Christmas Thanksgivings

• I'm thankful for a great Christmas Eve Service.  I came close to canceling the service, so I was amazed when 140 people showed up.  And there were several first-time guests.  That alone is cause for giving thanks.
  
• I'm thankful for our Emergency Warming Shelter.  Now into our second full week of operation, we had 18 in the shelter Tuesday night.  Where would they have gone if we had not opened the building?  I'm very thankful for super-volunteers Kelly Nelson and Richard Herrera as well as the rest of you who became the Body of Christ to "the least of these."
• I'm thankful for our Advent Devotional Books and for those who made contributions to it.  Kristen Gehring's devotional on the 24th was just right -- it helped me get my mind and heart into a Christmas perspective.
• I'm thankful that so many of you are faithful in your financial stewardship.  I sorted through five days of mail today, and several of you sent checks even though you haven't been able to get out.  Bless you!  
• I'm thankful to God for the gift of His Son, Jesus.  That's the best gift of all!

Sunday's Bulletin Article

Despite the weather, we had great services and Bible study groups last Sunday (Dec. 14)!  If you weren't there, I can't adequately describe the fun we had "caroling in the halls."  However, you could listen to last Sunday's message by going to our website and clicking on the Current Message Series icon.  Just follow the directions.

Ladies, if you're still looking for a great gift for the man in your life, why don't you purchase a registration for him to attend the Northwest Men's Conference on Jan. 23-24?  This year's conference is in Beaverton, and, for only $30 ($25 for guys 14-24), he will receive incredible teaching and fellowship, a Saturday continental breakfast, and a copy of speaker Stu Weber's book, Maximum Impact.  For more info or to register, go to www.mensconference.org.

Christmas Eve is just around the corner.  Our service will begin at 6:30 p.m.  Lessons and carols and candlelight -- what a wonderful way to celebrate the birth of our Lord!

SNOW DAZE

Most of us have enjoyed this unusual succession of snow days. Growing up in Baker County, we had snow on the ground from Thanksgiving through early March, with a couple of thaws spaced in there along the way (and it's what we also experienced during our 4+ years in Illinois).  However, I'm already hearing some people complain of "cabin fever."   That's when "snow days" become "snow daze."

If that's happening to you, I prescribe the following medicine:

1. Brief forays into the winter wonderland--to get the paper or mail, for instance--followed by...
   
2. A good-sized cup of hot chocolate, and completed by...
3. Some enjoyable reading.  Susie started the novel I gave her for her birthday, The Shack.
4. Then call a friend or family member for a chat.

Maybe "snow days" are God's way of saying, "Slow down a bit.  Remember who you are and be grateful for the life I've given you."

Christmas Dessert Theater

The picture of Mary (Rachel Castro) and Jesus (me!) is from the First Act of this year's Christmas Dessert Theater, "One Incredible Moment."  It was a privilege to have been a part of this phenomenal production.  In addition to the choir, ensemble, actors, and technicians, a host of other people helped with sets, costumes, publicity, desserts, set-up and take-down. Thank you to everyone who helped make this church-wide event our "gift to the community." That was our goal, and we were successful. 

One of the selections in the musical was based on Christina Rosetti's wonderful Christmas poem:

What can I give him, poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb.

If I were a wise man, I would do my part.

What can I give him?  Give my heart.

In a lot of ways this poem typifies this year's effort.  We all brought our gifts to Jesus.  That's how we gave him our hearts.  What a privilege.  Glory to God!

Safety or Danger?

Mary Coleridge wrote this intriguing Christmas poem:

Christmas Eve I saw a stable, low and very bare,
A little child in a manger.
The oxen knew Him, had Him in their care,
To men He was a stranger,
The safety of the world was lying there,
And the world's danger.

Talking with Christy in Peru

This is our church's Week of Prayer for International Missions. I loved conducting a live interview with our own missionary to Peru, Christy Holcomb, through the magic of Skype.

We commissioned Christy last fall, and she has been in Peru for ten months. She has at least another six months of language study before she begins coordinating the Extreme Team's Women's Team.

Christy connected with our church through Kelly Nelson's college ministry at PCC, Sylvania. After completing her agriculture degree at OSU, she came back to area, joined our church, and completed her studies at Golden Gate Seminary.

It is a marvel that we could talk with Christy in this way, and, how fantastic was it that she could be with us for the rest of the worship service? Thanks Willy and Josh for getting this set up. And thanks to all of you who have invested yourselves in Christy and her ministry!

"Unanswered" Prayer

My message on Nov. 16 was on the topic of "unanswered" prayers. During part of the message, I quoted part of Garth Brook's song by the same title because it helps me to think about this whole topic from a different perspective. See if you agree:

Just the other night at a hometown football game,

My wife and I ran into my old high school flame.

And as I introduced them, the past came back to me.

And I couldn't help but think of the way things used to be:

She was the one that I'd wanted for all times.

And each night I'd spend prayin' that God would make her mine;

And if he'd only grant me this wish I wished back then I'd never ask for anything again.

Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers.

Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs

That just because he doesn't answer doesn't mean he don't care.

Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.

She wasn't quite the angel that I remembered in my dreams.

And I could tell that time had changed me

In her eyes too it seemed.

We tried to talk about the old days;

There wasn't much we could recall.

I guess the Lord knows what he's doin' after all.

And as she walked away, and I looked at my wife

And then and there I thanked the good Lord

For the gifts in my life.

Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers.

Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs

That just because he may not answer doesn't mean he don't care.

Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.

Intercessory Prayer

Last Sunday I spoke about intercessory prayer (prayer for others).

With regard to this, Jesus said something remarkable when he came down from the Mount of Transfiguration. Do you remember the story? This incident must have been an emotional "comedown" for Jesus after his "mountaintop experience" with Moses and Elijah. Anyway, his disciples were unable to help a demonized boy who periodically was seized by an evil spirit. After he healed the boy, the disciples asked, "Why couldn't we drive the demon out?" Jesus' response was staightforward and simple: "This kind can come out only by prayer" (Mark 9:29).

We make the same mistake that the disciples made. Too often we try everything except prayer. I can't speak for everyone else, but I know I'm guilty.

There are a lot of problems in this world that we cannot solve, a lot of obstacles that we cannot overcome. But God can. That's why we must pray.

My brother, Tom, had a stroke last week. He lives in New York. All I could do was talk with him on the phone, except, of course, I prayed. But that's not really correct, is it, because the most important thing I could have done for him was to pray.

It is important for followers of Jesus to share the gospel, support missionaries, feed the hungry, and care for the poor. But these activities are to prayer what the spokes of a wheel are to the hub. When the hub weakens, the rest of the wheel collapses. A. J. Gordon said: "You can do more than pray, after you have prayed, but you can never do more than pray until you have prayed."

Authentic Prayer

Last Sunday I began a new message series entitled, "A Pathway to Prayer." For me, the most important aspect of prayer is its potential for deepening my personal relationship with God. However, at least two things get in the way of that: 1. self-focused praying and 2. prayer that is too rote or artifical.

One thing that is helpful in overcoming these problems is the practice of writing out prayers. I adapted one of these at a recent prayer service that focused on the economic and other challenges currently facing our country. Max Lucado shared this prayer in his own church at a Sunday evening service in October, and I commend it to you as an excellent example.

You have Our attention, Lord.

Our friends lost their house. The co-worker lost her job. The couple next door lost their retirement. It seems that everyone is losing their footing.

This scares us. This bailout with billions. These rumblings of depression. These headlines: ominous, thunderous -- “Going Broke!” “Going Down!” “Going Under!” “What's Next?”

What is next? We’re listening. And we’re admitting:
You were right. You told us this would happen. You shot straight about loving
stuff and worshipping money. "Greed will break your heart," You warned. Money will
love you and leave you. Don’t put your hope in riches that are so uncertain. You
were right. Money is a fickle lover and we just got dumped.

We were wrong to spend what we didn’t have. Wrong to neglect prayer and ignore the poor. Wrong to think we ever earned a dime. We didn’t. You gave it.

And now, tell us Father, are You taking it?

We’re listening. And we’re praying. Could you make something good out of this mess? Of course, You can. You always have.

You led slaves out of slavery, built temples out of ruins, turned stormy waves into a glassy pond and water into sweet wine. This disorder awaits your order. So do we.

Through Christ,

Amen.

"God will always give what is right to His people who cry to Him night and day, and He will not be slow to answer them" (Luke 18:7 NCV).

Jesus as "The Way" (Part 2)

I'm still pondering the issue of the "narrowness" of believing that Jesus is the only way. Why aren't people upset with a doctor who says that the only way a person can be cured of acute appendicitis is to have the appendix removed? Isn't that narrow-minded?

Consider what R. C. Spoul said in his book Reason to Believe:

• Suppose that once upon a time, a good and loving God created people in his own image.
• Suppose He gave those people free will, so that they could make their own choices.
• Suppose He set them in an idyllic environment, with plenty of food and sunshine and interesting things to do.
• Suppose He imposed one restriction on them, warning them that if they violated this restriction, they would lose this gift of life He had given them?
• Suppose they violated that restriction, for no good reason, just because they felt like it?
• Suppose that, instead of taking their lives, God made provision for them and forgave them?
• Suppose their descendants repeated that pattern, over and over and over again?
• Suppose that God bestowed special gifts on one particular nation, so that they could know Him deeply and help others break the destructive pattern?
• Suppose the chosen nation rebelled too?
• Suppose that time after time, God forgave this nation, delivered them from the messes they'd gotten into, and sent special messengers to communicate to them?
• Suppose these people killed the messengers?
• Suppose, in an ultimate act of redemption, God himself came to them in a human body as the Son of God, not to condemn them, but to redeem them?
• Suppose, instead of welcoming Him, these people rejected, tortured, and killed Him?
• Suppose God accepted the death of His Son as payment for the sins of the very people who put Him to death?
• Suppose God offered His Son's murderers complete forgiveness, transcendent peace, and eternal life as a free gift?
• Suppose God said, "I demand only one thing from you in return: that you honor My Son, who gave His life for you?"

In view of all that, the wonder is not, why is there only one way, but why is there any way at all?

Jesus as "The Way"

Most people are not offended if I tell them that Jesus is "my" way. Our culture is big on "live-and-let-live." However, if my "way"--in other words, if my understanding--in any way seems to call into question another's "way," then I'd better look out! The intolerance of tolerant people for intolerance is extreme!

So, the rub doesn't come when I say that Jesus is "my way"; it's when I say that Jesus is "the way." Indeed, the reaction to that slight modification is so vociferous that many Christians no longer will go there. They don't want to offend, so they steer clear of something that so obviously causes offense.

That approach doesn't work for me, though. The reason is simple. I'm not the one who made the claim about Jesus in the first place. He did. He said, "I am the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6). So when I say Jesus is "the way" rather than just "my way," I am echoing him.

I understand why people get upset when I say Jesus is "the way." To them it sounds as if I'm unwilling to consider or even look at other ways. They may assume I'm attacking "their way(s)" or their belief systems, so I'm not surprised that when I say "Jesus is the way," I am accused of arrogance. But does it sound arrogant when Jesus says it?

After all, Jesus claimed that he came "to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). And, on the night before his death, he asked the Father to achieve salvation in some other way if possible; yet, "not my will, but Yours be done" (Luke 22:42). If, after begging for another way, Jesus willingly died on the Cross, is it arrogant for him to say, "I am the way"? When someone argues that there is another way, isn't s/he implying that Jesus' crucifixion was unnecessary?

So, when conversing with a skeptical acquaintance about spiritual things, I do not begin with the idea that Jesus is the only way. After all, I don't want to end the conversation before it begins. However, if it comes up, I can't back away from it. I try to articulate my understanding as sensitively as possible, but, in the end, it is more important that I be honest than that I be non-offensive. I owe the other person that. I owe Jesus that.

JOSH

Did you see the nice article about Josh Pounders in last week's Valley-Times? In case you missed it, here it is (minus the oh-so-good photo) . . .

First Baptist minister of music returns home
By Ponta Abadi
The Beaverton Valley Times, Oct 16, 2008

Josh Pounders, the new minister of music and worship at First Baptist Church of Beaverton, left for awhile, but has returned to his hometown church. “I always knew I would come back,” he said.

Pounders, 29, has been involved with music for most of his life. “I started singing when I was 3,” he laughs. Becoming more serious about music in junior high school, Pounders went on to Ouachita Baptist University to study music education. He said he knew he wanted to teach music in either in a public school or in a church.

In 2003, Pounders and his wife, Lindsey, moved back to the Northwest and he continued working closely with churches until September of last year when he finally returned to his hometown of Beaverton. “It had been about eight years; a lot of things had changed,” Pounders recalls. “Beaverton has grown, the church has grown.”

Then in January of this year, Pounders joined the First Baptist Church of Beaverton. When the worship pastor position became open at his church, Pounders was encouraged to apply for the job.

In part, the church’s reputation for community involvement made him excited to be back. “That’s the type of church I want to be a part of,” he said.

Pounders hopes to continue the great amount of music already incorporated into worship time. “Music plays such an extremely important role in allowing the Holy Spirit to communicate to the people,” he says.
Pounders also hopes to expand beyond music and preaching to involve more people and their talents.

A few things that have not changed, Pounders notes, are “the desire of our church to be family-friendly,” and the church “using music and worship as an opportunity to share Jesus Christ.”

He and his wife live in the Beaverton area with their two young daughters Lily, 3½, and Jordyn, 2 this Halloween. Looking to the future, Pounders says, “I’m excited about reconnecting with old family and friends and continuing to meet new members of the community.”

World Religions and Birthday Cards

Yesterday my wife, Susie, had a birthday. Today I preached on another Big Question, "Don't all religions teach the same thing(s)?"

They don't, and I want to use a birthday card to demonstrate it. The front of the card has the following "religious groupings" and a saying for each one about the issue of "fairness."

Protestantism: All’s fair in love and war.

Judaism: Nothing is fair.

Existentialism: Fairness is nothing.

Catholicism: It only seems fair when I lose.

Hippi-ism: Do you know the way to Scarborough Fair?

T.V. Evangelism: Send us your money. We’ll decide what’s fair.

Hinduism: You'll get yours next time around.

Zen Buddhism: What is fair?

Taoism: Fair is fair.

The punch line, on the next page, is: Birthdayism: Have a lovely birthday--it's only fair!

I like this card. Even though it slightly caricatures some of these religions, it's humorous because there is a certain amount of truth in each statement.

All religions don't teach the same thing. If you think they do, "send me your money, and I'll decide what's fair." Then I can buy Susie a more extravagant birthday gift!

I know . . . that wouldn't be fair, would it?

Elvis Is Alive!

I am fascinated and frustrated by the attention and success Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code) and other Bible "conspiracy theorists" have had in undermining people's faith in the Bible's portrayal of Jesus. They have almost as much credibility as the "Elvis is alive" crowd! (For those who want to read the pros and cons on this subject, I suggest starting with wikipedia's article entitled "Elvis Presley Phenomenon.") People are free to believe what they want, of course, but believing it doesn't make it right. I'm not concerned about whether people believe Elvis is alive or not. However, in the case of Jesus and his identity, issues of salvation and eternity are at stake. You don't want to be wrong about!

In his new book, The Case for the Real Jesus, Lee Strobel records his conversations with New Testament scholar Craig Evans concerning the various pseudo-gospels -- the Gospel of Thomas, the Secret Gospel of Mark, the Gospel of Peter, the Gospel of Mary, and the Gospel of Judas. (This is the first chapter of the book, and then he deals with other specific challenges.) They individually evaluate each of these pseudo-gospels utilizing the same criteria I mentioned in my previous post.

Some people undoubtedly will cite the work of the Jesus Seminar as sufficient reason for adjusting our view of Jesus' life and work. However, before buying into the false reasoning of this group, I suggest reading Luke Timothy Johson's critique of their work, The Real Jesus. Johnson is the Woodruff Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins at Candler School of Theology, Emory University. Incidentally, no one in the academic world would consider Emory to be a "conservative" institution. However, Johnson's evaluation is thorough and incisive, and I cannot do a better job.

My point is simple. When a person or group of persons seek to call a prevailing idea or viewpoint into question--especially something that most people have considered settled for a long time--they should bear the burden of proof. That applies to Elvis -- and to Jesus. One is alive, and the other isn't! I'll leave it to you to figure out which is which.

Why Should I Trust What the Bible Has to Say?

This morning I made the point that for many people this "Big Question" is actually a series of "smaller" questions: "How do I know the text hasn't been changed?" "Why should I trust the early Church's decision about what books should be included in the Bible?" And even, "Why should I believe the stories that I find in the Bible?"

In addressing the second of these smaller questions--"why should I trust the early Church's decision about the books that were included"--I listed three criteria used by followers of Christ to determine whether a book would be included in the New Testament. I then showed why a book like the Gospel of Thomas was excluded.

The wikipedia article about the Gospel of Thomas gives a detailed and objective summary of the arguments. First, it quotes Princeton Bible scholar Bruce Metzger as saying, "Although the fringes of the emerging canon remained unsettled for generations, a high degree of unanimity concerning the greater part of the New Testament was attained among the very diverse and scattered congregations of believers not only throughout the Mediterranean world, but also over an area extending from Britain to Mesopotamia."

The article then goes on to say: "the Gospel of Thomas may have been excluded from the canon of the New Testament because it was believed:

1. not to have been written close to the time of Jesus;
2. not to have been written by apostolic authority or that it was forged in Thomas' name;
3. not to have been used by multiple churches over a wide geographic range; and/or
4. that it was heretical or unorthodox."

(Those who were present this morning, will recognize that I used these same criteria even though I had not read this wikipedia article until this evening.)

Although I did a reasonable job of describing the Gospel of Thomas, I did a poor job of paraphrasing its last logion (verse). For your personal edification and knowledge, here it is:

114 Simon Peter said to them, "Mary should leave us, for females are not worthy of life." Jesus said, "Look, I shall guide her to make her male, so that she may become a living spirit resem-bling you males. For every female who makes herself male will enter heaven's kingdom."

Here is another of my favorite verses from this book:

105 Jesus said, "Whoever knows the father and the mother will be called the child of a whore."

How about one more?

53 His followers said to him, "Is circumcision useful or not?" He said to them, "If it were useful, children's fathers would produce them already circumcised from their mothers. Rather, the true circumcision in spirit has become valuable in every respect."

Now, having a read a few of these verses for yourself, what do you think -- did the Early Church make a wise choice in omitting the Gospel of Thomas? Yeah, that's what I thought too!

The Problem of Evil, Suffering, and Pain

This was the topic of my message this Sunday morning, and I promised to explore this subject on my blog this week. Here goes. . .

Too many people want simplistic answers to what actually is a very complex problem. On several occasions I have had someone ask, "What did I do to deserve" this awful thing that has happened to me? Their apriori assumption is that pain and suffering always result from their personal action...but that's not the case. Theologian Mordecai Kaplan used to say, "Expecting nothing bad to happen to you because you're a good person is like expecting the bull not to charge you because you're a vegetarian."

There are a variety of reasons that we may experience evil, suffering, and pain. Cause-and-effect is one possibility. Someone embezzles money; an audit is done; they are arrested, charged with the crime, pronounced guilty, and put into jail. Cause-and-effect. That makes sense to us.

But what happens when an innocent person is arrested, found guilty, and sentenced to a jail term? Is that person paying for some less obvious sins? Or is s/he simply a victim of injustice?

Can we answer that question without access to a lot more information? Many times we will not be able to determine the reason for an individual's pain and suffering. What we can know is that God always is prepared to use our suffering to His glory and for our good! Every follower of Jesus should memorize Romans 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

When, in the midst of suffering--especially in the midst of "unjust suffering"--we submit ourselves to God, the Lord will develop our character (Rom. 5:3-5), will teach us our need of Him (2 Cor. 12:9-10), and will draw non-believers to the gospel (Phil. 1:12-14). Jesus' death on the Cross was not "fair," but through it God opened the door of salvation to all (Rom. 5:6-11).

I think Matt Redman's song says it well:

Blessed be your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be your name.

Every blessing you pour out,
I turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your glorious name.

Faster Than Grace

What does it mean "to go faster than grace"?

The phrase comes from a letter written by Nicholas Hermann, who later became known as "Lawrence of the Resurrection" or, more popularly, as "Brother Lawrence." After serving as a soldier in the Thirty Years War, he became a lay member of a Carmelite community in Paris in 1651. This was his home for the remaining forty years of his life, and he spent his days in the kitchen cooking, washing dishes, and cleaning.

We would know nothing about Brother Lawrence had his life of simple prayer and joy not come to the attention of an official on the staff of the cardinal of Paris. This man, M. de Beaufort, interviewed Brother Lawrence on four occasions, and, after his death, these conversations and sixteen of his letters were published under the title The Practice of the Presence of God.

In one of these letters, he warned of a woman who "wants to go faster than grace. One does not become holy all at once." He was right, of course. We live in a world that demands instant results, but that is not how holiness develops in our lives.

For example, take some sort of habitual sin that we desire to overcome. Most of us think that by praying, "I'll never do it again!" we can somehow overcome years of failure by simply strengthening our resolve. True holiness, though, does not focus on the sin and our efforts to forsake it. Rather, our goal should be drawing our hearts closer to God. As we become more acutely aware of God's love and as we "practice the presence of God," our desire for the sin progressively dies. It is like a plant that never gets watered, but it takes time for that to happen; it requires more than a day. And, even when we think the habitual sin has finally been conquered, a time of stress or disappointment or weariness may cause it to resurface.

Brother Lawrence's example teaches us that holiness does not depend on changing our jobs or professions, but "in doing that for God's sake which we commonly do for our own." And, as we are doing that, we continually remind ourselves of God's presence, and we offer simple prayers of thanksgiving and supplication to Him.

Brother Lawrence's interviewer described his pattern of life with these words: "As he proceeded in his work he continued his familiar conversation with his Maker, imploring His grace, and offering to Him all his actions. When he had finished, he examined himself how he had discharged his duty; if he found well, he returned thanks to God; if otherwise, he asked pardon, and, without being discouraged, he set his mind right again, and continued his exercise of the presence of God as if he had never deviated from it."

Faster than grace? No, but "we are children of God, and...we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure" (I John 3:2-3, NIV).

Thomas Kelly's Steps to an Obedient Life

In my last blog, I commented on the winsomeness of Thomas Kelly's description of the "wholly obedient life." In A Testament of Devotion, he says: "The life that intends to be wholly obedient, wholly submissive, wholly listening, is astonishing in its completeness. Its joys are ravishing, its peace profound, its humility the deepest, its power world-shaking, its love enveloping, its simplicity that of a trusting child...."

Kelly suggests a kind of "path" to this type of life. First, he says, we need to be grasped by "the flaming vision of the wonder of such a life," a vision which occasionally breaks into our mundane lives through biographies of the saints, through meditation on the life and death of Jesus, or through a haunting verse of scripture. "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand" (Psalm 16:11, NIV), for instance.

Kelly says that these moments of insight and inspiration are the work of God: "The Hound of Heaven is on our track, the God of Love is wooing us to His Holy life!"

The second step to holy obedience is this: "Begin where you are. Obey now. Use what little obedience you are capable of, even if it be like a grain of mustard seed." One way to put this into practice is to begin by praying a simple prayer of submission such as "Be Thou my will; be Thou my will," or "I open all before You; I open all before You," or "How wonderful You are; how wonderful You are!" We should repeat this prayer again and again throughout the day--while we are walking or working, in the thick of business or at school or home. These short, repeated prayers will remind us of God's nearness and of our desire to immediately and absolutely obey the God of Love.

Kelly's third step to holy obedience is: "Don't grit your teeth and clench your fists and say, 'I will! I will!' Relax. Take your hands off."

In addition to these three steps, Kelly offers this important word of counsel: "If you slip and stumble and forget God for an hour, and assert your old proud self, and rely upon your own clever wisdom, don't spend too much time in anguished regrets and self-accusations but begin again, just where you are."

Maybe I've piqued your interest in A Testament of Devotion. You can get a used copy from amazon.com for under $10 (including shipping). Here's to happy reading and joyful obedience!

The Wholly Obedient Life

Several of my favorite spiritual writers are Quakers. George Fox, the "founder" of the Friends--(isn't that a wonderful alternative name for the Quakers?)--lived and wrote in the 17th Century, and John Woolman in the 18th Century. Thomas Kelly, Elton Trueblood, Douglas Steere, and Richard Foster are my favorites in the 20th and 21st Centuries -- I don't know what happened to the 19th Century!

I recently was re-reading Kelly's A Testament of Devotion. From the outset of this devotional classic, Kelly commends to his readers a lifestyle of absolute and complete obedience to the voice of God. His words both convict and challenge me. Listen to what he says: "Only now and then comes a man or woman who, like John Woolman or Francis of Assisi, is willing to be utterly obedient, to go the other half, to follow God's faintest whisper. But when such a commitment comes in a human life, God breaks through, miracles are wrought, world-renewing divine forces are released, history changes. . . .To this extraordinary life I call you--or He calls you through me--not as a lovely ideal, a charming pattern to aim at hopefully, but as a serious, concrete programme of life, to be lived here and now, in industrial America, by you and me."

"The life that intends to be wholly obedient, wholly submissive, wholly listening, is astonishing in its completeness. Its joys are ravishing, its peace profound, its humility the deepest, its power world-shaking, its love enveloping, its simplicity that of a trusting child...."

"This is something wholly different from mild, conventional religion which, with respectable skirts held back by dainty fingers, anxiously tries to fish the world out of the mudhole of its own selfishness. Our churches, our meeting houses are full of such respectable and amiable people.... In some, says William James, religion exists as a dull habit, in others as an acute fever. Religion as a dull habit is not that for which Christ lived and died. "

I am not content with "religion as a dull habit." I am weary of safe, respectable Christianity. I yearn for the heights and depths of a wholly obedient life. I long to see miracles wrought and lives changed--including my own. In my next blog I will enumerate what Kelly says are some of the steps we must take in order for us to develop this kind of life.

A Magical Moment

Something fantastic happened during our second service Sunday!

The scripture text for my message was Philippians 2:15-16a (NIV): "Shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life..." I talked about what we need to do in order for us to become Christ's "stars in the universe." In my conclusion I began quoting the children's song:

Twinkle, twinkle little star,

How I wonder what you are.

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky.

Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.

As I began it, though, a child in the congregation that I didn't recognize began saying it along with me. I was so surprised that I momentarily forgot the words, but he kept going, so we ended up quoting it together. And, as we did so, smiles broke out across the congregation, and others began mouthing the words along with us. It was a moment of magic!

The boy was seated next to Jo Ellen, one of our fantastic Children's volunteers, so I e-mailed her that evening to find out a bit more about my "co-preacher". His name is Mikiah, and he lives a couple doors down from her. He is adamant about coming to church and pesters his mother each week to make sure that he is allowed (they live in Vancouver!). Jo Ellen said: "he will be goinginto 1st grade next week, and makes up God songs to sing to me on the way to church."

Jesus said: "Anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it" (Lk. 18:17).

For me, Mikiah was "a star in the universe" on Sunday. He twinkled all over our service!

The Pilgrim's Progress

When my friend, Larry, loaned me his audio copy of John Bunyan's classic allegory, The Pilgrim's Progress, I wondered 1. whether I would be able to get through it; and 2. whether I would like it. I have bad memeories of attempting--but failing--to complete this book when I was in high school and college. However, I said to myself, "It's a classic. It's been translated into more than 200 languages, has never gone out of print since its first publication in 1678, and many images from it still show up in the English language today. It's one of those books you ought to read."

Besides, Larry's version advertised itself as a "lively, heartfelt reading taken from a slightly updated, easier-to-follow text." So, after 5 1/2 hours of listening, here is what happened: 1. I got through it; and 2. I still didn't care for it.

Here are some thoughts and observations that the book provoked:

• Pilgrim's Progress is full of biblical illusions, images, and scripture quotations. People must have been much more biblically literate or they could not have understood the book. Perhaps they valued the Bible more because it had not always been available to them. For many centuries, the Roman Catholic Church suppressed all translations other than the Latin Vulgate.

• My favorite part of the story occurs when the pilgrim, Christian, has the burden on his back (his guilt and accumulated sins) lifted. "He ran thus till he came at a place somewhat ascending, and upon that place stood a cross, and a little below, in the bottom, a sepulchre. So I saw in my dream, that just as Christian came up with the cross, his burden loosed from off his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and began to tumble, and so continued to do, till it came to the mouth of the sepulchre, where it fell in, and I saw it no more. Then was Christian glad and lightsome, and said, with a merry heart, 'He hath given me rest by His sorrow, and life by His death.' Then he stood still awhile to look and wonder; for it was very surprising to him, that the sight of the cross should thus ease him of his burden."

• What I disliked--disagreed with really--was the implication that people could, right up to the gate of the Celestial City, go astray and fail to enter Mount Zion. Indeed, the story so emphasizes the need for the pilgrim to be diligent and alert that it comes close to teaching a kind of works righteousness, i.e. that heaven is attained through our own effort rather than through trusting in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

When all is said and done--and more is usually said than done!--I would not recommend this book. However, I would recommend a more recent allegory that was heavily influenced by Pilgrim's Progress. Hannah Hurnard wrote Hinds' Feet on High Places in 1955. It is the story of a young woman named Much-Afraid (a character from Bunyan's book), and her journey away from her Fearing family and into the High Places of the Shepherd, guided by her two companions Sorrow and Suffering.

There are a number of other spiritual classics that I would recommend. But I'll save that for another day. Happy reading!

Surprising News!

No, Susie's not pregnant -- that would be a surprise! But Paul, our son, is engaged! He called me Saturday night to let me know. As it turns out, Susie already knew he was going to propose, since they had been "conspiring" on this for most of the day.

Once Paul secured the ring--his grandmother's--he had it polished and got a box for it. He and his girl friend, Cassey, like to go geocaching together (sort of like treasure hunting using a GPS system; there is a large geocaching community, believe it or not!), so Paul planned for Cassey to locate the ring in a wooded area at the end of their hunt. When they reached the location, though, the trail was getting dark and Cassey wasn't sure she wanted to go down the path. However, with Paul's strong encouragement and a little bit of assistance--brushing aside some leaves and twigs--she located the box that contained a toy ring. Then he proposed, she accepted, and he gave her the "real" ring--his grandmother's ring.

I understand why Cassey was reluctant to go down the dark path, but I got to wondering. How often do we miss life's best surprises because we don't want to leave our comfort zones? How important is it that we have a friend or two who will encourage us to brave the dark, go down the path, and claim the prize? Personally, I have more regrets about playing things too safe than I do about risking too much.

So, congratulations, Paul and Cassey. May your life together be filled with a finely-tuned balance of comfort, risk, and surprise, so that you will know the joy of living by faith.

Reading, reading, reading!

Recently, I was seated at a luncheon next to someone I didn't know well . He initiated our conversation by asking, "So, what have you been reading?"

The truth was that I'd been reading the newspaper more than anything else. I would like to be able to say it was the Bible--that sounds more appropriate for a pastor--but it wouldn't be good to lie in my very first blog. Besides, I don't read the Bible like I read the newspaper; it's usually a slow read, and I'm okay with that.

But I knew my new acquaintance would not have been satisfied if I had said either "the newspaper" OR "the Bible." He wanted to know what books I'd been reading. So I told him: The Character of Leadership (Jeff Iorg), Walking with Saints (Calvin Miller), and Rosie (Anne Lamott).

"Why those books," he queried. I told him I started reading the first one because of the message series I was working on, the Calvin Miller book as part of my devotional reading, and the Anne Lamott book because I like her writing and because she opens a window into a world with which I have little contact.

Then he asked me a great question. "If you could read just for yourself--not anything because of work--what would you choose?" I've been thinking about that ever since. And here's my answer.

I would read many of the same books--simply because I like the work I do, and I want to do it well--but I would change the mix. I still would read Dallas Willard, Calvin Miller, Mark Buchanan, and some serious theology or history, but I would read more fiction and less non-fiction. Why? Because fiction fuels my imagination, helps me to think "outside the box," and is usually a lot of fun! So, in the not too distant future, I'm looking forward to some Wendell Berry, David James Duncan, and Alexander McCall Smith.

Don't make me choose between lasagna and ice cream. I love 'em both!