Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Bono on Christ
I have a brother, when I'm a brother in need. I spend my whole time running. He spends his running after me. When I feel myself going down, I just call and he comes around. But for the first time I feel love.
Lyrics - Bono, The First Time, U2.
Lyrics - Bono, The First Time, U2.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Getting the Secular into Christianity
I had a conversation this morning with a friend that re-awakened me to a way of thinking that I haven't felt in quite a while.
It runs like this: As I grew up in a secular household, and as an agnostic, I believed that when I die that I would cease to exist. No more consciousness. Stick my body in the ground. Done.
One of the good things in that mindset, I believe, is the belief that we have to do what we can with what we've got now. We've gotta make the best of it. Carpe Diem. Seize the day. We're never gonna get to have this again, ran the thought process.
When I became a believer in Christ, my whole mindset changed. Sure, sometimes I have a default belief that I will just be buried into the ground and cease to exist; but, that belief has become weaker over time. My belief in the afterlife has grown in strength and death is less feared than before.
One of the things I think I've experienced as a believer is this mindset that says that this world is bad and heaven will be good. I often think, "I'll be glad to get outta here. I'll never miss this sin infested world."
But, there's something I've gotta remember from my secular, agnostic heritage. I'm never gonna have this again. When I die and heaven becomes a present reality, I'll never get to have what I have now. Most certainly, I will be so glad to be where I was made to be, and I'll never want to go back, but there's something I have to believe. I have to believe that I still have to do the best with what I've got now. I've got to really cherish this life because I won't ever have it again. There is some sort of reason why we're here right now. There is some sort of value of being in this sin infested world. There's something important about it and there's something important about taking value in it.
As Christians, we've got to learn from the agnostics and athiests, or get back to those roots of ours, so to speak. We've got to treat this world like it's all we've got, sort of. We've got to remember that once we leave, we'll never get it back. We've got to do the best with what we can right now and cherish each moment as though it is exactly what God wants for us, even though heaven will be 10,000 times better. We've got to savor every moment, trusting that in heaven we will look back on it and say, "Wow. I'm so glad I did that earthly existence, afterall. Thanks God."
It runs like this: As I grew up in a secular household, and as an agnostic, I believed that when I die that I would cease to exist. No more consciousness. Stick my body in the ground. Done.
One of the good things in that mindset, I believe, is the belief that we have to do what we can with what we've got now. We've gotta make the best of it. Carpe Diem. Seize the day. We're never gonna get to have this again, ran the thought process.
When I became a believer in Christ, my whole mindset changed. Sure, sometimes I have a default belief that I will just be buried into the ground and cease to exist; but, that belief has become weaker over time. My belief in the afterlife has grown in strength and death is less feared than before.
One of the things I think I've experienced as a believer is this mindset that says that this world is bad and heaven will be good. I often think, "I'll be glad to get outta here. I'll never miss this sin infested world."
But, there's something I've gotta remember from my secular, agnostic heritage. I'm never gonna have this again. When I die and heaven becomes a present reality, I'll never get to have what I have now. Most certainly, I will be so glad to be where I was made to be, and I'll never want to go back, but there's something I have to believe. I have to believe that I still have to do the best with what I've got now. I've got to really cherish this life because I won't ever have it again. There is some sort of reason why we're here right now. There is some sort of value of being in this sin infested world. There's something important about it and there's something important about taking value in it.
As Christians, we've got to learn from the agnostics and athiests, or get back to those roots of ours, so to speak. We've got to treat this world like it's all we've got, sort of. We've got to remember that once we leave, we'll never get it back. We've got to do the best with what we can right now and cherish each moment as though it is exactly what God wants for us, even though heaven will be 10,000 times better. We've got to savor every moment, trusting that in heaven we will look back on it and say, "Wow. I'm so glad I did that earthly existence, afterall. Thanks God."
Sunday, April 11, 2010
How God Deals with Our Consequences
I often wish I didn't have to deal with the consequences for my sin in the here-and-now. But, I don't believe this is the Gospel. The Gospel is a God who says, "I'm gonna stay here and walk with you through the consequences. I'm not going anywhere." That's a father who loves me.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Childhood
Playing is a way to solve problems and to express feelings. In fact, play is the real work of childhood. – Mister Rogers
Getting back to our childhood may be the real work of adults. - Steven D
Getting back to our childhood may be the real work of adults. - Steven D
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
niotcafsitaS
I've often heard people say, "Only God can satisfy. All other things you try to do in order to satisfy you pale in comparison to Him. You must place Him in the center of all things. All other things are idols."
Although this is 100% true in my opinion, most people go about it the wrong way. They do all sorts of religious ceremonies, devotional readings, spiritual fervor prayer sessions, and spiritual-formulaic contortions. "Gotta get my heart right, stir up these feelings, and have nothing else before Him so I can be satisfied." That's how it goes in many legalistic-evangelical circles.
The best thing you can do so that God starts to satisfy you above all other things; however, is to start by realizing the Gospel, which is that He's already satisfied with you. This changes everything.
Trying to Please in All the Wrong Places
I find myself amazed that I continue to go to people in my mind or in real life who will never be pleased with me hoping that I can somehow be enough for them or win them over to my point of view, when in reality I can simply go to the One who is pleased with me already.
I speak to my own personal experience, but I believe this to be true for most people to a greater or lesser degree. I base this on numbers and numbers of times listening to others say the same sort of thing as I just did. Many of us spend our entire lives trying to get certain people to "get it". If they would just understand, if they would just be pleased with us, then the world would be a better place. It is mind-boggling that our thoughts can take us back five, ten, or even fifteen years within the course of one daydream and we find ourselves having a mental conversation (or mulling over what could have or should have happened) once again as if this feeble mental attempt might make things right, that somehow they might call us out of the blue and say, "I am so sorry. Now, I understand. You were right."
A healthy boundary says, "No, I will not do that any longer." I will not spend hours, days, weeks, years, or decades trying to please people who will never be pleased enough. I will go to people who have no agenda for me except to welcome me, nor who subtly try to get me to do what they want me to do. Above all, at any moment, I will go to the One who IS always pleased with me with no strings attached. This is His ultimate protection. He has transformed us into new people who never need to try to please Him again. In some weird, backwards sort of way we are to obey by trusting that He is pleased already because of who He's turned us into--beautiful creatures. This belief in Him is His greatest pleasure, and at moments we may find ourselves in quiet moments of peace.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Heaven (Part Five)
I wanna try to help connect you to the feelings of what it will be like when we get to heaven.
Here's an example:
Do you remember the airline pilot named Chesley Sullenberger who landed U.S. Airways flight 1549 into the Hudson River back in January 09? A flock of Canadian geese flew into the jet engines and cut all power to the aircraft. Sullenberger glided the plane gradually into the Hudson River and saved the lives of 155 people.
Imagine getting together in the July 09 reunion with the other survivors. Pilot Sullenberger walks into the ballroom hosting the event. Once people notice he's walking into the room an applause builds quickly. The applause doesn't stop after some sort of polite formality. The applause, smiles, and teary eyes (I'm sure) goes on for a while. More than a polite thank you. Next, people start going up to him and thanking him individually. One guy's wearing a T-shirt with Sullenberg's name on it. Smiles. Emotions. Tears, I'm sure. It's wonderful, emotional, and some sort of a sense of closure or at least connection with the other survivors.
In heaven, there will be a moment when Jesus walks into the ballroom. We'll know in that instant what He's done for us. Applause will build up rapidly. Smiles. Tears. Shouts. The applause will get louder. The crowd will be endless and the power of our applause will be like thunder or ten thousand horses running over the hills of Ireland. We will start to get a little out of hand. People raising each other up onto the top of the crowd. Groups in the hundreds of thousands jumping up and down like a group of football players preparing to enter a stadium. All kinds of cultures and their various styles of celebratory cries and hollers. You'd think the applause would start to die down at some point, but it gains momentum. It gains even more power, waves of cheers going to and fro. Time appears to be so unimportant in this new land and most of us lose track of it. A year seems like a thousand. Who knows how long until the applause dies down. We're exhausted. We're exhilarated. And, I'm not sure how it works, but somehow in the middle of the electricity, power, cheer, and applause...
Here's an example:
Do you remember the airline pilot named Chesley Sullenberger who landed U.S. Airways flight 1549 into the Hudson River back in January 09? A flock of Canadian geese flew into the jet engines and cut all power to the aircraft. Sullenberger glided the plane gradually into the Hudson River and saved the lives of 155 people.
Imagine getting together in the July 09 reunion with the other survivors. Pilot Sullenberger walks into the ballroom hosting the event. Once people notice he's walking into the room an applause builds quickly. The applause doesn't stop after some sort of polite formality. The applause, smiles, and teary eyes (I'm sure) goes on for a while. More than a polite thank you. Next, people start going up to him and thanking him individually. One guy's wearing a T-shirt with Sullenberg's name on it. Smiles. Emotions. Tears, I'm sure. It's wonderful, emotional, and some sort of a sense of closure or at least connection with the other survivors.
In heaven, there will be a moment when Jesus walks into the ballroom. We'll know in that instant what He's done for us. Applause will build up rapidly. Smiles. Tears. Shouts. The applause will get louder. The crowd will be endless and the power of our applause will be like thunder or ten thousand horses running over the hills of Ireland. We will start to get a little out of hand. People raising each other up onto the top of the crowd. Groups in the hundreds of thousands jumping up and down like a group of football players preparing to enter a stadium. All kinds of cultures and their various styles of celebratory cries and hollers. You'd think the applause would start to die down at some point, but it gains momentum. It gains even more power, waves of cheers going to and fro. Time appears to be so unimportant in this new land and most of us lose track of it. A year seems like a thousand. Who knows how long until the applause dies down. We're exhausted. We're exhilarated. And, I'm not sure how it works, but somehow in the middle of the electricity, power, cheer, and applause...
We find ourselves in a personal moment with Jesus. We get to talk with the one who saved our life. The volume level of the millennial party is still ear piercing, but for some reason, it all fades away into the background and all is still. A quiet conversation with Him. We get to say everything.
Easter Sundays at My Church
My church saves baptisms for Easter Sundays. A marathon of baptisms in three services. I go to the 8am service because it's the only one I can get into without feeling like I've gone to a soccer match and fought other spectators to get in. Seriously, I think I saw a couple black eyes. We get charged up. The energy is tangible. A lot of messed up people entering a room of grace = tears and laughter.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Heaven (Part Four)
I'm thankful that in heaven we will be protected from suicide bombers like the ones in Moscow yesterday. We will be protected from random transients who accidentally drive off with our children while simply attempting to steal our car at a Circle K, like the one that took place in Phoenix today.
Heaven is primarily about getting together with God for the sheer enjoyment of Him, but part of it is about our desire which has been dragging on for years which is our cry out to God, "When will you protect us from these things?" Part of it is about His protection which has always answered, "Yes, I'm doing away with all of this and I will protect you from all of this forever. I will keep them from you forever. All evil will be stripped away. I will never let it touch you again."
One interesting point in Heaven is that we will even be protected from ourselves and others will be protected from us. It will be the ultimate form of protection. God says, "Will you let me strip all of your sin?" This has actually been His question to us all along. It is the question that speaks without words from the cross. Our cry is, "God, when will you protect us?" He says, "Yes, I will." He also says, "Will you let me protect you from yourself? Will you let me protect the others from you? I can't let you hurt them anymore."
There will be some surprises when we get there. Repentant terrorists who grieve over what they have done will welcome us in with grace-filled smiles. Unrepentant kindergarden teachers who do not want God's protection and argue over the terrorists' presence will be absent. It will be for our protection and to God's credit who has heard our cry. No evil, no matter how small will ever start a slow, trickle down process that has lead to the destruction and folly we experience in this present reality. It is God's answer to the Problem of Evil. It is the way He has chosen to solve it. He simply said, "Yes. I will defend you. I will answer your cry. No more suicide bombers. No more kindergarden teachers who make you feel ashamed of coloring outside the lines."
We might be tempted to say, "What about now? Why so long before it happens?" Have you ever dealt with a child in the back seat on a drive home who says, "Are we there yet?" Five minutes later, "Are we there yet?" Five seconds later, "Are we there yet?" Or, how about the child who is dying for Christmas to come so that he or she can get presents. "I wish Christmas were tomorrow," she says with a little pout and stomps her foot. As adults, we smile a little and get a little frustrated because the child doesn't see time as we do. We know we'll get home in just a little bit. We know Christmas is just around the corner. Academia is filled with lots of psychologically hurting and harmed adult philosophers who argue the Problem of Evil based on their childhood belief that Christmas should start tomorrow.
Now I'm not saying we shouln't belt out our frustrations at God for all the evil in the world. I'm right in the middle of it. I'm not saying we shouldn't say, "God, why not now? Why not eliminate it now? When is Christmas coming?" This is grace. This is a God who wants our anger, our frustration, and our pleas. We just have to remember that He has said yes to our cries. He has said, "I will protect you." From God's perspective, heaven is just around the corner. For us, it feels so long away from now.
Heaven is primarily about getting together with God for the sheer enjoyment of Him, but part of it is about our desire which has been dragging on for years which is our cry out to God, "When will you protect us from these things?" Part of it is about His protection which has always answered, "Yes, I'm doing away with all of this and I will protect you from all of this forever. I will keep them from you forever. All evil will be stripped away. I will never let it touch you again."
One interesting point in Heaven is that we will even be protected from ourselves and others will be protected from us. It will be the ultimate form of protection. God says, "Will you let me strip all of your sin?" This has actually been His question to us all along. It is the question that speaks without words from the cross. Our cry is, "God, when will you protect us?" He says, "Yes, I will." He also says, "Will you let me protect you from yourself? Will you let me protect the others from you? I can't let you hurt them anymore."
There will be some surprises when we get there. Repentant terrorists who grieve over what they have done will welcome us in with grace-filled smiles. Unrepentant kindergarden teachers who do not want God's protection and argue over the terrorists' presence will be absent. It will be for our protection and to God's credit who has heard our cry. No evil, no matter how small will ever start a slow, trickle down process that has lead to the destruction and folly we experience in this present reality. It is God's answer to the Problem of Evil. It is the way He has chosen to solve it. He simply said, "Yes. I will defend you. I will answer your cry. No more suicide bombers. No more kindergarden teachers who make you feel ashamed of coloring outside the lines."
We might be tempted to say, "What about now? Why so long before it happens?" Have you ever dealt with a child in the back seat on a drive home who says, "Are we there yet?" Five minutes later, "Are we there yet?" Five seconds later, "Are we there yet?" Or, how about the child who is dying for Christmas to come so that he or she can get presents. "I wish Christmas were tomorrow," she says with a little pout and stomps her foot. As adults, we smile a little and get a little frustrated because the child doesn't see time as we do. We know we'll get home in just a little bit. We know Christmas is just around the corner. Academia is filled with lots of psychologically hurting and harmed adult philosophers who argue the Problem of Evil based on their childhood belief that Christmas should start tomorrow.
Now I'm not saying we shouln't belt out our frustrations at God for all the evil in the world. I'm right in the middle of it. I'm not saying we shouldn't say, "God, why not now? Why not eliminate it now? When is Christmas coming?" This is grace. This is a God who wants our anger, our frustration, and our pleas. We just have to remember that He has said yes to our cries. He has said, "I will protect you." From God's perspective, heaven is just around the corner. For us, it feels so long away from now.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Motivation and Maturity
For the Christian, the reasons to grow in maturity are often bogged down in shame and poor self-image. There must be new reasons for maturity or else everything turns into more wounding.
Absence in the Heart = Deep Hope
If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. ~C.S. Lewis
More on Communion
I really like taking communion. It isn't the ritual involved. I understand the good feelings that come from the rhythm of rituals. Nothing wrong with that. But what I really keep getting blown away by is this whole thing about the God of the universe fighting and dying for me. (This is what communion represents). A God who fights for me isn't a God who simply puts up with me. He wants me. This is my belief.
Inward-Outward Connection
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. ~Nelson Mandela, 1994 Inaugural Speech
The Religious Nature of Any Organization
The "Secular Free Thought Society" at ASU (athiest organization) wants to network with religious organizations on campus. Is officially registered as a religious organization and want invitations to networking activities with those organizations. Most interesting is they disbelieve God, but want to be a religious-organization, the very thing I believe that they are: religious in nature.
Serving Doesn't Require a PhD
Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Repentance, Obedience, and Sanctification
Repentance:
Repentance isn't doing something about my sin, it's recognizing that I can't do anything about my sin. ~Thrall, McNichol, Lynch
Recognize the impossibility of trying to figure out how to fix the harm you've done and will do to others, as well as your resistance towards God. I'm a safe place of forgiveness and protection you can reside in where healing and restoration take place (Jesus in Matthew 4:17 SDT).
Obedience:
In my opinion, the highest form of obedience is to believe that God has forgiven you and turned you into something amazing. All other forms of obedience fail in comparison.
Sanctification:
Sanctification is a flowery, theological term that means: healing, cleansing, getting healthy, and so forth. If we are to truly understand the gospel in all it's forms, then we must recognize the importance of treating sanctification as a gift. In this light, we must understand that God's view of us never changes based on how "well" or how "poorly" we do during this lifetime. He's already made His decision about His feelings for us apart from anything we've ever done or could do. In the end, sanctification becomes something He offers to us without any retribution or ill will towards us, should we not choose it. It is always an open gift, with no strings attached. Only when we know this truth, will we actually move forward in the sanctification process anyways.
As believers, our relationships with other people and even with our own selves do change as we mature or fail to mature. This is true. But, we must separate this from God's opinion on the matter. Only when we really come to understand this separation between our relationship to Him and our relationship to others, can our relationships with others become more healthy in the first place.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Separating the Christian from God (Short Version)
How we feel about ourselves as Christians and how God feels about us as Christians are two totally different animals. God believes there is no problem in our relationship with each other because He has stripped all our sin away and made us new people (Rom 8:1, 2 Cor 5:17, 2 Cor 5:21). We are tempted to believe (and maybe even often believe) that there is a problem or something wrong between us and God because we experience feelings of shame in the here-and-now when we sin, are sinned against, or even make mistakes and fail (which isn’t even sin in the first place). We project these feelings of shame and disappointment upon God as if they belong to Him—as if this is how He feels about us.
The question is: Are we going to believe what God says or what we feel? This is where we have to get into touch with our separateness from God, so to speak. How He feels and how we feel are two totally different animals. Get in touch with this separateness and neat feelings of healthy attachment are complementary. Believing what God has to say about the matter is one of the greatest honors we could ever give Him.
The question is: Are we going to believe what God says or what we feel? This is where we have to get into touch with our separateness from God, so to speak. How He feels and how we feel are two totally different animals. Get in touch with this separateness and neat feelings of healthy attachment are complementary. Believing what God has to say about the matter is one of the greatest honors we could ever give Him.
Separating the Christian from God
There is a misperception many followers of Christ have that their relationship with God is sometimes good and sometimes bad. This is a misunderstanding of the Gospel.
God's perception (not the believer's) IS reality, and according to Him, there is NEVER a problem with the relationship between Him and His children (Rom 8:1, 2 Cor 5:17, 2 Cor 5:21). Now, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Sure, but what about when I sin now? Isn't there a problem then, even if I'm still technically saved?" Again, this is a misunderstanding not only of the Gospel, but also a misunderstanding of what's happening when you do sin, which is completely SEPARATE from what God is thinking. Coming to understand that what God thinks as being totally SEPARATE from what we think about us is a huge landmark in the Christian's life, because it is a breaking of the bonds of co-dependancy. A co-dependancy that influences our theology.
Remember, this is really about belief. What does the follower of Christ REALLY believe? God says "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ" (Rom 8:1). The believer is tempted to say, "But, what about when I went off on my wife today?" God says, "For the Christian, the old has gone, but the new has come" (2 Cor 5:17). The believer is tempted to say, "But what about when I was trying to manipulate my business partner into doing something that I knew would hurt him but help me, instead of playing fair?" God says, "I'll turn myself into sin so that My children can turn into righteousness" (2 Cor 5:21). The believer is tempted to say, "But, what about this adultery I'm in the middle of right now? I don't know what to do? What does God think about that?" The reality is that God does have something to say about that. He says, "I've already stripped it away." See, He knows you from beginning to the end. He doesn't just know you in the here-and-now. Do you really think God is merely constrained to this present tense we live in? That is a self-centered view point which is a misperception. God's perception is the real you or the true you. The real you has no sin. Even the you that existed before you became a Christian is now without sin. This is God's reality which means it is your reality whether you believe it or not all the time. He knows the real you. The new you.
The real question we have to ask ourselves is what do we believe? Do we believe what God says? See, the greatest honor we can make to Him is to actually believe what He says, which is basically that from His perspective, there is NEVER any problem between Him and I. How can this be? This is because reality is based upon what HE has done and what HE says, not what I have done or what I believe about the situation. What I believe about the situation is independant from reality.
The big problem is that when we commit real sin that is harmful* and offensive to God, ourselves, and others, that we feel guilt and shame as a result of our actions. Our shame tries to tell us that we are horrible, awful, unlovable people incapable of receiving God's love, and the big problem is that we take this shame that WE experience and we project it upon God. We believe that He feels this way about us. This is a form of co-dependancy that influences our theology. We have difficulty separating how we feel from how God feels. Our theology and our shame become intimately connected. A true theology is that there is NEVER a problem in our relationship with God. The real problem is that how we feel about our relationship with God is way off-base compared to what God knows to be true because of what He has declared about us.
What He's trying to say in these verses I've listed above is that He has DECLARED that there is no problem in our relationships with Him. End of story. The question is: Are we going to believe what He says or are we going to believe how we feel?
This is where we have to separate ourselves from God, so to speak. Ironically, this type of separateness leads to all sorts of deep feelings of closeness and attachment towards God in the process. It also is one of the greatest honors and pleasures we can give Him, by believing what He says.
_____________________________________
*I do believe that our sin harms God, but only because He has chosen to let it harm Him. By this I don't mean that it causes Him to be reactionary, feel shameful, or triggers all sorts of insecurities in Him. No. What I mean is that all of the harm that we have committed to ourselves and one another has been heaped upon Him by His own desire to rescue us. He bore the weight of our eternal suffering at the cross. Therefore, it harmed Him, but out of his own romantic love for us. By romantic I mean heroic and self-sacrificing.
God's perception (not the believer's) IS reality, and according to Him, there is NEVER a problem with the relationship between Him and His children (Rom 8:1, 2 Cor 5:17, 2 Cor 5:21). Now, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Sure, but what about when I sin now? Isn't there a problem then, even if I'm still technically saved?" Again, this is a misunderstanding not only of the Gospel, but also a misunderstanding of what's happening when you do sin, which is completely SEPARATE from what God is thinking. Coming to understand that what God thinks as being totally SEPARATE from what we think about us is a huge landmark in the Christian's life, because it is a breaking of the bonds of co-dependancy. A co-dependancy that influences our theology.
Remember, this is really about belief. What does the follower of Christ REALLY believe? God says "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ" (Rom 8:1). The believer is tempted to say, "But, what about when I went off on my wife today?" God says, "For the Christian, the old has gone, but the new has come" (2 Cor 5:17). The believer is tempted to say, "But what about when I was trying to manipulate my business partner into doing something that I knew would hurt him but help me, instead of playing fair?" God says, "I'll turn myself into sin so that My children can turn into righteousness" (2 Cor 5:21). The believer is tempted to say, "But, what about this adultery I'm in the middle of right now? I don't know what to do? What does God think about that?" The reality is that God does have something to say about that. He says, "I've already stripped it away." See, He knows you from beginning to the end. He doesn't just know you in the here-and-now. Do you really think God is merely constrained to this present tense we live in? That is a self-centered view point which is a misperception. God's perception is the real you or the true you. The real you has no sin. Even the you that existed before you became a Christian is now without sin. This is God's reality which means it is your reality whether you believe it or not all the time. He knows the real you. The new you.
The real question we have to ask ourselves is what do we believe? Do we believe what God says? See, the greatest honor we can make to Him is to actually believe what He says, which is basically that from His perspective, there is NEVER any problem between Him and I. How can this be? This is because reality is based upon what HE has done and what HE says, not what I have done or what I believe about the situation. What I believe about the situation is independant from reality.
The big problem is that when we commit real sin that is harmful* and offensive to God, ourselves, and others, that we feel guilt and shame as a result of our actions. Our shame tries to tell us that we are horrible, awful, unlovable people incapable of receiving God's love, and the big problem is that we take this shame that WE experience and we project it upon God. We believe that He feels this way about us. This is a form of co-dependancy that influences our theology. We have difficulty separating how we feel from how God feels. Our theology and our shame become intimately connected. A true theology is that there is NEVER a problem in our relationship with God. The real problem is that how we feel about our relationship with God is way off-base compared to what God knows to be true because of what He has declared about us.
What He's trying to say in these verses I've listed above is that He has DECLARED that there is no problem in our relationships with Him. End of story. The question is: Are we going to believe what He says or are we going to believe how we feel?
This is where we have to separate ourselves from God, so to speak. Ironically, this type of separateness leads to all sorts of deep feelings of closeness and attachment towards God in the process. It also is one of the greatest honors and pleasures we can give Him, by believing what He says.
_____________________________________
*I do believe that our sin harms God, but only because He has chosen to let it harm Him. By this I don't mean that it causes Him to be reactionary, feel shameful, or triggers all sorts of insecurities in Him. No. What I mean is that all of the harm that we have committed to ourselves and one another has been heaped upon Him by His own desire to rescue us. He bore the weight of our eternal suffering at the cross. Therefore, it harmed Him, but out of his own romantic love for us. By romantic I mean heroic and self-sacrificing.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
God's "Primary" Motivation Isn't for Us to Stop Sinning
God's primary motivation in our lives is our healing. It isn't for us to stop sinning.
There is a misunderstanding that adds a step into this equation. It says, "I want to stop sinning so that God will heal me." This statement turns healing into a reward process rather than a grace process.
The true statement is, "God's desire is already to heal me" (Matt 23:37). I mean He fought and died for me at the cross. He's put Himself inside of me. There is no prerequisite to His desire for my healing.
In this perspective, we might desire to stop sinning, but this is because it is part of the healing process. It is no longer a means to attaining healing. It is simply part of it.
Furthermore, because God's desire is my healing, and because He has already taken all my sin and shame away from me and heaped it upon Himself, He never turns His back on me when I do sin. He never says, "Why can't you be more like so-in-so?" He's never ashamed of me. He never condemns in any sense of the word. If He did so, it would lead in the opposite direction of my healing, which is exactly the direction He doesn't want to take me in.
Why then does God desire us to stop sinning? The answer is my healing (Matt 23:37). Again, we have to be careful not to make it into a two step process. He doesn't want us to stop sinning so that by reward or obligation that He will heal us. Sin is more like pouring salt into our wounds, the very wounds He desires to heal. Do you see here how much more direct it is? There is no reward or punishment. It is a direct assault upon our healing.
Therefore, since God desires our healing, His primary reason for warning us about sin is over the salt we are pouring into our wounds. God's punishment already rests upon Himself at the cross, to our rescue. Since there is no condemnation left for us (Rom 8:1), the only motivation left is our healing.
This tender heart is to His credit and to His glory.
There is a misunderstanding that adds a step into this equation. It says, "I want to stop sinning so that God will heal me." This statement turns healing into a reward process rather than a grace process.
The true statement is, "God's desire is already to heal me" (Matt 23:37). I mean He fought and died for me at the cross. He's put Himself inside of me. There is no prerequisite to His desire for my healing.
In this perspective, we might desire to stop sinning, but this is because it is part of the healing process. It is no longer a means to attaining healing. It is simply part of it.
Furthermore, because God's desire is my healing, and because He has already taken all my sin and shame away from me and heaped it upon Himself, He never turns His back on me when I do sin. He never says, "Why can't you be more like so-in-so?" He's never ashamed of me. He never condemns in any sense of the word. If He did so, it would lead in the opposite direction of my healing, which is exactly the direction He doesn't want to take me in.
Why then does God desire us to stop sinning? The answer is my healing (Matt 23:37). Again, we have to be careful not to make it into a two step process. He doesn't want us to stop sinning so that by reward or obligation that He will heal us. Sin is more like pouring salt into our wounds, the very wounds He desires to heal. Do you see here how much more direct it is? There is no reward or punishment. It is a direct assault upon our healing.
Therefore, since God desires our healing, His primary reason for warning us about sin is over the salt we are pouring into our wounds. God's punishment already rests upon Himself at the cross, to our rescue. Since there is no condemnation left for us (Rom 8:1), the only motivation left is our healing.
This tender heart is to His credit and to His glory.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Tasty Communion
I've enjoyed taking communion at church lately because they're using these little saltine crackers that taste pretty good. Plus, the grape juice is a little sweetness washing down the saltine.
This is a spiritual metaphor. Jesus' broken body and blood represent the horror of what he underwent, but it also represents His joy in fighting and dying for us.
This is an idea that "tastes good" to me.
Jesus on Electric Guitar
I watched our electric guitarist this morning during our worship service. I realized that since Jesus created him to play music and play it well that Jesus must love electric guitar as well. In fact, since Christ dwells inside of our electric guitarist and since Christ also created all forms of music, I realized further that Jesus himself thoroughly enjoyed playing for us this morning. It's like He was playing, not just our guitar player.
Looking at our electric guitarist as a picture of Jesus exercising his creativity and love for music, I found myself in worship. Not the guitarist, but Christ inside the guitarist.
That's Jesus on Electric Guitar.
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Okay, now picture Jesus going freestyle with some rappers. He's right there with them. I'm serious. I'm going to Jesus' freestyle-rap-sessions when we get to heaven. I'm gonna learn to freestyle there. This is part of the gospel - rapping with Jesus.
Relational Imperfection
My new goal is relational imperfection.
This might sound strange, but when a person has been striving for the perfect words in each and every conversation, the perfect interactions, and a total fear of disappointment or miscommunication with others, this is a very difficult goal to attain. It requires an entire paradigm shift. God help me if the other party doesn't "get me" or "understand me".
Yet, this is where our health resides. Imperfection. Miscommunication. Imperfect interactions. Not being "understood" by everyone. Not even being liked by everyone. It gets messy and unpredictable. The weirdness can feel overwhelming.
Unhealthy lifestyles you might identify with include: work perfectionists, parental perfectionists, athletic or music perfectionists. My default unhealthy lifestyle is: relational perfectionism. Maybe some of you can identify.
My new goal is relational imperfection. Not as permission to harm others, but permission to try to communicate imperfectly. To try new things. To set healthy boundaries. To be okay with making relational mistakes. To forgive and be forgiven instead of running away from the imperfection. To be okay with broken relationships that need time to heal or relationships that are simply changing or evolving. To rejoice in maturing relationships as well.
This is one place where God desires to heal his children. Relational imperfection.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
The Simplicity of Communion
I really like taking communion. It isn't the ritual involved. I understand the good feelings that come from the rhythm of rituals. Nothing wrong with that. But what I really keep getting blown away by is this whole thing about the God of the universe fighting and dying for me. When I look at that piece of bread or that wine, I declare to God that I believe He really has forgiven and accepted me simply because He has decided that He wants to forgive and accept me. I do this despite any thoughts of self-condemnation I might be suffering that moment. The way I think about myself and the way that God thinks about me are two different things. When I tell Him that I believe in His acceptance despite any self-condemnation, this is the greatest tribute I can ever make to Him.
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