victory was won as soon as God said the word!

So, we are a living documentation to confirm once again that we can cling to God’s sovereignty in trying times of questions, doubts, and delays. We can confidently send doubts back to their resting place. And we can wait in tiptoe expectation for the unfolding of God’s surprises in his precise timing.

Jesus, the Blogosphere, and Me

2010-06-26T11:50:00.002-07:00

Ever get in a rut and think you’ve considered all there is to explore on a topic? Or maybe, you’ve read all there is to read on a topic from your theological position and really believe you have the topic nailed. Then you’re a candidate for exploring the blogging world and reading the comments out there. I’ve been reading quite a few blog posts lately and am intrigued by the comments that follow. Commenters reveal where they are coming from theologically and experientially. I’ve been reading comments of many people who are frustrated with the church and where it is going, readers who’ve been hurt by Christian arrogance, and others who are tired of the disconnect between the Word and wake-up-and-work life they know. Blog trawling has provided a natural place to explore the spiritual temperature of people outside of my little world.

The development of the blogosphere has launched us into a creative world which enables us to connect with a wide variety of people from different walks of life and religious backgrounds. We are able to eavesdrop on fascinating conversations about almost any topic and can interject our own perspective with little difficulty. If we have been lacking exposure to the outside world, we have a safe way of discovering what people are really thinking and feeling. Be prepared to be shocked. Our secure little world can still be secure, but we’ll find many people who are floating their vessels on the open sea without being solidly anchored to the familiar beliefs of the traditional church or biblical principles.

Exploring the blogging world has been refreshing to me. As I move around in my ministry responsibilities I rub shoulders mostly with missionaries and church leaders. I don’t often have the opportunity to “overhear” lengthy conversations of unbelievers about church, Jesus, or spiritual life. Neither do I often get to hear believer’s authentic questions or doubts as I do on blog posts and their comments. At present, the blogosphere enables me to become more familiar with present perspectives, struggles, and questions. It is also helping me to look at Scripture differently. I firmly believe Scripture has answers for the crying questions and frustrations, but I need to shake out of my old framework of thinking and allow the answers to fill the current vessels of need.

I believe this is what Jesus did. He didn’t have the advantage of the blogosphere, but he was definitely tuned into his context and knew people’s thinking, questions, and needs. In contrast, the religious leaders were stuck teaching the same things based on centuries of experts who they referenced. Jesus’ teaching was uniquely relevant and people flocked to hear him answering their questions.

Admittedly, getting out among the people should garner some of the same information, but there is something unique about the safety and anonymity of commenting on the blogosphere that enables people to be honest in ways that they may not be with you or me. However, informing myself from the blogosphere enables me to ask questions in personal conversations that I may never have thought of asking. From my regular perusal I can say “I’ve been reading about … What do you think about that, or what would your friends say?”

In summary, I believe that Christians have a unique opportunity to explore the blogosphere to get better acquainted with the world around them and to reshape the nature of their discussions and teaching. Our discoveries can inform our study of the Word in such a way as to answer current questions and address relevant issues. And our own thinking will be challenged and stretched. I pray that your exploration into the blogosphere will provide discoveries relevant to your sphere of ministry.

3 Sure Fire Ways to Fast Track to Failure

2010-06-22T06:04:00.003-07:00

I recall a vivid incident during our years of living in Zambia. We were driving to town in our little Gulf when we noticed a broken branch in the road. In most of Africa that’s a substitute for an emergency triangle, so we cautiously slowed down. As we did, a mini-bus overtook us at quite a clip. We heard screeching tires, and when we rounded the bend, the overzealous minibus driver had crashed into a tree that had fallen across the road. Mini bus drivers aren’t the only ones speeding to failure. The Bible has faithfully recorded the failures of figures such as David, Saul, and Samson. What is really scary about reading their stories is that I can easily fall into the rut of the very same practices that led to their disgrace. So, I want to expose three sure fire ways for me to fast track to failure lest I race around the corner into a crash.

Ignore advice. Sometimes we seek out advice from wise counselors. That’s admirable. Voluntarily seeking advice makes it more likely that we can swallow advice that may be contrary to our intentions. However, what I most struggle with is unsolicited advice. I’m buzzing along at quite a clip and someone slows me down with other factors to consider or even a challenge to my attitudes! My temptation is to brush their advice quickly out of the road and get on my way. However, that advice is often just what I needed to avoid a disaster in my planning or a collision with a coworker.

One way God has to keep us humble is to send the most unassuming person to us with advice! It might be a child, a fellow worker, or even a cashier who is serving us. Want to fast track to failure? Ignore all such advice!!!

And one more way I’ve found myself slipping into a pit, is ignoring the still small voice of the Holy Spirit. He whispers a gentle word of caution, a reminder to slow down, or simply withdraws his presence. Ignoring him always keeps me on the wrong track headed for some measure of disaster. As I sit beside the crash site I usually remember back to his gentle words of caution.

Ignore criticism. Criticism whether given by an enemy with a slimy attitude or a thoughtful friend with a gentle spirit can be the very obstacle on the road to slow our collision course to failure. Criticism at its best is difficult to handle, but often there is just enough truth buried in there to provide a friendly warning. Want to fast track to failure? Ignore criticism. Want to avoid that disgrace? Then learn to sift through criticism for its message and readjust your course.

Ignore biblical instructions. Why is it that we fall into the trap of creating our own solutions rather than seeking for God’s solutions? That’s a clear recipe for disaster, and yet I do it and so have many of God’s servants through the centuries. For example, here’s a simple instruction. If your brother offends you, go to him privately and show him his fault. I can flip my Bible open to that passage and I can teach it passionately, but if I don’t do it, I am destined to failure in my marriage, in my team, in my church, or in friendship. And If I don’t follow that simple advice I can drag many others down the road towards disunity, division, and disaster. Want to fast track to failure? Treat the Bible as part of your Sunday fashion statement and ignore its advice. Want to avoid disaster, read the Word as a map book for life and follow its tracks to avoid those potholes, pits, and ravines of failure.

Well, I certainly don’t want to fast track to failure. I definitely need some serious readjustments in what I tune into to keep me on the path and out of the ditch. I can’t afford to ignore the natural warning signals God sends my way or you might find me sitting in the ravine remembering the advice, criticism, or instruction I had ignored. Fast track to failure? Not interested. I’d rather work on the needed adjustments.

Personal Discoveries from the World Cup

2010-06-17T07:05:00.001-07:00

World Cup has hit South Africa with gale wind force. And we’ve been caught up in it. I’ve made a few discoveries in the short week since these global events started.

Discoveries about My Host Country, South Africa

South Africans are fervent football fans. They brave the cold and crowds to attend the matches, even those in which South Africa is not playing

South Africans celebrate with noise. Even if you hadn’t a clue about World Cup you would have been alerted days before the event by the vuvuzelas being trumpeted on the streets, in the malls, and most of all in the stadiums. I can tell you that people of all ages and colors are using these potent sound makers to celebrate this African event. The world will forever associate the SA World Cup with the beehive buzz of the vuvuzelas.

South Africans are optimistic. In spite of being bottom of the pile as far as World Cup teams, South Africans remain optimistic of their chances for this World Cup. Even with a very disappointing loss to Uruguay they are clinging to the hope of raising their chances on the next game.

Discoveries about the World Cup

World Cup Fever is contagious. We entered this month fairly immune to the impending events, but once the crowds started streaming down the streets in celebration and joy, we were bitten. Add to that the fact that there are three games being broadcast into our home daily. Each game pulls you into the stream of excitement and eagerness to know the outcome. The upsets we’ve seen so far feed into you an anticipation of surprises around each corner, or should I say, each game.

World Cup is addictive and distracting. During football season I’m normally unaware of who is playing whom, but since World Cup began I am struggling with getting my work done! The scheduled games are intruding into my work day. Even if I want to forget, the trumpeting vuvuzelas are reminding me of the next impending event! And the games are day after day, week after week. I need to get a handle on this today!

World Cup Fever is costly. No, we haven’t yet attended any games or bought any vuvuzelas or FIFA clothing, but thousands of people have! And thousands of people have forked out the money to fill the stadiums. Amazing.

Discoveries about Myself

My emotions are on a roller coaster. I find myself cheering for the underdogs, having compassion for goalies that miss the save, and feeling annoyed when a team soundly trounces another with apparent lack of “mercy.” I know soccer is not a place for mercy, kindness, or compassion. It’s about gritty competition and winning. No wonder I only watch it every four years!

I am suffering from vicarious failure! Almost every game produces a losing team and every game highlights someone’s failure. And these failures are broadcast over the loud speaker, on the radio and television and around the world. My sympathy goes out to those failing, and I struggle with the whole concept of unrestrained criticism that goes along with global sports. I am thinking about writing a blog post on “Sportsmanship Tips for Armchair World Cuppers.”

What have you discovered so far from the World Cup?

The Price of Teaching Like Jesus

2010-06-15T04:45:00.004-07:00

I am fascinated in my studies of the teaching methods Jesus used in his ministry. When I’m making notes for myself from my study I am also writing out the requirements for teaching like Jesus. It’s sinking in that I can’t easily imitate Jesus’ style or methods using what I learn in books. The real secret to much of his success was in his consistent practices and disciplines. For example, he always seemed to be one step ahead of his listeners. He seemed to know what issue a person was going to shout out to him, what tricky questions a scribe would be asking or even what the disciples would be arguing about! And he was ready with a perfect story, parable or wise answer. He apparently was prepared in his time alone with the Father. I cannot possibly replicate that without an intimate prayer life like Jesus.

It’s relatively easy to gather resources and scan websites to prepare a teaching outline. It can be tough to create compelling learning activities for students. It is much more difficult to prepare my heart for teaching and down right challenging to prepare my life. I can’t do that in two days or even two weeks! And yet that prepared life is exactly what set Jesus apart from the prominent teachers of the law. When Jesus taught he was already living out his message publicly before crowds of enthusiasts and criticizers. When he taught about meekness, his audience just had to watch him to know what it looked like. When he taught to bless those who curse the disciples just had to listen to Jesus as they walked along the road to see how to bless opponents.

I’ve spent years practicing teaching preparation and implementation of creative learning activities, but if I really long to be a teacher like Jesus, I have some serious homework to do. I need to take an honest look at how consistently I am applying what I long to teach. Could my students learn from my life what they need to know for application? Does my prayer life prepare me for the surprises of teaching? And do my attitudes model godly responses I long for in my students. A prepared life can only be honed by moment by moment submitting to the Holy Spirit. And that “homework” can’t be completed in one night. It requires a lifetime of yielding. So, for me it’s not about whether or not I want to teach like Jesus. It’s more about whether I’m willing to pay the same price to teach like him, and to pay it daily.

The Finer Points of Failure

2010-06-12T10:48:00.004-07:00

Some of the greatest lessons I’ve learned have been scribed on my heart through failure. That doesn’t mean that I love failure. Far from it. But I’ve discovered some fine points about failure.

I read this week about a time that the disciples experienced failure. Jesus had left a group of them alone while he went up into the mountain with Peter, James and John. In Jesus’ absence a desperate father asked them to drive the demon out of his ill son. Their unsuccessful attempts were all very public. They were surrounded by a crowd of spectators. A group of quarrelsome scribes also seemed to have taken advantage of the disciples’ failure, by launching into an argument with them. Jesus arrived on the scene at the height of their failure.

As a person who periodically fails publicly and privately, what struck me first was that the failure made the disciples amazingly teachable. Failure has a unique way of doing that. Following this event the disciples sought Jesus out for more input. “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” You can believe that they were hanging on Jesus’ answer, and his simple instructions were scribed on their hearts.

This situation stretched the disciples so far beyond their comfort level, that they discovered where their limits were. Failure has the acute ability to show us where we need more knowledge, more skills, more practice, or more of God’s grace or power! Isn’t failure great? And failure has the uncomfortable ability to instill humility right where it is needed.

This story so gently reminded me that the secret to discovering the finer points of failure is to go to the Master. Jesus knows exactly why we failed. What did we miss? What else do we need to know or do? We can explore failure in the safety of his presence. And where else will we find the courage to attempt again, but in his gentle presence, instruction, and encouragement. The disciples learned a very valuable lesson here and went on to experience greater ministry and greater power.

I’ve discovered that I need to have a healthy respect for failure because of the finer points of failure. Granted, failure has the potential to devastate confidence and fuel fear, but it can also spark humility, jump start new strategies, highlight limits of knowledge and skill, and catalyze a teachable spirit. And I need all of those. Here’s to the finer points of failure and to the One who can turn the bitterness of failure into the wine of wisdom.

Zeal Consumes Me

2010-06-12T08:11:00.005-07:00

The zeal for your house has eaten me up.
Ps 69:9

Zeal for the Lord burns

Zeal for God consumes, swallows, devours, engulfs

Zeal for His righteousness devours me

Zeal for the Lord devours my pride

My vanities

My personal dreams

Zeal for His Kingdom consumes my need for recognition

My selfish desires

My need for comfort and ease

Zeal for the Lord swallows my need to be right

My selfish choices

My own plans and will

Let zeal for You blaze fiercely and consume me

6 Dangers of Zeal

2010-06-05T10:52:00.003-07:00

Hey! I love zeal. There’s nothing better than grasping a vital issue and sprinting passionately with it. It gives zing to life and an exhilarating sense of making a difference for God’s Kingdom. And I’m drawn to people with zeal. I know that they are going somewhere and I want to help them get there!

As much as I love zeal I’ve come to realize some of the dangers of zeal. I’ve observed the blinding nature of zeal throughout the Book of Acts. Many of the people to whom Paul preached were unable to hear the truth because they were zealously clinging to their form of truth. But unbelievers don’t have a corner on blinding zeal. I’ve seen it in the church. I’ve seen it in missions. And I’ve seen it in me. I’ve seen zeal prevent missionaries from hearing others and miss the opportunity of understanding or softening one another’s stand on issues. I’ve observed individual zeal over issues erode relationships and bring cooperative ministry to a grating halt.

Here’s my observation - if we are so passionate about our ideas that we can’t get along with other believers then there is probably something wrong. Zeal can be dangerous. Here are six dangers I’ve identified.

1. The danger of losing perspective. We can become short-sighted, seeing only the issues close to our hearts. We tend to see everything through our passionate concern without seeing the bigger picture and the value of other issues that contribute to making the Kingdom of God relevant to our generation. Our zeal can also cut us off from perspectives that could soften our approach and bring healthy balance. Zeal must remain open to others

2. The danger of being more committed to an idea than to biblical relationships with people. Jesus never pitted righteous zeal against compassion and unity. He clearly taught and modeled both.

3. The danger of being more committed to our issue than to God. In our zeal to promote our ideas, strategies, or vision there is the danger of plunging ahead without heeding the gentle voice of the Spirit to bring balance and correction. We are in danger of slashing away with our sword only to find we are fighting alone without God. Zeal for God should move us with God.

4. The danger of becoming more loyal to an idea than to our working group. This danger is so subtle. We can become so enamored with our righteous stand on an issue that we end up alienating ourselves from the very people we need to work with. Zeal must be blended with humility and meekness.

5. The danger of becoming “unmanageable.” Unrestrained zeal can prevent us from the mutual submission needed to meld a body of believers together. Our zeal should never become the authoritative force in our lives. Openness to others’ ideas will enable us to blend with team members and yield to leaders.

6. The danger of inflexible pride. Such pride puts walls between us and others and can lead to independence and rebellion. Zeal mixed with pride is a deadly toxin to relationships with leaders and team members. Zeal mixed with humility unleashes healthy energy into a team.

What do you so passionately advocate to the point that you could fall trap to the dangers of zeal?

The Rest of Teaching

2010-06-03T10:52:00.003-07:00

As I’ve been preparing for our upcoming course I’ve been occasionally niggled by fears. What if this is not the right format? Maybe I’m trying to teach too many skills? Will my students really apply what they are learning? And then I began thinking about Jesus who taught day after day. Was he worried about whether or not people would get what he was teaching? I don’t think so. I believe he obediently communicated what the Father gave him to teach and in the way he was directed to give it. And he rested.

Jesus rested on several things. He rested on the Father’s ongoing work in people’s hearts. He clearly told his disciples “No man can come unto the Father unless the Father draw him. (Jn 6:65)” After all, Jesus was working together as a team with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He also rested on his hearers’ responsibility for responding to what they heard and saw. Jesus repeatedly emphasized to the disciples that they be good stewards of what they heard (Mtt7:24-27; 5:6, Lk 11:28, Jn 13:17). Jesus knew clearly where his responsibility ended. He was comfortable in leaving the rest up to God and to his learners.

In the parable of the sower I am reminded that Jesus was fully aware of the potential obstacles to his listeners’ application of the teaching – the daily concerns of life, the enemy’s snatching strategies, and superficial acceptance of truth. While he fulfilled his responsibility to teach God’s Word, he was aware that active believing response to his teaching was not guaranteed. I am reminded that there are so many more factors contributing to successful teaching than just the “what and how” of what I teach. I can only be responsible for my part in the content and delivery methods of teaching and can leave the rest to my learners and to God’s faithful commitment to their growth. Ah… peace!

Centrifugal Force of the Fear of Man

2010-05-13T07:31:00.005-07:00

One of my favorite rides at a carnival is the spinning ride in which I am spun faster and faster in a wide circle and the centrifugal force pins me to my seat while I laugh uncontrollably. I have no idea why I find this entertaining and fun while my husband gets dizzy by simply watching.

But in real life, I’ve discovered that the fear of man is a strong centrifugal force that attempts to spin me into the worldly system in which image and reputation rule with an iron fist. And it’s not so fun or hilarious to be under its control. Do any of you remember those days in high school when what you wore, who you sat with in the cafeteria, and what clubs you were involved with were critical to acceptance? I recall the “risk” of carrying my Bible to chapel in a Christian school! I was one of few who dared to run the gauntlet of haughty sophisticated seniors who adored laughing at such “spiritual” behavior. And how about the pressure to have our home size and furnishings match up to the standards of others in our church or home group? That insidious force threatens to usurp the primary focus of pleasing God in my lifestyle and behavior.

And missionaries are not exempt from the centrifugal force of trying to please leaders, peers, and those we serve. If you disagree, just think about the negative impact one person’s criticism can have on your confidence in pursuing your convictions or a particular strategy. That criticism can creep in to steal time, focus, energy, and passion. Without careful attention, I can unwittingly allow that one person to become the master of my decision making! And God sadly waits for me to turn my passion and focus to him again.

It’s quite amazing that a simple look or word from a stranger has the potential of inflaming the fear of man in my heart! While shopping, I’ve had women look me up and down with a glance and I’ve known in that instant that my attire definitely fell short of “acceptable.” However, it is easier to shrug off those looks than when such looks or words come from someone I know and whose opinion I value. I am also much more prone to the fear of man when my relationship with an individual is on shaky footings from previous tensions or encounters. Not everyone succumbs so quickly to the fear of man, but the truth is, we all are prone to the centrifugal force of the fear of man.

So what can I do to avoid the pull of that force so I can soar with the Father’s approval as my central focus and motivation? My simple answer is “Don’t get on the ride!” I mean, avoid getting sucked into the centrifugal pull of the fear of man beginning with the very first thought that tries to drag me into its grip! My husband so much hates dizzy rides that if he even sees a sign pointing that direction, he will steer us in the other direction. It would help me to be just as intentional in avoiding the first glimpse of the fear of man. I do that by not allowing my thoughts or others’ comments to drag me near the fear of man ride. Even as I become aware of the destructive nature of the fear of man I need to closely examine my relationships. Fear should not be the dominating emotion in any relationship and where it has dominated, I need to wrench myself from its grip and be on the offensive with love, blessings, and prayer. After all, “perfect love casts out fear.”

And lastly, I can focus on strengthening my love relationship with God so that pleasing him once again dominates and directs my world. Choosing thought paths towards God’s pleasure will keep me safely out of the centrifugal fear of man. Delighting in his Word will help me center on what God values and keep me soaring above the entrapments of image and reputation.

(Permission was granted to overstate my husband’s dizziness!)

A Student Is Not Above His Teacher

2010-05-04T12:27:00.004-07:00

What makes me expect better treatment than Jesus got? Where did I get that idea? Jesus was gossiped about, slandered, criticized, plotted against, lied about and finally crucified. And I think as his follower, yes, his student, that I should be treated better! So when someone gossips about me or spreads stories about me that put me in a very bad light, I want to cry “foul!” Where’s my defender? Where are my blessings for sacrificially following Jesus? My questions expose the fact that I really do expect better treatment than Jesus!

This week’s news about a preacher being arrested in London for publicly calling homosexuality a sin shrills an alarm to Christians in free nations. Our freedom of speech is being challenged. Up to this point Christians have been quite comfortably protected for speaking truth right along with anyone who wanted to shout lies! Yes, there has been a growing resistance to the Christian message, but jail time is taking resistance to another level. In fact, it’s taking it more to the level that Jesus taught the disciples to expect! It’s actually moving out-spoken Christians closer to what early believers experienced under irate religious rulers and under Roman rule. There was no law to protect them as they stood in the market place to preach. There was no one to stop the arrest. Just ask Peter who was thrown into prison for preaching or ask Paul who was stoned to death for proclaiming the name of Jesus.

So maybe, just maybe, Jesus was reading history ahead of time and was trying to prepare his disciples of this generation to expect radical resistance to truth and the Name of Christ. If our freedom to speak is no longer protected by law will we take up our cross daily with an expectation of suffering and continue to proclaim that Name above all Names and that Truth above all Truth?

Missionary Stress, You Bet!

2010-04-24T08:13:00.004-07:00

I was startled awake several times last night and had a hard time going back to sleep. Was I worried about thieves or how we’ll pay our bills? Did I have too much coffee before bed? None of the above. Just a simple tension over a difference in values between me and another missionary.

But do missionaries experience stress? Just as surely as we are human, we succumb to the stress of internal and external pressures just like others.

My husband and I presently live in simple comfort; I make my own schedule and have a wonderful coworker – my husband. And we work with missionaries who are totally sold out to serving God. Stress? You bet.

I took a few minutes to identify my three main sources of stress. First, I am basically my own boss, but from all my years of work experience, I can say that I’m my own worse boss. I’m pretty hard on myself. I’m driven to get things done and have a hard time shutting down. I have to admit after all these years, that I am desperately poor at estimating how long things will take to complete and regularly overestimate my ability to finish. And I am a perfectionist. I’ve created my own chaotic work world.

In missions, as in many church settings, the need is endless. So much needs to get done. People need a word of encouragement; people are waiting to hear from me; people are waiting for a visit. How do I say “no” when my heart cries out to respond, “Yes, I’m coming. I really care about you.” My stress flares as I struggle to slow down and say “no.”

My second source of stress is conflict. Surprised? Even missionaries struggle to resolve conflict when they clash over values and opinions, and because of our high expectations as Christians, we are very hard on ourselves when we do struggle. I tell myself, “You know better, couldn’t you have prevented this? You shouldn’t be so upset that he disagrees with you. You know how to respond!” Now, I not only have external stress in the form of thoughtless words, but I have the internal stress of guilt and condemnation! So there you have it. Stress.

And finally, there’s the stress of traveling. Traveling is at the heart of our ministry of encouraging and strengthening isolated missionary teams. But isn’t traveling romantic? Well, yes and…. no. I love traveling and being out there connecting with the missionaries. I thrive on teaching and seeing people dialogue around new understanding. I love seeing parts of Africa that some people pay to see on travel channels! But constantly sleeping in different locations, constantly engaging in intentional conversations, and being available twelve or more hours a day is demanding. Yes, stressful.

So that’s my personal story of missionary stress. My own humanness as I grapple with stress enables me to be more compassionate in helping other missionaries wrestle with their own stress. My intentional effort to respond biblically carves out pathways along which I can lead others. Paul often referred to his own stressful challenges as he served, but could knowledgeably instruct his disciples, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer…And the peace of God…shall keep your hearts…” We can’t avoid stress, but we can learn to respond biblically and offer hope to other stress stragglers.

• What are your personal sources of internal or external stress?
• What biblical ways are you responding to cope with stress?
• What hope can you pass on to other stress stragglers?

Pouring Water on Saturated Sponges

2010-01-22T01:29:00.004-08:00

I have recently heard some teachers who involved their listeners with dialogue. Dialogue is great in the learning setting because it informs us as teacher as to whether or not we are on target. In the situations I observed, it became obvious that the listeners knew just about everything before the teacher spoke. I wondered what the teacher up front had to add to their students’ knowledge, and I also wondered if the listeners ought to be teaching someone somewhere rather than sitting like saturated sponges!

Jesus came to a generation that “knew everything,” or at least everything that the teachers of the Law could give them. But Jesus astonished the listeners by moving them deeper than their saturated knowledge level to the dry bed of their hearts. He began to challenge their attitudes and life motivations. He began to challenge their current view of God and their understanding of God’s expectations. Jesus recognized their gap and stepped in. What is the gap that today’s teachers face in their learners? Is it a knowledge gap or is it really an application gap? Maybe there is an ocean-width gap between what believers know and their daily attitudes or choices. Or maybe there is an understanding gap that leaves listeners helpless to respond biblically to ethical dilemmas. Teachers are sent by God to address issues He sees, not just dispense knowledge or insight they have received.

As a teacher I am challenged to prayerfully consider what gaps God sees in my learners’ lives and what gaps he wants me to address, challenge, confront, or nudge. I seriously need his perspective or I will be inclined to pour water on saturated sponges. But, I also need to pause on a personal note. There are times I am prone to fill my head with knowledge while my heart remains as dry as a desert. I need to invite God’s Spirit to take his Word deeply into the recesses of my life motivations and to challenge my underlying belief system and attitudes. May I never be a saturated sponge. I want his Word to soak into every crevice of my soul and produce life-fruit that pleases Him.

Call Me on It

2010-01-20T22:32:00.003-08:00

I was buzzing along planning for upcoming meetings and teaching and experienced a bit of anxiety when I realized some responsibilities that were falling my way. As I began praying over these ministry challenges, God drew me up short. “Why are you so fearful? Who are you trying to please?” And in that flash I realized my fear was because I was thinking about having to impress certain people and being afraid that I would come up short. And I glimpsed in that moment how easy it is to please God – just do what he says!!! He has no hidden agendas, just simple instructions to obey. Without the added pressure of also having to please others, ministry is simple. Ministry is a light burden just as Jesus said.

Now I’m really good at teaching about fearing God and not man. Invite me to teach and I’ll give you an hour just on this subject. But, I just found myself trapped in the fear of man! The fact is I continue to need my faithful teacher to point out when my thinking and behavior don’t line up with truth I know. We see Jesus doing this with the disciples.

Jesus had taught the disciples that they needed to take up their cross to follow him (Matt 10:39). Great teaching. But when Jesus talked to the disciples about going up to Jerusalem to be crucified, he was rebuked by Peter, “Never, Lord. This shall never happen to you” (Matt 16:22). Jesus’ teaching on the cross was great teaching, but not just words. Jesus really meant them. Peter’s response revealed that his own thinking was very far away from taking up his cross. How could Peter take up his cross when he didn’t even think Jesus should take up his cross! So Jesus called him on it in front of all the disciples! And He repeated the cross teaching in this context closer to the impending reality of the cross.

I’m no different from the disciples. I love Jesus’ teaching. I sacrificially follow him and share his teaching with others. But I still need his regular input and correction. Jesus, I invite your loving instruction and rebuke. I really do want to walk in your ways and live your Word. So I’m saying today, “Call me on it, Lord.”

Dissipating My Time

2010-01-18T04:27:00.003-08:00

The whole day stretched out in front of me like a sparkling untouched field of snow. My heart longed for time spent in secluded worship and intimate reconnecting with God. Fast forward to night time. What happened to all those hours? What happened to my admirable intentions? Tossing restlessly, I rewound and played the video of the day. I sadly viewed so many choices I made that dribbled away my time. I had a hazy picture of the woman in the Song of Solomon whose lover knocked on the door while she lazily delayed in getting up. She missed him. And I missed my special time with the Lord that day. I drifted off to sleep with many questions and few answers.

How do I manage my time in a godly way when distractions abound – always something to do other than my central desires. Distractions eat away at my dedicated focus, Errands nibble away at my daily treasure trove of time. Curiosity pulls me away from the pursuit of assigned challenges. I live a vicariously adventurous life through reading rather than creating my own adventure through sacrificial risky faith. I grab present opportunities and things rather than summoning the unseen into being on my knees.

So how do I want to live? Lord, open my eyes to recognize the lurking enemy and his clever strategies to water down my passion and to dissipate the time and energy of a life dedicated to his service. Give me the courage and determination to refuse to wash my time and energy down the drain with temporal interests and alluring curiosities. And give me discernment to see the difference between needed rest and distractions! In the midst of the cacophony of distractions, help me discern your still small voice gently directing me, and let me care deeply about what you think about my time stewardship. May my time decisions delight you!

Palatable Messages

2010-01-15T07:44:00.006-08:00

There are accusations being thrown around the internet against certain Christian proponents eager to be relevant to our rapidly changing society. The accusations suggest that these leaders recommend adjusting our message in order to better reach the emerging generation of post moderns. Now, I’m pretty open to change, but I’ve been asking myself a lot of questions about this recommendation.

There is no question that we need to be more relevant and that we really miss that goal a lot of the time. But do we change our message to be more acceptable or politically correct? (Don’t attack me. I see our message being diluted everywhere!) To me the question is what can I change in order to be more relevant? This question begs serious meditation time. Of course, the safest place to go for answers is to Jesus.

If anyone could have been tempted to change his message to be more “palatable” it would have been Jesus. He received so much opposition, criticism, and hatred for his teaching. While he had crowds following him, there were many secret meetings of people to plan ways to trip him up publicly and to plot his demise. He actually changed a lot of things from the traditional ways. So what can we change? These are some of my thoughts:

1. Our Attitudes

When Jesus began his teaching ministry, the religious leaders were, frankly speaking, bigots. Their attitudes towards sinners, adulterers, publicans, Samaritans, lepers, prostitutes, and Gentiles were appalling. I see Jesus ministering with a totally different attitude. He ate with sinners and publicans, touched lepers, sat with Samaritans, ministered to prostitutes and adulterers, and healed Gentiles. His attitude enraged the religious leaders and endeared him to the needy. He never compromised holiness to love the sinners.

Not only did Jesus model godly attitudes, he spent significant discipling time in nurturing attitude change in his disciples. He addressed their bigotry, ethnocentricity, pride, and indifference to children and beggars. He took them places that made them uncomfortable and stretched their love muscles.

An American survey done among young people found “the most common perceptions of present-day Christianity are antihomosexual (an image held by 91 percent of young outsiders), judgmental (87 percent), and hypocritical (85 percent)” (Kinnaman & Lyons, p. 27). Maybe the first thing I need to consider changing is not my message but my attitudes. Would I fit into the Pharisee category, Jesus category, or the disciple category in terms of my attitude towards sinners and the needy? What needs to change?

2. Our Commitment to Truth

When Jesus appeared on the religious scene he found the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law very committed to their truth and their traditions, but when it came to making a public statement about John the Baptist they showed the real nature of their truth commitment, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men’ – we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet” (Mat 21;26). I overhear their debate about what the people will think and say, thus exposing their determiner of truth - people’s possible responses! So much for commitment to truth.

In contrast, Jesus taught truth no matter who was offended or who was delighted. His message was not swayed by response, even when the disciples expressed their fear that the Pharisees were offended. His message was undiluted truth in all its sharp lines and cutting edges.

I can sit in my chair and criticize the Pharisees, but know the reality is that the Pharisaical responses go through my head also when I need to speak truth. If I say that Jesus is the Son of God will I offend my listener? If I say Jesus is the only way, will I be considered judgmental and switched off or excluded? My challenge is to be so radically committed to truth and speaking truth that God can call on me at any time, any place, to any person, and to speak any word that he directs. Truth remains undiluted truth.

3. Our Methods

It’s interesting to consider how Jesus changed methods and why. I don’t think that Jesus changed his approach because the religious leaders’ methods were outdated or irrelevant. I’d like to suggest that his methods came from the heart of the Father. Not just the how-to strategies, but the heart of the Father to touch the people. Jesus walked among the common throng. He preached in the synagogues and on the hillside and lake side. He taught in homes, at feasts, and parties. He taught in parables and stunned the people with his simplicity and authority. He healed crowds of the infirm from a home. His methods conveyed acceptance and compassion. He made himself accessible to the most common inquirer.

So, yes, I think it is valid to change methods if my changes are directed by God’s heart. There is nothing so sacred about preaching from a pulpit, or preaching in a church, or preaching from the front that we cannot lay down our traditions to use other methods that will get us with people and express acceptance and compassion to those outside of normal religious gatherings. There’s nothing so sacred about door to door evangelism or crusades that we can’t change them for other methods that are more likely to reach people where they are at. And there is nothing so sacred about teaching an hour lecture and closing in prayer that I cannot change methodologies for better dialogue and understanding.

4. Our Understanding of People

One thing that has struck me while meditating on Jesus’ teaching methods was how clearly he understood his audience – to the point that he seemed to be a mind reader. Oh, yes, he had divine ability to read minds, but I’m not sure that all of his understanding came from divine revelation. He literally walked with the crowds, and he ate at their homes. He was an astute observer of behavior and attitudes. His teaching was eerily relevant to their lifestyle. In contrast, the religious leaders seemed to be way out of sync with the people and primarily taught the Law supported by historical interpretations.

As I look at myself, I must ask how well I understand the audience to whom I am ministering. How much time do I spend walking with them and talking in their homes? Do I understand what they are thinking, what conclusions they would lean towards when hearing teaching, what burning questions they have, or what issues they are wrestling with when they are alone? And finally I have to ask, what changes should I make so that I can understand them better?

Do I need to change my message to be more relevant? I don’t think so. I think there are a lot more changes I can make to be more relevant and Christ-like in this generation – changes that can make my message more palatable without comprising truth. How about you?

Kinnaman, David. UnChristian. 2007. Baker Books.

God’s Grip on Sovereignty

2010-01-10T19:12:00.003-08:00

We had the privilege of attending a “spiritual gathering” that was radically different than our traditional church. Yes, the music was way too loud for our “ancient” ears, but the youth were passionately engaged, expressing a longing after seeing God’s Kingdom extended in their generation. The preacher openly addressed sexual purity. While old timers shifted around a bit uncomfortably, most of us welcomed someone with courage enough to challenge Christians with healthy sexual restraint. The speaker humorously highlighted the strangeness of some of our “normal” spiritual practices, and his message conveyed thought provoking interpretations of very familiar Scriptures. He even dared to end the service without an altar call and instead we held hands and lifted our voices in passionate prayer for the persons on our right and left. Strange, but challenging!

And God did amazing things in this strange atmosphere! Isn’t it remarkable that God can do stunning things without our traditions, without our organization, or without our church? This Kingdom thing is a God thing, not a man thing, much to our chagrin! We can so easily shift subtly into the idea that we have a corner on truth or even a monopoly on God’s strategy and become quite arrogant servants.

I love the fact that God never allows one man or one organization or one church to have a monopoly on success. He even seems eager to launch surprise “nobodies” into effective ministries in places where others have failed or plateaued. He seems to delight in surprising us with shocking new approaches. What a King! He is still very much in charge and exercising his sovereignty in surprising ways to extend his rule into the hearts of all men everywhere. Lord, may we see more surprises! We love your sovereignty.

Obnoxious Commercials & God’s Ways

2010-01-05T16:39:00.003-08:00

Maybe you too have been annoyed by the loud commercials that explode onto your TV while you’re watching your favorite program. The commercials insist on our attention and force their message on its captive audience. Do you need a lawyer to represent you? I’m sure you do, so call now! How about some newly improved garbage bags to enhance the quality of your life and rid you of the inconvenience of collapsing bags? Some of us have become quite adept at using the mute button, but even that can’t hide the visual effect of some commercials. Even the Senate has been called on to help out with this daily irritation. Some sage politician has put a bill before the Senate to force TV advertisers to lower the volume of their advertisements to a normal level.

God’s communications methods are in extreme contrast, God speaks gently and quietly to us. He never insists on our attention or pushes his way into our home. He stands quietly waiting at the door to be invited in. And when he is invited in, he meekly and gently invites us to choose to give him our attention. He doesn’t raise his voice or shout for our attention.

And God never pushes us to “buy” something that we clearly don’t need. Yes, he has the greatest treasure available to man and offers solutions to every single problem. But he’s put his offer in a book that we choose to pick up; and we choose to read; and we choose to search. And he comes close when we are in need and waits for us to invite his help.

This really puts the onus on me to seek him out and to listen to his whisper. His counsel is a valuable resource available to me at the cost of listening time and quiet exploration of his Word. He’s always ready with a word of encouragement, but waits in the periphery for me to seek him out. He has the greatest plans for my life and ministry, but never shoves them in my face. He waits for me to seek his counsel.

This also puts the onus on me to represent God’s invitation appropriately to other people without loud insistence and high powered salesman tactics. I know who the Treasure is and I know he’s more valuable than anything any person could pursue here on earth. As God’s representative I can help others to discover the treasure for themselves without pushing past the present level of interest and without intimidation. No loud Gospel commercials, just patient discussion and gentle answers.

We know what annoys us about commercials and we know what delights us about God. I revel in God’s ways and long to be quickly responsive to his quiet voice. And I pray that no one needs to propose a bill to God to quiet those obnoxious noisy Christians.

Repacking for This Decade

2010-01-03T15:50:00.004-08:00

It’s already 3 January in the new decade. Yes, I made some New Year’s resolutions centering around time management, but for the most part, I’ve been holding back from making resolutions for anything else. The next year just doesn’t seem clear enough yet to make resolutions. Instead I’m a couple days late in trying to unpack from last year and repack for 2010.

I don’t know what your 2009 held, but I encountered some troubling circumstances that challenged what I thought was “stout” faith. I would love to say I was completely victorious, but I’m not declaring that. I would love to say it’s been worth it all because I grew so much. But I’m not saying that. It was just a hard year. I have memories of my struggles to be victorious and memories of floundering failures. A lot of veneer was stripped off and my heart was laid bare. I am not applauding. I was not only disappointed with myself, I also came away a bit jaded about other believers and have a more clear understanding of our humanness and desperate need for the daily transforming power of Jesus.

So today I am grappling with bringing closure to 2009. The good thing is that I reached the point where I could say to God that I want to move beyond all the hurts. I want to see others clothed in his righteousness and not clothed in their failings and foibles. And yes I want to reenter my ministry not so much saturated with an awareness of the absence of God, but an awareness of striding side by side with my awesome God. And I do want to enter this decade conscious of the changes God made in my life through the trials of the last year and a deeper sense of peace that he continues to transform me not just through my successes but through difficulties and suffering.

I’ve chucked a lot of accumulated junk out of my suitcase today, and I’m ready to repack for this year. I may not yet have clarity for everything that lies ahead, but I think I’m in far better shape for the journey. How about you?

Who is this Jesus?

2010-01-02T10:54:00.002-08:00

Many of us have a rather narrow view of Jesus. We have fallen in love with this Jesus who loved us unconditionally, courageously shouldered our sins on the cross, and tenderly comforts us in our sorrows, But I have to say, a detailed reading of the Gospels reveals a different side of Jesus that many of us would be uncomfortable with.

The disciples faced a similar dilemma. They had left all to follow this Jesus who healed the sick, cast out demons, and awed the crowds with his teaching. But one day the Pharisees asked him an “innocent” question about why the disciples didn’t wash their hands before they ate. Now this new image of Jesus emerges (Matt 15:12-14). He directly challenged the Pharisees about preferring their own traditions over obeying God’s commands. He called them hypocrites to their face and quoted an Old Testament passage that stripped away the pretentious outward religious trappings and exposed the vanity of their hearts and teaching. And then he calmly walked away and addressed the crowds about the same issue.

Needless to say, the Pharisees were offended. Surprise! The puzzled disciples came to Jesus with their question, “Did you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” Maybe they thought Jesus didn’t notice the Pharisees’ reaction. I actually think they were shocked by Jesus’ approach. Why would he address the Pharisees in such an offensive way?

Lest we quickly jump to hammering the disciples, let’s picture Jesus doing this in 2010. Imagine Jesus going up to a political leader and directly challenging him on his public decisions and using Scripture to expose the rottenness of his heart attitudes. As Jesus’ coworker would you feel like hiding in the shadows or would you also like to question Jesus about his approach. Isn’t there a way he could be more subtle? After all we are called to be peacemakers. People won’t listen to us if we offend them?

I love how Jesus responded to the disciples’ question. Jesus was not ignorant of the Pharisees’ reaction, but neither did he take offense at their negative reaction. Jesus had not been speaking his personal opinion so he did not take their offense personally! He clearly left the judging to God. He calmly told his disciples that God would pluck any weeds that needed picking. (When’s the last time you said that?) He also told the disciples to let the Pharisees be. And that is just what Jesus modeled. He sensed and knew the reaction and just moved on to the next event.

I have to say that I’m much more comfortable with following and imitating the loving Jesus I’m familiar with. And I so much long to teach like him. This picture of Jesus is downright scary, but just as valid as tender baby Jesus in a manger and Jesus’ gentle touch on a toddler. So my question – how will I follow this Jesus I read about today? My first challenge is to be ready and willing to be confrontative if necessary and be so in touch with God that I know when gentle compassion is necessary and when bold truth is required. I also need to avoid speaking my own opinions that require personal defense and end in personal offense. I can courageously speak God’s Word with boldness, knowing that God will defend his own word. I want to learn to leave situations and attendant emotions to move onto the next event with confidence. And finally, I want to live life intentionally as Jesus did and be able to clearly explain my actions from God’s perspective. This Jesus I love.

Short - Listed Ethics and Paradoxes

2009-12-17T09:14:00.003-08:00

Since wrestling with ethics is one of my passions, a blog on ethics recently attracted my attention. However I soon discovered that the blog was not written by a Christian, but by someone who conveniently used biblical terms in contemplations of right and wrongs of specific situations. I began to do some contemplating myself. Just how do you make ethical decisions without a solid unshakeable standard for making those decisions?

As a believer I can short list many layers of possibility because of clear biblical principles and explicit instructions. What a privilege to be able to confidently short list many decisions. However, real life exposes us to a wide variety of decisions that require ethical decisions that cannot be answered with a quick Scripture quip. And if we gathered a crowd of theologians from a wide variety of Christian backgrounds to discuss right and wrong on a hot topic we would likely see butting head discussion with individuals each preaching the biblical basis for their decisions. Who’s right? Now that’s the key question.

Our theological camp could adamantly defend our position based on our personal study and understanding of Scripture and still be wrong because we haven’t seriously considered another perspective based on their study or understanding. We are faced with an amazing aspect of Christianity – biblically based paradoxes rooted in God’s character and ways. Serious discussion of ethics requires us to closely examine the extremes God presents to us. Unconditional love and justice. Mercy and justice. Sermon on the Mount meekness and prophetic name calling (white-washed sepulcher!)

Paradoxes foment energetic debates between best friends, challenge the most vigorous academics to write lengthy tomes to express their understanding, and create extreme theological camps whose leaders charismatically pull adherents after them. However I would like to suggest that biblical paradoxes should serve a vital role for all Christians. Each biblical paradox expresses an important revelation of God’s character that serves to soften the hard edges of human character and behavior.

Some are tempted to hide unkind bigotry or selfish ethnocentricity behind “defending righteousness.” A hearty look at God’s kindness, long suffering, and compassion could challenge our bigotry. Others have been wooed into embracing “tolerance” as an expression of God’s love without being challenged by God’s hatred and judgment on destructive sin. Remaining in any extreme camp without regular forays into genuine dialogue with those outside of our camp leaves us in danger of missing hearing others’ glimpses of another side of God’s character and its impact on decision making.

Paradoxes implanted within the Bible should provide a moderating impact on each of us. After all God acts consistently out of his character. By observing his actions through out the Bible and history we see all facets of his character presented. Sometimes his love is most obvious, sometimes his anger is prominent, and other times his justice is the outstanding feature. However, God never has the luxury of choosing one characteristic over the other! His responses to humans must be at once consistent with all of his character. As humans we do not have the right to define God by one side of his character while ignoring other parts. Therein lies the tension when we make ethical decisions. We do not have the luxury of picking and choosing which end of the biblical paradoxes we will align with. No matter how uncomfortable, we must be willing to be moderated by the other end of the paradox.

I was raised within a major theological camp. I was confident in all of my views and could appropriately defend each of them until I entered into significant dialogue with someone of another theological camp. That person’s gentle presentation of his views and life practice moderated my view and gradually moved me closer to his theological stance. In a later work situation I became a meek ambassador of my theological camp to others resting securely in their camp. I believe my presence and conversation moderated my coworkers in a healthy way that delighted God.

So, biblical paradoxes are part of reality and actually vital to healthy ethical decisions. On that basis I need to be willing to move outside of my comfort zone and quick biblical quips to genuinely engage others in meaningful conversation. And not just others in my camp, but others who have contrasting perspectives to share with me. But more than that, I desire to allow others’ perspectives to contribute to broader understanding of biblical paradoxes and to help inform my own ethical decision making. And yes, be willing to gently share with those outside my camp in a way that they can hear and appreciate my glimpses of God’s ways. Together we may just get a better handle on God’s amazing paradoxes.

Party Coping Strategies

2009-12-13T17:23:00.002-08:00

I am not really a party person. I love one to one conversation in a quiet setting. My idea of ambience does not include a large group of noisy people all trying to chat at once and talking about topics I either know nothing about or don’t care to know more about! An invitation to a party throws me into a dilemma. I know I need to be sociable and I have a sense of responsibility to others, but I really don’t want to go. Most often I say “yes” and drag myself rather reluctantly down the road and hesitantly into a room crowded with way too many people for my taste. I’m sure there are others like me, but I don’t usually find them because they also attend the parties half-heartedly and valiantly attempt to fit into the incessant noise and chatter.

Well I attended such a party recently and realized that I have developed some personal party coping strategies. In the past I have chosen to sit on the edge of the crowd and become a basic observer. But this time I plopped myself right in the middle of the fray and prayed for one or two people to sit by me with whom I could have a deeper one on one conversation. Now that sounds cozy, but let me tell you, it’s not easy to carry on an intimate conversation of a personal nature in the middle of chatter that competes with a rock band! Imagine asking someone to speak up (try shout) when she is telling you about the recent death of her husband or her strained relationship with her kids. But all in all, the tidbits I picked up and the relationships I built with those brief encounters far outweigh surface conversations with a myriad of individuals regarding weather, traffic, or Christmas ventures.

Another strategy is to arm myself with a determined focus on enjoying other peoples’ joy that bubbles up at such events. Yes, there are far more party lovers who load up their USB heart drives with heaps of fun, laughter, jokes, and conversation. Parties are for them. Watch their faces light up with each person they hug and enjoy the sight of animated discussion flooding each table. Join in the applause as names are called out and people honored (and rejoice that its not you!)

And lastly, I work on being a “you” person, focusing on others and their needs and not on my own needs. I find that if I go in with the goal of being a listener, an encourager, and an affirmer I can forget about my own need for security, quiet, or recognition. I’m on the hunt for those who need a ready ear, an empathetic response, a pat on the back, or a cheery “go for it.” And it works. I left my last party without thoughts of regret for the quiet night I missed at home with a good book, and I left with some quality relationships strengthened. I did more than “endure” the noise and chatter. I actually enjoyed others’ exuberant fun. And I think that is just what God wanted.

Sabbath Monitors or Lord of the Sabbath

2009-12-07T14:51:00.003-08:00

Anybody old enough to remember “hall monitors” in school? They were appointed to monitor student activities in the hallways of our schools. The positive thing was that they were appointed by school authorities to keep the peace and protect (who, I don’t know). But I remember some rather arrogant hall monitors who abused their power to belittle freshmen peons and others who showed favoritism to those in their clique. I can’t really recall their protection or peacemaking skills.

Well I stumbled upon some Sabbath Monitors in my Bible reading today. The Pharisees were patrolling for Sabbath offenders and came upon the shocking crime of Jesus’ disciples picking grain from a field on the Sabbath. As it was their duty to patrol for non-Sabbath behavior they stopped Jesus and his entourage to question them. “Hey what do you think you are doing on the Sabbath?”

I love how Jesus handled these Sabbath Monitors. Jesus gave clear explanations of why he and his disciples had the right to eat on the Sabbath and then challenged these Sabbath Monitors for being ignorant of what God actually desired of them – mercy! And finally, Jesus told them, “Hey I’m the appointed Sabbath Monitor.” Your Bible probably reads “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

When I read this, I was convicted. I can think of frequent occasions when I appointed myself as “Driving Monitor” and corrected my husband’s driving! In fact, I can easily get into the “monitor mode” and begin judging any one and everything. I’ve been “Dress-Code Monitor,” “Leadership Monitor,” and “Parenting Monitor.” So I’m thinking, “Who made you the hall monitor, Jane?”

I can also think of specific situations in which as appointed “hall monitor” (read “leader monitor, “teacher monitor”) to keep the peace and protect, I have misused my power to criticize or condemn. Granted, the Pharisees were appointed religious leaders entrusted with the Law, but they were known to carry out their appointment with harshness and criticism.

How could the Pharisees have responded when they thought some prominent Jews were publicly breaking the Sabbath Law? How about a friendly respectful chat? “Hey, Jesus, I see that you’re followers have been picking ears of corn on the Sabbath. I’d like to hear your thoughts on that?” Jesus had some very valid reasons for their eating decisions and had an interesting take on integrating the Sabbath Law and God’s instructions about mercy over sacrifice. I’m not sure that the Pharisees really benefited from his insight at this point. They were too busy defending the Sabbath and their right as Sabbath Monitors. I realize that I often miss hearing other people’s valid perceptions and interpretations when I quickly make condemnations as a monitor or I am in defensive mode to protect my monitor role.

As I reflect on these issues I realize that the real issue is my heart attitude. Yes, there are many times that I am appointed to responsibilities that require making judgments and evaluations. But God really wants me to carry out my monitor role with love, compassion, and generosity just as Jesus did. I can learn from his humility and gentleness. Jesus was appointed “Sabbath Monitor” or Lord of the Sabbath, and I feel loved and protected as he patrols the halls of my heart.

A Life Worthy of Those I Influence

2009-12-03T11:40:00.001-08:00

Not that Tiger Woods needs any more pressure or criticism, but I want to take a moment of reflection. There’s something I think I can learn from this rather disappointing glimpse of a darker side of Tiger’s life. And that’s where I want to start. One of my heroes has fallen. I took a bit of pride in the fact that Tiger was such an accomplished golfer and a consistently upright citizen who displayed gentlemanly self-control. I have to say I have experienced a rather dampening disappointment. Not Tiger! If Tiger has fallen then who can possibly stand?

So this brings me to the lesson I can learn. The higher I go in success and leadership the more weight of responsibility I have for my personal life and integrity! It is not just about my choices for me, but my success leads me to a level of influence that makes me responsible to many others for my choices, even in my private life. No, they may not be paying my salary. No, they won’t vote me on or off of a board. But they have entrusted me with the power to influence how they live their lives! I can lead them onto a higher standard of self-control and kindness through my lifestyle, conversations, and consistency; or I can lead them down a road of skepticism, self-centeredness, or compromise through my own private choices. I do have a choice to utilize my freedoms, no question. But at a higher level my choices have to take into consideration those I influence, those who have come to honor and respect me.

While Tiger attempted to keep his private life and choices secret, his darker side was exposed in the end. There really is no separation of private and public at any level. I write rather soberly as I consider the weight of responsibility I have in my daily choices. May I live a life worthy of my Father and a life worthy of those I influence.

Challenge of Structural Change

2009-11-30T16:50:00.003-08:00

Frank stepped out of bed one morning into pools of water. To his amazement his house was flooded by a broken supply pipe to his toilet. He diligently vacuumed up the water and rewaxed his floor, but found days later that the brief flood had done its deep damage. His house needed major renovation! So for two months work crews swamped his house, tearing up flooring and removing cupboards, doors and even fixtures. He attempted to live out of his torn up house, moving from room to room as necessary. He even resorted to “bucket baths” as the plumbing was totally reworked. Well, several months later, thousands of dollars later, many bucket baths later, and many fast food meals later Frank invited us over for a look at the transformation. He had a “new” house! The new wood flooring throughout the house glowed! The bathroom was completely remodeled with modern fixtures and tiled floor and walls. And every closet and cupboard had glossy new louver doors. What a transformation and what a cost!

His story reminded me about the true costs of radical change and transformation. Jesus truly advocated for radical change in his listeners. Not just a change in life style, although that was clear, but a change in heart perspectives and motivations. He was calling on people to tear up old flooring and damaged fixtures. That to me is the most demanding change anyone could ask. It’s not demanding because I don’t want to change, because I really do. But its demanding first because I don’t quite know how to change those deep things like my inbred way of looking at things and the driving engines of my life that have been evolving and fine tuned over the years. Jesus’ truth shines dazzling light on my faulty perspectives and motives in such a way that I am convinced something must change. But, how? How do I change something that has taken decades (yes really) to formulate and solidify? In a house it is fairly easy – rip it up and replace it. How do you do that with faulty motives?

Secondly, changing heart perspectives and motivations is daunting because when I do change them I am shifting and moving foundations and structures supporting many of my patterns of thinking and behavior. Jesus is really asking me to dismantle part of my house while I’m living in it! And who knows what will be affected and what “treasures” have to be removed and tossed. I’m sure Frank would never have chosen to have his life turned up side down for several months, but in the end it was worth it. Jesus challenges me to invite the chaos that facilitates transformational change!

And lastly, making such deep dramatic changes is challenging because of the potential impact it can have on others, especially those close to me. They may actually be praying for change but might be alarmed at the change outcomes! On the other hand, they may have adapted to relating to me just the way I am and any changes I make will throw them into a chaos of confusion, “I thought I knew how to relate to this person. She’s not the same as before!” And they may actually rejoice in the new me that God creates as I am transformed like we rejoiced with Frank and his “new” house!

I am convinced that Jesus knew the inherent difficulties of change when he stood before the crowds and flung out his challenges. He is convinced of the end product of change and lovingly invites us to open up our house to major renovation. He promises to supervise the process and guarantees the outcome. I don’t know about you, but I’m signing up for radical renovation.

Luminous Lights or Birthday Candles?

2009-11-28T17:30:00.002-08:00

You are the light of the world – or are you? Jesus indicated we are meant to be luminous through our lives– casting brilliance for those around us to see. We’re meant to be that glowing light that guides others in their darkness. So what kind of life does that require? I’d like to suggest that our lives should exude hope no matter where we walk and no matter what hopelessness and despair we bump into. Our unceasing hope, based on our eternal ever-present and ever-active God, should shine hope into broken relationships, wounded families, impossible work situations, floundering communities, and nations devastated by ungodliness. That Lamp in us should inspire others to believe God for change, transformation, and yes, improvement. Our conversation should express hope and brightly light the way down the path of God’s answers.

Have you ever heard of darkness shutting down light? It doesn’t happen in God’s world, and yet I have experienced someone else’s depression dousing my flame of hope! A brief exchange about current news can have an extinguishing effect on me. But the question I must ask myself is how strong my light was before sitting with those in need of brilliant luminescence!

So, we are to be lights set on a hill, and our flame of hope is about as bright as a birthday candle that can be extinguished by a two year old! What can we do? May I suggest that my light of hope is brightened by spending time in the presence of our God. There I am reminded that he is eternal and nothing is “finished” in my lifetime because God is still on the throne! In his presence I am reminded of the unending extent of his power that explodes all impossibilities into possibilities and his creativity that adores creating solutions to man’s impossibilities. And in his presence I am reminded of the bright radiance of his love that seeks to enlighten the most discouraged, abandoned, or rebellious person. Yes, definitely, I need more of his light. I’m coming, Lord. I’m due for a recharge so I’ll be a bright light set on a hill just as you intended.

picture from http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

A Penchant for Change

2009-11-27T14:11:00.004-08:00

I woke up one morning last week with a passion for change. I had reached saturation point with the comfortable routine of being home and working on projects. This is so typical of me. Just when I have finely tuned the rhythm of a day’s work and evening rest of Sudoku and worship, I want to race off to something new. It’s almost like I crave a certain amount of chaos in my life and chafe at sameness like a wild horse chafes at restraining fences. But I also know that by the end of a six week road trip visiting a variety of locations and engaging a multitude of individuals personally or corporately, I long for the sameness of being in my own house, setting my own time schedule, and cooking my own food. But it doesn’t take very long for that sameness to become “boredom” and I wake up again longing to dash off somewhere – any where!

My guess is that if I were to do a survey I would find that there are some others like me, but there are also many who revel in routine and chafe irritably at anything that would threaten the safety of their well established safe world. And there probably are a few who could not even tolerate a month at home with a comfortable rhythm of work and rest. And God has created all of us in his image!

Maybe the question becomes how to effectively harness the internal drive for sameness or change in the way God intends so that it accomplishes what he desires in our world. The drive for sameness can provide stability and safety, especially when it is expressed through loving attitudes and godly principles. The drive for change is vital in producing growth and molding a person, family, organization or community to closer alignment to God’s truth. I propose that without the drive for change or passion for sameness we will not be the salt God intended us to be in our world.

However, as is normal, the difference in our internal drives towards sameness or change, can produce interpersonal tension and conflict. For example my passion to dash off anywhere for a change clashes with my husband’s internal drive to create stability and safety while we are home. And my drive to make modifications in current ministry can be a downright menace to fellow workers who are devoted to creating lasting solutions. My desire for change can threaten to rock their world.

May I suggest that this ongoing tension between stability and change is part of God’s built in plan to keep us growing and effective in our world. Sin by nature creates chaos. Well established laws and well executed biblical guidelines provide the means of calming the chaotic storm and restoring families and communities to safety and security of loving relationships based on his Word. But it takes individuals driven by passion for change to head into the storm and advocate for change in the face of opposition and criticism.

We are made in God’s image to accomplish God’s purposes in His world. Whether we have a penchant for change or a passion for stability, God has a role for each of us to play. Yielded in his hand and making room for each other, we should together press on to see His Kingdom come in the places he’s put us.

Fear of God – Yielding in the Face of Suffering

2009-11-22T23:44:00.001-08:00

Jesus “offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death and was heard because of His godly fear.” Heb 5:7

I find it so easy to teach about the fear of God and to passionately cry out for the fear of God and so difficult to live the fear of God. Especially when it is so directly related to submission as it is in this passage.

The fear of God is not simply words that Christians blithely use to evidence their faith. Neither is it merely a reverent attitude evidenced by moderate clothing, avoiding raising one’s voice in church, or rigid church attendance and quiet times. While all these may be evidence of the fear of God, the most strenuous test of the fear of God is that of obedience in the face of suffering.

Many of us readily obey the simple commands of Scripture when we can comfortably comply without paying a heinous price and especially when obeying suits our needs and strokes our egos. Such obedience screams against the fear of God because it is based solely upon a respect for our own comforts and needs! In contrast, Jesus demonstrated reverent submission that went against any conceivable form of human comfort and evidenced submission based solely upon respect for God’s eternal purposes for mankind and God’s ways. Now that is godly fear.

So our challenge is to look this example in the face and admit our own shallowness in fearing God. But that’s not enough. We are challenged to willingly yield to adhering to God’s ways in the face of difficulty or suffering. This godly fear of God starts on our knees, but will surely bear fruit under the constraints of injustice or perplexing suffering just as it did for Jesus.

Weight of Teaching – Transformational Teaching

2009-11-20T22:38:00.003-08:00

I love learning and I love teaching. One of my teaching maxims is “learning should be fun.” However, I was caught short today as I finished off my examination of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus’ summary was all about the long term results if his audience listened to and applied his teaching. In his characteristic style he used a vivid word picture to illustrate. While I had a fresh appreciation for his stunning word picture, what caught me short was the weight he attributed to his words and their application! Those applying his words would be wise and stand firm in the wildest of storms. Those ignoring his words would be foolish and in danger of great collapse.

Do I hear the impending raging winds and battering rain while I am teaching? Am I aware of the weight of responsibility that rests on me as a teacher of God’s Word as I deliver his life-saving instructions? And do I communicate so faithfully that the listeners know and understand that they have now received teaching that has the potential of bulwarking their lives and families against the storms that are surely coming?

As a teacher, its not just about preparing teaching that is fun or unique, but about preparing responsibly so that listeners hear the teaching, go away talking about it, are challenged to respond in some way to the teaching, and begin to make some changes in the way they are building their life-house for the future. Now that is transformational teaching!

Does God Know about the “Peter Principle”?

2009-11-18T06:22:00.010-08:00

Doesn’t God know about the “Peter principle?” He promotes someone and they just don’t handle it all that well. What went wrong? Were they promoted beyond their level of competence, and was God ultimately responsible for their failure because he put his hand on the wrong guy?

I don’t think so. Here’s my take. I think God selects someone to give a responsibility to and makes available to that person all he needs to carry that responsibility! That sounds like God. The catch is…will the newly appointed leader recognize his greater need and take appropriate action to access greater resources?

What would that look like? First of all, greater responsibility would require greater prayer cover! Just as a promoted political leader gets a body guard, so we better get prayer guards in place as we tread into more risky spheres of influence. Secondly, greater need requires more intentional spiritual disciplines including time spent alone with the Father, time of worship and prayer, and serious Bible study focused on new responsibilities.

Thirdly, greater responsibility demands an even greater level of humility! This leader needs to be more teachable, not less! He needs to be correctable by God and by coworkers, leaders, and followers. After all bigger leaders have the potential of making bigger mistakes! They need people to help keep them on track and God provides that ready help through others’ correction and even criticism! Fourthly, new responsibilities thrust him into higher faith challenges. His comfortable level of faith is too small and he has to stretch his confidence in God’s enabling, provision, and work in new ways.

So, if God has put his hand on you and entrusted you with new responsibilities, recognize your greater need and intentionally act to access the rich resources God has put at your disposal. God does know about the “Peter principle” but he’s not worried about it. He knowingly chooses weak vessels because he has all they need to be great!

Living on the Edge of Chaos

2009-02-07T10:26:00.003-08:00

Randy and I have been “wandering” with our suitcases and backpacks since 13 October. We have “camped” out in Senegal and Mali, several homes in the States, a home and a room in South Africa, and two rooms in Zambia. The only stability is my husband and my coffee plunger! While wandering, rather intentionally, I have attempted at least to maintain a routine of having a morning cup of coffee with my Bible and prayer.

In a blog I’ve been following, called Cross-Cultural Moments (http://culturalmoments.blogspot.com), Elizabeth Abbot wrote, “Living on the edge of chaos is a ‘paradoxical state of unresolvable contradictory forces’ and the tension between these forces ‘elicits creativity and innovation.’” Well, I’ve been living on the edge of chaos for quite some months and have found myself scrambling to establish some form of normalcy so I can think rationally!

However, Elizabeth’s thoughts give me pause. God certainly allowed our present state of affairs, if not actually launching this nomadic journey. So He must have something in mind other than just teaching me how to bring some order into our lives. I wonder what creativity and innovation God would like to produce in the midst of this rather disordered life style? And if I haven’t seen it yet, I can expect some marvelous outcomes in and through our lives.

So, here I am. I’m looking for the precious surprises God has in mind. I want to see him take what has been an emotional drain and transform it into his creative purposes for his glory. Yes, I still want my morning cup of coffee and prayer – but I welcome whatever else he has around the corner.

Symphony of Bird Songs

2009-02-05T22:11:00.004-08:00

One of the things I have so enjoyed about staying in the home where we are house sitting is hearing the symphony of birds in the early hours of morning before the first light actually drifts through the curtains. These birds are just so cheerful! What a lovely wake up sound! It reminds me of a song we learned years ago on outreach in El Salvador: In the morning the birds are singing the praises of Jesus Christ our living Lord, and you my friend, why are you not singing the praises of Jesus Christ our Savior?

So, these pleasant bird songs remind me to be just as cheerful for those that awake to my sounds! I wonder? Am I filled with praises every morning? Surely I have more to sing about than them! I have a wonderful husband who loves me and carefully attends to the details of our present nomadic life. I have a wealth of friends who write encouraging notes to accompany us on our path of service in Africa. I have a wonderful son who honors and respects us as parents and a delightful daughter-in-law and granddaughter who have brought special joy to us. I work with leaders who have not only been friends, but have been consistent in showing appreciation and care as we slog away with some rather difficult issues. We work alongside some amazing missionaries who continue to sacrifice their careers and comforts on a daily basis to ensure that people hear and see the Good News. And most of all, God continues to ensure that his mercies are new every morning and consistently demonstrates that in such sweet personal ways that still surprise and delight me!

So, yes, I have more reason to sing each morning than the birds do, and I pray that I may as consistently delight others as they waken to the first glimpses of morning light and rouse themselves to face another day.

No Substitute for an Expert

2009-01-24T03:15:00.004-08:00

I’m finally online! I bought this sweet little computer several weeks ago – works like a charm and slides into my purse nicely for travel. Only problem was that it could not connect to the internet using our USB modem. We have transported this little beauty back and forth across town to our internet service provider for the last week. Three charming computer techs had a go at it in various turns. We swapped for an upgraded SIM card (for a price). And finally were advised to downgrade my up-to-the-minute computer to Service Pack 2 that would be more compatible with the USB modem! With this dubious advice, we sped our way to a nearby computer store that had previously helped us exterminate a worm from our computer. After explaining our problem we reluctantly handed over our new baby to the computer tech complete with passwords and their promise to return it to us by the next day.

Within one hour we had a call back that we could come to pick up our computer! It’s true! He had made several minor changes in internet settings that allowed my new computer to connect to the internet like it was created to do. My computer savvy husband was embarrassed that he had missed it. Three friendly smart computer techs had also failed to spot the problem! As we drove home I was reminded of two things. First, how important it is to go to the right person with the right knowledge and expertise. A friendly smile, a good listening ear, or even a title or position are not necessarily the qualifications that make someone an “expert,” but they sure do help ease the pain of the irritation.

Secondly, no problem is unsolvable if the right person is involved! My computer problem loomed as an impossible situation, at least a frustratingly hopeless situation; and we seriously considered compromising for the sake of finding a solution. Yet, just around the corner was an expert waiting to be invited to apply his knowledge.

I was reminded of a Scripture I had been meditating on for the last week, “He [God] will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure” (Isa 33:6 NIV). So many times in ministry I have reached the boiling point of frustration and sense of hopelessness. But this Scripture reminds me that for sure God is the expert in every area within my imagination and is just around the corner waiting for me to come for his help. And he does it with a smile and a listening ear and experienced expertise!

Keeping on Track and out of the Ruts

2009-01-20T22:52:00.002-08:00

OK we’re three weeks into the new year. Time to take inventory of those lovely New Year’s resolutions I decisively jotted in my journal. How am I doing so far? Now where were those things I wrote out? In fact, what were they again? Vaguely it’s coming back…

Maybe you’re like me. New Year’s resolutions are great to help identify changes I want to make in my life. Commendably, I’ve suspended frantic activities long enough to recognize the need to change and paused long enough to want to do something about it. But if my insight and desire surface only on that one day at the beginning of the new year I’ll sadly join the ranks of petrified characters who dutifully mount their soap boxes again at the end of 2009 with regret and recycled resolutions.

So here I am in danger of getting off track with my well intentioned and Spirit-prompted changes! I’m pouring into my work with fresh vigor and passion. The pressing emails, phone calls, reports, planning, and errands are taking over my waking hours. Oh, did I tell you about my increasing interest in the finer points of writing? Oh, yes, did I tell you about joining Facebook that consumes valuable minutes during my coffee breaks?

Enough. What can I do to sharpen the focus and possibility of the success of my proposed changes for 2009? First of all, find them. Get them out and put them some place where they’ll stare me in the face each day. For me that’s my Power Point prayer list. For others it’s their refrigerator or desktop.

Secondly, make them a matter of prayer. How obviously simple and yet so easily forgotten. Prayer provides a daily reminder and is the given means of involving God in the process of my change. Through prayer I invite his grace, strength and Spirit’s promptings as I begin the daunting task of disrupting well established routines and habits that have made up my previous behaviors and responses.

And thirdly, involve someone else in accountability, someone who is willing to risk challenging me to keep on the progress track and willing to call me out when I run straight back into hobbling in the old ruts of habits that I vehemently deplored last December. For me that’s my husband. I give him the right to challenge, badger, question, and encourage me to keep on track and to stand beside me on 31 December with a banner of victory and a fresh list of resolutions for the next year. How about you?

They’ll Know You Are My Disciples

2009-01-18T06:41:00.001-08:00

How refreshing, challenging, and disturbing. MukomaWa Ngugi wrote his appraisal of lessons learned and not learned from the Kenya election fiasco of 2008 in the Jan-Mar 09 edition of BBC Focus on Africa.

Refreshing because Ngugi profiles the National Council of Churches of Kenya as responding in an honorable role during this hiatus of Kenya politics. Not because the churches remained exempt from participation in the violence, but rather because they publicly acknowledged their partisan response to the post election violence and apologized for not taking a united stand for justice. Such a humble public admission of wrong stands out as a stark example in a time when many governments and leaders flounder to make reasonable and honorable excuses for their own failures that have crippled nations and cost great loss of lives.

Challenging because Ngugi showcases the church’s apology on the international field, setting a standard for the Church worldwide to be as courageous in admitting their failures to be the source of solving problems rather than being embroiled in the problems along with the public. Challenging because the watching world knows how the Church should respond! Challenging because they know the Church should be different.

Disturbing because Ngugi has highlighted the Council of Church’s acknowledgement and apology in such a way that leaves us as believers with a serious reminder to follow their example in our very basic everyday existence. While it feels quite safe for us to honestly confess our sins privately to God, it is another thing to transparently acknowledge those same sins and failures in the presence of our most beloved critics, our family members and peers. In an era of political mud slinging and dodging expertise, the National Council of Churches of Kenya has clearly modeled the radical humility that God calls for in those of us who would call ourselves Christians.

So refreshing, challenging, and disturbing. The eyes of the world have observed and recognized a higher standard. And they shall know you are my disciples by your…humility and confession of wrong. Now that is disturbing.