Pentecost 2022

"All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other lanaguages, as the Spirit gave them ability." - Acts 2:4

        Today was Pentecost. In church, we heard again the story of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and how many people from many nations heard the Good News in their own language for the very first time.

        A lot has changed since that first Pentecost, but I am convinced that the Holy Spirit still wants us to hear the Good News in our own language...again...for the first time or, maybe, even the 100th time. 

        For me personally, at least, I need to be reminded constantly that God speaks most clearly to us when we stop.  Certainly, God can speak to us in church and always speaks to us in His Word...but it is when we step away from our busyness long enough (Just like those Pentecost pilgrims in Jerusalem) to go to church and read God's word that God has space...and time...to remind us who we were created to be.

        Lately, I have been listening hard for who God wants me to be. Through job loss and uncertainty, through our oldest son moving away to go to school, through the busyness of a sophomore in high school, a seventh grader, and an older home in constant need of attention, I have let the caucophony of the world fill me up...not the Holy Spirit.

        I should know better.

        After all, the whole idea of, "Church Stoppping" is to let go of the reins long enough to let God lead us into a deeper version of not only who we are...but of who God created us to be.  

        "The lawn needs to be mowed,"  I said.

         "Nope. Not today." Jennifer said.

        "I need to pay some bills," I protested.

        "Not today," my wife insisted.  "Today, we are going to put our toes in the pool and you are going skateboarding with your boys."

        That is what we did. Nothing on my list was done. And the Holy Spirit filled me up. "Just write," I thought I heard God say.

        "But what if I am not good enough?" I said.

        "It doesn't matter," God said, and the tongues of fire burned brighter, bringing to life places long dead. "You don't write for the acclaim of others, after all. You write so that I might bring you life."

        "I am tired," I insisted.

        "You are tired," God spoke deeply. "You are too busy. Just be."

        I took a nap. I dipped my toes in the pool. I rode skateboards with the boys.  Maybe tomorrow, I will write.

            Church Stopping. Less Doing. More Being.

Re-engagement

 

"Your harvest's aftergrowth you shall not reap, and your grapes of untrimmed vines you shall not gather; the land shall have a sabbatical year." - Leviticus 25:5

In some ways, churches across the country are re-engaging with their congregations and community after an unexpected sabbatical year.  It has been a year of virtual worship and digital assembly, palpable loneliness, and extended ennui.  But now, churches are beginning to open up again to face-to-face worship, teaching, and ministry.  There is a fresh enthusiasm to get back to work, as well as some anxiety to return to the way things were before.

In the face of this pent-up zeal, I would like to encourage the church to do the unexpected thing...the thing that doesn't feel right or make sense; stop. Then breathe.  Church leaders and parishioners do not need to rush right in to a flourish of new activity.  At least, not yet. At least, not before asking three important questions.

1. What did we miss most last year?

2. Is there anything we didn't miss at all?

3. Who are we now, one year after the world stopped and our lives and ministry changed?

As we begin to build back activities and ministries, don't miss an opportunity to redirect this exuberance into dialogue about why we do church work in the first place. "Oh, no!" I hear my inner critic cry, "Please! Not another committee or fruitless conversation!"  No. That is not what I mean and I know that no one wants that.  But maybe, when we stop and visit again with one another after so many months apart, we might just discover that God has been doing a new thing all along. 

Church Stopping. Less Doing. More Being. 

Changing Times

 

This is the stop watch given to my father (pictured above) by his father.

"For I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar -- the Lord of Hosts is his name. And I have put my words in your mouth, and his you in shadow of my hand, stretching out the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth..." -Isiaiah 51:15-16

This passage from the book of Isaiah speaks of the time when God, "stirred up the sea" and put His words in the mouth of his people.  It is a reference to the seminal event in Jewish history, the Exodus. Before Exodus and the "stirring" of the Red Sea, God's people were descendants of Abraham who were slaves in Egypt. They were a people with a calling, but they were not yet a nation.  It was during the Exodus that the nation of Israel was born.  God put his words in His people's mouths, set up the priestly class, established the sacrificial system, and gave plans for the the Ark of the Covenant which was eventually placed in the Temple in Jerusalem.  All of this is referred to in creation language, "stretching out the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth."

During this time of year, we often read about God creating a new heaves and a new earth (Isaiah 65:17 and 2 Peter 3:13). This is a refence to the seminal event of Christian history when Jesus rose from the tomb on the third day becoming our high priest (Hebrews 4:14) and final sacrifice (Hebrews 10:12), putting his words in our heart (Psalm 119:11), and making our bodies His temple (1 Corinthians 6:19), and fulfilling the law on our behalf. (Matthew 5:17)

Therefore, when we read about the the heavens and earth being destroyed (e.g., 2 Peter 3:10), it is not a physicial destruction of the world, it is rather a destruction of the old way of relating to God. We are currently living in the time of the New Heavens and the New Earth. The old heavens and earth have already been destroyed. It is interesting to note that there is, to this day, no longer a temple in Jerusalem.

And it is important for us as Christians to know this truth before we ever turn on the television or the radio.  In the news, we hear about the challenges and the suffering of this time; the fear and heartache, the pain and disease, but we will not hear anything about Jesus on the throne; establishing His kingdom on the earth and making all things right, and restoring the world...not destroying it. 

We know that Jesus will come again with shout of acclamation and the angelic army in his train.  There will be a trumpet blast and all that is wrong in the world will be made right.  Until then, it is our job as Christians to discern the times and seek out the Kingdom where God's love and power are seen and heard and felt.  This is often in the midst of the challenges and suffering, fear and heartache, pain and disease.  Finally, we are called to be His presence to those who know the wold, but not the Hope of the world.

Remember that the Bible is a book about the restoration of God's people and the earth.  Not destruction. The good news is a reversal of the curse.  During these unprecedented times, I wish you all the joy, love, hope, and peace of the new heavens and the new earth.  Joy to the World! The Lord has come; No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infests the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow as far as the curse is found!"  (Isaac Watts, Joy to the World)

 Church Stopping. Less doing. More being.

Guard Your Heart

 Our son, Sam, performing in his senior play, "Murder Me Always."

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirti within me." - King David after the murder of Uriah the Hittite (Psalm 51:10)

David, in the days that kings went out to war, didn't. (See 2 Samuel 11 and 12)

Instead, he had his way with Bathsheba, Uriah's wife, and tried to cover his sin by killing Uriah. What started out as a lack of judgment quickly became sin on top of sin and David's heart grew hard and cold. What's more, he didn't even see it.  Then, Nathan told David a story about the rich man with many sheep who took the one ewe that belonged to a poor man and David burned with rage.  David said the poor man should be paid back fourfold and the rich man should be put to death.  Still, not knowing the story was about him, Nathan sounded his incredible rebuke, "You are that man!"

Up until that moment, David is the picture of a heart that has grown cold. He can't see the sin in his own life, but he is able to judge others for their sin. Perhaps you know people like this.  They are miserable to be around, bitter, angry, and judgmental. There hearts have grown cold and their relationship with God has been damaged.  

However, David is convicted by Nathan's story and realizes that what he wants more than anything else in his whole life is not the power and perks of being king, but a vital relationship with the King of Kings. It is what we all want.  We have had those moments when God is more real and more present than anything we can see or hear or touch. We want more of that, but sin gets in the way; our hearts become cold and we become blind and judgmental. 

As Christians, we must be vigilant.  It is easy to justify sin because we aren't doing anything illegal. We think we are okay because we know that Christ has died for our sins and no one is hurt.  But we forget that Christ came to give us freedom from sin, not freedom to sin.  Little sins and big sins sneak into our lives and our hearts grow cold becomes distant, we become blind, and we don't even know it.

Guard your heart.

Guard your heart from the little sins so your heart doesn't grow so cold that bigger sins can enter in.  And if you do sin, big or little, confess it to God.  And just like David, God will soften your heart and, "restore to us the joy of our salvation." (Psalm 51:12)

Church Stopping. Less Doing. More Being.

Ravens, Ants, and the Unemployment Line

 If you look closely at our family's gathering of gourds, you might recognize Chewabacca/Rafiki, Woodstock, and Larry Boy...in additon to your standard Jack-O-Lantern and creepy cat!

"Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; yet God feeds them: how much more valuable are you than the birds!" - Luke 12:24

"Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: which having no guide, overseer or ruler, provides her meat in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest."

Perhaps the most terrifying hour in the day is dusk, when we see the light receding and we are faced with looming darkness.  Like so many across the globe during these dark times, I find myself at dusk facing the additional darkness of losing my job.

It has been a time when I must lean on the promises of God. Surely, a God who has brought me this far...through serious injury, illness, grief, and disappointment, will also see me through this present darkness.  I am not always able to do that, however, on my own...rest sucurely on the promises of God. And when I can't see the way forward, I lean on the faith of those around me who speak those words of encouragement I long to hear, "God has this."  "You will be okay."  And of course, my favorite, "You are an amazing person and somebody will be very fortunate to have you."

I don't always feel amazing, though. It is easy to doubt and it easy to despair when I have had two interviews with no job offers in seven months.  It is easy to be afraid as I sit across from my wife and three growing boys and watch with amazement at the volume of food that they eat and then marvel at the carefree way that they move through life.

For most of my adult life I have been the ant. Not a raven.  I have performed my duties faithfully and never wanted for anything to eat.  At the same time, I also know that my well-being is not ultimately dependent on my labor but on the providence of God.  Children, like ravens, are an important reminder of the One who is in control.  

So, this week, I am taking a break from the job search and I am not searching. I am not looking at Indeed, or pestering my, "network."  As much as I can, I am going to trust in the Lord of Ravens and Ants that has brought me this far, through thick and thin, floods and droughts, health and sickness, and joys and sadness.

I don't know what God has in mind as dusk gives way to darkness.  But I believe that God is with me and leading me through this valley even when I can't see Him. And I believe that in middle of the darkness it will be easier to see God's light and then it won't be so scary.   Until then, thank you for your prayers and thank you for reminding me of the promises of God and thank you for reminding me (and those around you that may be going through their own valleys) that I am amazing and that God does have this!

Chruch Stopping. Less Doing. More Being.

Enthroned

 

(Above picture is our son, Will, at the Monument Rocks south of  Oakley, KS. Yes, really Kansas!)

"And after He had said these things, He was lifted upwhile they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight."  --  Acts 1:9

It hit me like a class IV rapid on the Snake River outside of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, "It is an enthronement scene."  My seminary professor said, looking up from the Novum Testamentum Graece.  The class welcomed the respite from the precision of the Greek and was reminded of its power to pierce the heart. "Compare it to the enthronement scene in Daniel 7:13-14.  Jesus isn't leaving the disciples...Jesus is taking His throne as the long-awaited Messiah! The book of Acts is about the Kingdom entering into the world!"

At that moment, a wave of enlightenment washed over me and my worldview shifted from vaguely pre-millenial to vividly post-millenial.  Since that time, my life has been a thrilling pursuit to find signs of the Kingdom springing forth in the midst of these troubled times, "Jesus is on the throne!"

I know how easy it is to miss and that sometimes it seems far away...like the notion of a great inland sea inundating the vast Kansas prairie.  But the evidence is there when we know to look.  

There are marine fossils out on the Kansas prairie, where you would least expect them, hundreds of miles from any existing sea.  There are sharks' teeth.  The gigantic Tylosaurus.  Fossils of fish and swimming birds.  Likewise, there are also moments of joy and scenes of wonder and seasons of peace to be found in the midst of the pain and uncertainty of this age, where you would least expect to find them, great reminders of who is on the throne.

I pray that you might find hope and strength this day as you look up at the clouds in your own life. Like the clouds floating up above Will's head on the Great Plains of Kansas, high and lifted up, may they be a reminder of this enthronment scene in Acts: the Nazarene carpenter who hung out with fishermen and forgave sinners and died on a cross is also the Good Shepherd who has been raised and has ascended to His throne!

Church Stopping. Less Doing. More Being.

Worship When it Doesn't Make Sense

 

"But about midnight Paul and silas were praying their songs of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them..." - Acts 16:25

It doesn't make sense to me; trying to go over an elevated bar with a pole...upside down!  But if ever there was someone that would not be bothered by this prospect, it is our middle son, Isaac, pictured above learning the pole vault.  There is a lot to learn, but he loves it!

And if ever there were a time that didn't make sense to worship, it was Paul and Silas in the deepest, darkest, and smelliest part of the prison, feet in stocks, hands in chains, backs lacerated from a previous beating, the darkest part of the night, watched by a jailer!  Their situation was precarious at best. Why were they, "praying their songs"?  It just doesn't make sense.

I'll admit that in today's world, it still doesn't make sense. I often feel like many others who believe in a loving, powerful, and present God (head knowledge) but are dealing with massive uncertainty when it comes to employment, health, and racial tension and isolation from the church. Many current events don't compel us to worship (heart expression).  We feel like it is dark, and it is hopeless and we are trapped in prisons of anxiety, fear, and even abuse.

However, maybe it is more important than ever to worship in the middle of these current events at exactly the point when it doesn't make sense.  After all, worship is the way that connects our head to our heart.  We see this for Paul and Silas as they pray (head knowledge) their songs (heart expression). There is no separation of these events, it is one act of worship! Worship is a way that God connects what we know about God (in our brains) to what we feel about God (in our hearts).

Singing our prayers has less to do about our circumstances as it does about the one who infuses our circumstances with peace and even joy to the point where our lives become a witness not only to us of who God really is, but also to others who are listening to us just as they were listening to Paul and Silas pray their songs. Now more then ever, the world needs to hear the good news of our Lord and Savior!

Worship is the way we can once again connect our brains and our hearts to the the love and the power and the presence of God and it is a way for others to be encouraged to do the same in their lives.  Certainly, we should praise God when we experience joy in our circumstances, but we should also pray our songs when our circumstances don't make sense.