How appropriate for Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day to be the same day this year!  One reminds us of our great need, and the other reminds of us the greatness of Love’s provision.

Ash Wednesday helps us remember our own sinfulness and mortality.  After Adam and Eve had sinned in the Garden of Eden, God spoke words to them which are true of us as well:

“. . . dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”  (Genesis 3:19)

Job, after suffering unimaginably and then questioning the justice of his fate, came face to face with his own humanity and weakness compared to God’s greatness and power.  He humbly declared:

“I am unworthy . . .” (Job 40:4)

“My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you.  Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”  (Job 42:5-6)

We, like Adam, Eve, and Job, are unworthy and in need of repentance.  We are dust.  BUT instead of giving up on humanity and leaving us as dust, the Almighty God of creation has proven to be, as the Bible proclaims, an amazing God of love.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  (John 3:16)

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us!  If we confess our sins, He promises to be faithful to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  Not only does He forgive and cleanse us from sin, but He adopts us as His own sons and daughters for this life and all eternity!  That, dear friends, is incredible beauty from ashes!  What a perfect Valentine!

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!”  (1 John 3:1)

Humanity is but dust destined for dust without Jesus.  Praise God it doesn’t have to end that way!  While it’s true we are all outwardly wasting away–our earthly bodies will one day die–inwardly we can be renewed through the power of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit at work within us.  Hallelujah!

May the Lord open the hearts of many today and lead to repentance, new life, and never-before-known beauty from ashes.

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know that love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”  (Ephesians 3:16-19)

 

I walked to Samford Hall today without my phone. For me, that was a big, HUGE deal. You see, like many people I have been trying relentlessly to attain the ever-elusive 10,000 steps per day in an effort to be healthier in the new year. My phone is my official step counter, so for the first month of the year I’ve been nearly neurotic about taking it with me everywhere I go. My co-workers and I have laughed because I’ve been so diligent to pick up that silly phone whether walking three doors down to the copy machine or three flights of stairs down to the mail room. I want credit for those steps, by golly! It’s hard to get 10,000 a day with a desk job!

But today, I walked to Samford Hall without my phone; and I did it on purpose. I walked down four flights of stairs in Buchanan Hall, across Boren Courtyard, up three flights of stairs in Samford Hall, back across the courtyard, and up four flights of stairs in Buchanan without my phone. You see, it occurred to me that whether I can see the step count increasing on my phone or not, my body benefits from exercise when I am more active. My body gets stronger with every step I take whether my phone records those steps or not, and it’s much easier to accomplish the tasks at hand without adding a phone into the mix. Why have I felt such a need to see each step of progress? What have I thought my personal overseeing of the process would do to help? “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” (Matthew 6:27)

As I was walking phone-free to Samford Hall, God used the occasion to speak gently to my heart: “I am working all things for good whether you see every step of the process or not.” Woah. Mic drop. “Trust me, Tracy, even if you don’t understand the process.” What?!? Do you mean that I don’t need to see every little detail of what God is doing in order to trust that He is working out His perfect will in my life and the lives of those I love? Doesn’t God need me to help oversee my life and the many others I care about? Of course not.

This may seem like a simple truth, but for me today it was revolutionary. There’s no need for me to carry my phone and make note of every hurtful word spoken against my loved ones and me. There’s no need to carry my phone and input every thoughtless, insensitive action that weighs me down. There’s no need to rely upon my phone to calculate when everything will be normal again. The reality is that God is working all things together for my good and His glory, and He’s doing it without revealing all the steps that lead from heartache to Heaven.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

Gracious God, strengthen my faith in you step by step.

Christians are good at a lot of things, but admitting our deepest, most honest emotions is not one of them. We’re so quick to jump straight to “forgive and forget” when someone has wronged us or caused unjustifiable pain to someone we love. “Love one another” is our theme—and so it should be—but sometimes the hurts are too deep for such a simplistic band-aid approach. Sometimes the journey to genuine healing, love, forgiveness, and reconciliation leads necessarily through the valley of vengeance.

God’s Word speaks to the very human emotion of desiring revenge in the Psalms. In the introduction to his Commentary on the Psalms, John Calvin suggests that this scriptural hymnbook reflects an “anatomy of all parts of the soul.” Calvin compared the Psalms to a mirror reflecting all the emotions human beings have been created to consciously experience. Whether we like how we look in this part of the mirror of scripture or not, the Psalms are undeniably full of prayers and expressions of desires for revenge.

Consider the psalmist’s rant of rage and cries for vengeance in Psalm 109:1-20:

“O God, whom I praise, do not remain silent, for wicked and deceitful men have opened their mouths against me . . . in return for friendship, they accuse me . . . appoint an evil man to oppose him . . . let him be found guilty . . . may his days be few . . . may his children be fatherless . . . may a creditor seize all he has . . . may no one extend kindness to him . . . may this be the Lord’s payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil of me.”

Even the beautiful portrait of the intimate, personal nature of God’s intricate design and knowledge of our individual lives in Psalm 139 includes a violent cry for revenge in verses 19-22:

“If only you would slay the wicked, O God! . . . Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord . . . I count them my enemies.”

Could passages such as these (and others) be included in holy scripture because they are an undeniable part of how God “created [our] inmost being” and “knit [us] together in [our] mother’s womb[s]”? All scripture is “God-breathed and profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,” (2 Timothy 3:16), so what can we learn from these difficult verses?

Theologian Walter Brueggemann in his book Praying the Psalms suggests that lives of faith consist of moving with God through repeated cycles of

1. being securely oriented
2. being painfully disoriented
3. being surprisingly reoriented

The Psalms, Brueggemann argues, provide honest language for addressing these life passages common to all human experience. If Brueggemann’s assessment is correct, perhaps the Psalms of vengeance are an important part of the “reorientation” process in the life of a believer. Admitting our honest, deep-seeded desire for vengeance against those who have hurt us or our loved ones may be the starting point for thorough, complete healing.

Let’s consider Psalm 109 again. Notice first that the psalmist’s revenge-seeking address is to the Lord in prayer. By starting his rant with “O God,” he acknowledges from the beginning that God is the one who should decide the proper punishment for his enemies; he doesn’t take matters into his own hands, but rather takes his emotions directly to the Lord in prayer. After purging his soul by confessing how he, in his humanness, would handle the situation, he submits in the subsequent verses to God’s will:

“But you, O Sovereign Lord, deal well with me for your name’s sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me . . . help me, O Lord my God; save me in accordance with your love . . .with my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord . . . for he stands at the right hand of the needy one to save his life from those who condemn him.” (Psalm 109: 21, 26, 30-31)

 In Psalm 139, after praying for God to slay the wicked and confessing his hatred of his enemies, David humbly concludes with these words:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

Clearly as Christians we are not to take vengeance into our own hands. “For we know him who said, ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay.’” (Hebrews 10:30.) In my own life I’m learning, though, that there is powerful healing in looking carefully in the mirror and admitting the honest, ugly desires and emotions that are there to the One who created both me and the emotions I feel. Confession truly is good for the soul (even if not so much for the ego.)

May God grant us the strength, humility, and faith necessary to face and acknowledge the desires “good Christians” don’t believe they should have. God knows what’s in our hearts anyway; why not confess what He already knows and be honest with ourselves? As we walk life’s road faithfully and honestly with our Heavenly Father, like Jesus we encounter opportunities to die to sin and self (“Not my will, but thine be done.” Luke 22:42.) Through the power of the Holy Spirit living in us, we will emerge on the other side of the valley of vengeance able to ascend to the heights of genuinely loving our enemies and blessing those who persecute us, just as Jesus calls us to do. (Matthew 5:43-45, 48; Romans 12:14, 19).   As tempting as it may be, though, we must not bypass the dark valley of vengeance. Often it is there that true healing begins.

As a seven-year-old, the pressure was exceeded only by the exhilaration of actually performing the lead role of “The Little Blue Angel” in our school’s Christmas pageant. Mom and I went to Bates turkey farm to gather the right feathers to adorn the wings of my costume. I rehearsed tirelessly to perfect the solo I’d sing from the top of the Christmas tree. In fact, I’m told I practiced so much that I even sang it in my sleep!

These are the first memories I have of being part of a Christmas music program, and they are all still so vivid and fond! In the years since second grade (and there have been just a few:-) my experiences with music at Christmas have been varied, but music for me has always been such a prominent part of the celebration of the glorious gift of Jesus Christ. Throughout high school and college, I enjoyed singing solos, duets, in trios and quartets, in ensembles and choirs, and accompanying various groups on piano. After graduation, these types of roles continued and even began to expand. From singing with the St. Andrew Sisters in A Big Band Christmas to the very humbling role of Mary the mother of Jesus in another Christmas pageant, to co-narrating Candlelight at Dawson with my husband, to working on music staff to design, conduct, and direct many worship presentations–leading in Christmas music programs has been a part of my life for many, many, many years.

But things have been very different this year. As our church’s big Christmas program drew nearer, I found myself becoming as excited as ever before, even though I knew I had no solo, no ensemble role, no speaking part, no official leadership responsibilities. In fact, having battled illness for about three weeks (including laryngitis) I went to the doctor the Monday before the program and begged him to fix me so I could sing by Friday. I couldn’t imagine not being able to sing at Christmas! I left the doctor’s office with a steroid shot and three additional prescriptions guaranteed to fix me up.

The night of our program’s dress rehearsal arrived, and I made sure to be early in order to secure a good seat in the middle of all the activity. I love to hear good tenors and basses behind me, as well as the best of the orchestra’s blend, so getting a seat in the middle of the choir loft is prime real estate for this choir nerd. When I arrived, my heart thrilled at the sight of a seating chart with the names of all those who had signed up to sing all three nights!  I had signed up the week before as an “all in” singer.  And then I saw the seat assigned to me . . . in the middle . . . of the second row . . . OF THE TRANSEPT BALCONY.

I’m at a loss for words to describe the many ways singing from the transept balcony is the absolute antithesis of everything I love about singing in a choral Christmas program. Transept singers can’t hear the rest of the choir; they—we—are basically a choir unto ourselves. Transept singers hear the section of the orchestra whose sound is most directly pointed towards them, in our case the brass section. Transept singers are unable to connect visually with the congregation, because they’re—we’re—technically singing from the congregation seats ourselves. Transept singers are often forgotten by leadership and left to our own discretion for seating and other cues. In fact at one point during the dress rehearsal this year, we were told just to “sit back and enjoy the show.”

And yet this year, I experienced the joy of singing at Christmas in ways unlike ever before.  God taught me some of the most powerful lessons I’ve ever learned from the middle of the second row of the transept balcony.

TRANSEPT BALCONY LESSON #1: Sing for Jesus always

For years I’ve known it in my head, and I hope it’s been a reality in my heart for a long time; but this year singing for Jesus became my primary reason for being a part of Candlelight at Dawson. It’s truly freeing and empowering for the Holy Spirit to “tune our hearts to sing His praise.”  Our transept balcony singing club started a saying during dress rehearsal in an attempt to encourage one another: “We’re singing for Jesus up here, because no one else can see us or hear us!”  What started as a kind of half-hearted hash tag became my genuine heart’s cry, and no doubt of other transept singers around me. “Lord, no one else may know I’m here, but You do. Help me sing with all my heart, soul, mind and strength for your glory.”

By the way, when you sing for Jesus from the transept balcony, it’s a lot like singing a full voiced solo while driving down the interstate when you know (or hope) no one’s watching. “All I want for Christmas is you…” In the transept balcony, you ARE Mariah Carey, only singin’ for Jesus!

TRANSEPT BALCONY LESSON #2: Serve others always

A precious, sweet friend who was singing in Candlelight for the first time said something so encouraging to me at the end of dress rehearsal. She said, “I know you don’t really belong up here, but I’m so thankful you’re here to help us first-timers.” And there were several first-time Candlelight singers around me in the transept balcony. Her words encouraged me to remember that we are to serve the Lord wherever we are. If He has led us to a place, then there is work for us to do there for His glory. “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:23)  What a joy it was to experience Candlelight with so many for the very first time.  What a great gift they were to me!  I even had the unexpected blessing of singing beside my daughter for her first Candlelight as an adult participant, a memory I’ll treasure always, (or as long as my memory lasts!)

TRANSEPT BALCONY LESSON #3: Search beyond the spotlight

There’s a whole lot more world outside of the spotlight than there is in its center, and those with less prominence have so much good to offer!  At one point in the program, the choir loft singers move to the aisles to light candles and sing the final two songs, leaving us transept singers in the balconies.  One of the directors pointed upward during dress rehearsal and commented, “there’s a lot of good sound coming from up there!” And indeed there was! There were so many talented folks all around me. It was a joy to sing our siloed solos together.

There also are a lot of needs in the darkness and shadows of the transept balconies of life. There are people who may once have been in the spotlight, but now wonder if anyone even sees them at all. Some long for connection to their Creator and Redeemer, so they’ve come ever so tentatively back to His Church; they long for acceptance and purpose. Still others just want someone, anyone to notice and acknowledge their existence.

 

May we all be more purposeful in the future to seek out those whom others overlook, and do The Work of Christmas long after the candles and spotlights have all been extinguished.

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:

To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music from the heart.

 (Text by Howard Thurman)

When I was in 3^rd grade, I got my first pair of glasses. I still remember to this day putting them on, looking out the window of Dr. Snellgrove’s office, and realizing for the first time that there were actual numbers (not just flashing blobs of light) on the time and temperature sign in front of the Greenville Bank!

When we got back home, I recall wandering around the yard just looking at the trees and sky, marveling at the clarity and definition of the leaves and clouds. For the first time, I was able to watch television from the couch with my family, and not sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the TV.

The blurry, unclear, often dangerous world I had grown accustomed to living in suddenly gained focus, clarity, and became safer with my new glasses. It occurs to me that, more often than not, I choose to view the experiences of life without first putting on my spiritual “glasses.” Maybe you’re the same way. Here’s what I mean.

Looking at People

Think for a moment about the difficult people in your life–and we all have them. Sometimes people intentionally try to harm us, and sometimes really good people just make poor decisions that impact us negatively. Sometimes the pain of this hurt seems unbearable, especially when it comes from someone we’ve entrusted with the deepest, most vulnerable parts of ourselves. The world says we have every right to hurt them back; after all, they deserve it, right? How dare they treat me this way?

Now let’s look at the same situation through the lens of scripture. When we put on our spiritual glasses, things look much different. Jesus said, “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. . . Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:27-28)

 WHAT?!? Surely Jesus didn’t mean for me to love, bless, and pray for HIM—after the way he deceived and mistreated me! And Jesus never had to deal with HER, and her lies about me! I need to set the record straight!

Consider the example of Jesus Himself. As He was dying an incredibly brutal death on the cross, He prayed for His enemies, yes, even those who had tortured and beaten Him and nailed Him to the cross. He loved them—He loved US—with His dying breath.

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

 None of us is Jesus, of course, but as His disciples His Spirit lives inside us and we are called to follow His example. The reality is we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and you and I need God’s mercy in our lives just as do those who cause us harm. Next time we are tempted to succumb to the angry, mean-spirited world’s way of dealing with human relationships, may we remember to stop long enough to put on our spiritual glasses before responding.

“Father, forgive _______, and help me to love (him/her) as you do.”

 Looking at Circumstances

 Think now about difficult situations you have faced or are facing. Perhaps it’s an illness or health issue. Perhaps it’s a financial struggle. Perhaps it’s the loss of a loved one, either to death or maybe loss of relationship due to personal decisions. Life is full of very difficult circumstances, made even more difficult if we only view them through the world’s eyes. Put on those glasses again. Everything looks very different.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”       (2 Corinthians 12:9)

While looking at things through Heaven’s eyes doesn’t make all the pain go away, it does give us renewed strength and hope.  We see situations more clearly and in the reality of God’s eternal perspective.  As we go back to the Lord time and time again, He faithfully meets our needs and leads us down paths of righteousness for our good and His glory.

Adjusting to the Vision

Another memory I have of that first pair of glasses is having to adjust everything I did slightly until I got used to the changes they made in my vision. My depth perception was off for awhile, and I walked a bit clumsily, stepping higher than necessary to the place I thought was the floor. Learning to wear spiritual glasses also takes some getting used to as well, but it all starts with remembering to put them on. As we do, we’ll find focus for our lives, clarity of purpose, and a safe path along the journey of life.

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art

High King of Heaven, my victory won
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heav’n’s Sun
Heart of my own heart, whate’er befall
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all

“Be Thou My Vision,” performed by Audrey Assad

 

Tolerance and acceptance are the order of the day in so many areas of life. Individuality and “you do you” are celebrated in modern society. But should personal preference be the main reason one chooses which church (if any) to attend? Are there any absolutes in Christian doctrine, and , if so, what are they? What primary doctrines unite believers, not only in the modern day but also across Christian church history?

The recent attention given to the 500^th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation has caused me to pause and think more carefully about what does indeed make a church Christian. The early reformers sacrificed in ways we can hardly even imagine as they attempted to restore the 16^th century Roman Catholic church to a place of biblical integrity. Instead of the reformation they desired, their efforts resulted in personal excommunication, persecution, and even death in many cases. What principles of faith did they believe in strongly enough to sacrifice everything?

The reformers summarized their theological convictions in five Latin phrases known as the Five Solas. These five statements of faith represent what they believed to be the essentials of Christianity. I wonder how the churches we consider Christian today measure up? What would worship and discipleship look like if we got back to the basics the early reformers believed in so strongly?

1. Sola Scriptura (scripture alone) – The Bible alone is a Christian’s highest authority. Not a preacher. Not a pope. Not councils or traditions, but the Bible alone. Human leaders are certainly helpful in navigating issues of faith, but their instructions should never be in conflict with the Bible.  Scripture alone is the only final, decisive authority for discerning, teaching, and defending truth. (Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:16)
2. Sola Fide (faith alone) – We are saved through faith alone in Jesus Christ. Not our works and good deeds. Not how many prayers we pray. Not partaking of the sacraments, but through faith alone. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
3. Sola Gratia (grace alone) – We are saved by the grace of God alone. Without the grace of God, we are dead in our sins and even hostile in nature to God. (Romans 8:7-8) It is God’s grace alone which provides deliverance from the wrath we deserve. (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10)
4. Solus Christus (Christ alone) – Jesus Christ alone is our Lord, Savior, and King. He is the only mediator between God and man. Not a pastor or priest. Not saints or icons, but Christ alone. (Colossians 1:15, Hebrews 7:23-28)
5. Soli Deo Gloria (to the glory of God alone) – Everything exists for the glory of God. God alone deserves glory and praise. (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)

The early reformers were guided by the conviction that the church of their day had drifted away from the essential, original teachings of Christ. I can’t help but wonder if we as 21^st century Christians have, in many ways, done the same thing. May we be humble enough to recognize our own mistakes, bold enough to stand for what the Bible says is true, and led clearly by the Holy Spirit to know and embrace the basics of the Christian faith, even when it’s difficult.  The Reformers of old believed our very lives (eternally) depended on it.

(Additional discussion of the Five Solas is available at https://www.desiringgod.org/labs/what-are-the-five-solas )

If the Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore ever shows up in your hometown, you know it’s either time to batten down the hatches or get the heck out of Dodge! Severe weather warnings have become so advanced these days that meteorologists are often able to pinpoint precisely when and where the worst impact of a storm will be felt.

But what about those storms of life that hit with absolutely no warning at all? When the waves of worry rise and fall with the diagnosis and ineffective treatments of a terminal illness, or when the powerful winds of someone else’s decisions destroy the foundation of your carefully constructed hopes and dreams, or when the thunder and lightning of violence and terror seem to fill the face of the earth? How does a follower of Jesus Christ respond to these very difficult emotional and often physical storms?

As is always the case, God’s Word provides clear guidance for the challenges we face as His people. The starting place for dealing with trials is to recognize that they are a part of our human existence and in some mysterious way intended for our good and God’s glory. As counter-cultural as it is, God’s counsel to us through scripture is to prayerfully meet difficulties with joy and gratitude because they are shaping us more into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,

for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 

And let steadfastness have its full effect,

that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”     

James 1:2-4

 

 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though

something strange were happening to you.  But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that

you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed . . .  But let none of you suffer as a

murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not

be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name . . . let those who suffer according to God’s will

entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”      1 Peter 4:12-19

 

 These teachings are hard…so very hard. They can sound empty to those who may never have experienced God’s faithfulness through a difficult life storm, so we must share these truths with sensitivity. But those of us who have clung desperately to the Lord during trials have found His Word to be true. “Great is Thy faithfulness, O God, my Father…”

 Scripture also clearly teaches that it’s okay to ask why bad things happen, to question the sovereign design of the loving Heavenly Father. Like the psalmist and Christ Jesus Himself, though, we only find peace as we question from a position of trust and submission.

“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?

    How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? . . .

But I have trusted in your steadfast love;  my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

I will sing to the Lord,  because he has dealt bountifully with me.”

Psalm 13:1-6

 “Return, O my soul, to your rest;  for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you . . .  

 I believed, even when I spoke: ‘I am greatly afflicted.’”

Psalm 116:7-10

 

“’Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. 

Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.’”

Luke 22:42

 

“And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means,

‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’”

Mark 15:34

 

The guidelines from scripture may be clear, but without the help of the Holy Spirit, we are helpless to follow them faithfully.   Our natural selves want to turn from God and to ourselves instead. We want to rehearse our grievances and pain over and over instead of giving them to the Lord for healing. We want to share our sufferings with others so they’ll take pity on us, instead of dwelling in the presence of the friend who sticks closer than a brother . . . or at least I confess that I often do.

As we devote ourselves to prayer, reading the Bible, and seeking godly counsel, we’ll find–through His grace– the storms of life steering our lives into closer communion with God the Father through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

May we, like the 19th century preacher Charles Spurgeon, whose life was full of suffering,  learn “to kiss the waves that throw [us] up against the Rock of Ages” as we weather life’s storms. (For more on Spurgeon’s approach to suffering, here’s a link to the article “The Anguish and Agonies of Charles Spurgeon”)

May we, like novelist, theologian, and Christian apologist C. S. Lewis recognize that “He is the artist, and [we] are only the picture.  [We] can’t see it. So quietly submit to be painted.”

May we, like author, pastor, and self-described Christian hedonist John Piper rest in the fact that “[Our] desire to be happy and God’s desire to be glorified are not at odds, but one amazing pursuit.”

Almighty God, help us be good stewards of the storms of life we face.  Grant us by Thy Spirit determination and commitment to You and Your perfect ways.  Help us emerge from trials loving You even more than before; more aware of Your grace, righteousness, and compassion; more disciplined in our walk with You; more determined to keep our promises to You; more public in our testimony of Your faithfulness; more and more and more like Jesus and drinking even more deeply from the blessed cup of salvation.  Amen.

 

Yesterday was my 50^th birthday, and I can say without hesitation that I have never felt more loved in all of my life. My family treated me like an absolute queen all day long. Friends and family from near and far sent greetings through phone calls, text messages, social media, and good old-fashioned birthday cards in the mail. It was overwhelming to say the least, and I cannot imagine ever feeling more loved.

As incredibly loved as this birthday celebration made me feel, it has also reminded me of how much more love IS than simply a feeling. Love is far more complex than that. Love is commitment to a relationship through good times and bad, and it doesn’t always feel good. Love is commitment to a relationship whether near or far, and that’s very, very hard.

Reflecting on the loving relationships my birthday has reminded me of, I’ve realized several facts about love that don’t often make it into the Hallmark store:

• Love is crying with one another, grieving the loss of a family member or close friend.
• Love is encouraging one another through injustices at work or in other relationships.
• Love is saying what needs to be said, even when it’s difficult to say and even more difficult to hear.
• Love is supporting one another through the consequences of poor decisions while graciously and patiently helping rebuild what has been broken.

Love like this rarely ever feels good. In fact, it often feels bad. It’s hard. As I think about the love that did feel so good yesterday, though, I realize that it came as a result of many years of these difficult love experiences with friends and family through the years. Loving one another when love felt awkward or hurtful was foundational to the love yesterday that felt so good.

It strikes me that this type of enduring love is surely of God, for it reflects His perfect love in so many ways. God’s love never fails. It sustains us through hard times and rejoices with us in good times. God’s love revealed most clearly through the gift of His Son must surely feel more than just good to our Heavenly Father, don’t you think?

         “God is love. This is how God showed his love among us:

         He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might

         live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but

         that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice

         for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also

         ought to love one another. God lives in us, and his love is

         made complete in us.”  (1 John 4:8-12)

This kind of love reflects sacrifice.

This kind of love reflects faithfulness in spite of rejection.

This kind of love reflects great courage.

This kind of love reflects Jesus Christ.

Whether we are blessed with friends and family who love well or not, we are all loved by a Heavenly Father whose love never fails. As difficult as it is to imagine, the amazing love that I felt yesterday pales in comparison to my Father’s love for me. How can that even be?!?

And can it be that I should gain
An int’rest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
(“And Can It Be,” Lyrics by Charles Wesley)

The big “5 – 0” birthday has come and gone, but I pray the lessons of love that came with it will last long past the celebration.

God, teach us to embrace your love, so freely and fully given. Teach us to love others faithfully, even when we don’t feel like it. Give us strength to love well, even when others reject our love.  Forgive us when we adopt the world’s view of love, and fail to push beyond the inconveniences and unpleasantries that don’t feel good. Live in us. Love through us, thereby making us complete in the Lord Jesus Christ, by the power of His Spirit at work in us, for your glory.  Amen.

When I was a little girl, some of my favorite hymns were the ones we sang about Heaven. We sang them often, and even the people who didn’t usually sing very loudly sang them passionately.  I remember anticipating from the first few measures of “When We All Get to Heaven” the great part singing to come on the chorus. The women would begin, answered quickly by the men, as if to confirm even musically the harmonious diversity of praise to come in the glorious home prepared for God’s people.

A couple of churches for which I served as accompanist held 5^th Sunday Night Favorite Hymn Sings.  Does anyone remember those?  My fondest memories (and memories of fear as a young pianist!) were of the favorite hymn sings in my home church, First Baptist, Greenville, Alabama. Almost always, someone would request “One Day,” a hymn I don’t remember singing anywhere other than FBC, Greenville, now that I think about it…but what a great, great hymn!  The final stanza sings:

“One day the trumpet will sound for his coming;

One day the skies with his glories will shine;

Wonderful day, my beloved one bringing,

Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine!

 

Living, he loved me;

Dying, he saved me;

Buried, he carried my sins far away;

Rising, he justified freely forever;

One day he’s coming! O glorious day!”

 And always, every time there was a favorite hymn sing, precious Mrs. Shirley Thompson would request “Victory in Jesus.” I knew when her hand went up to just go ahead and turn to Hymn 475. She celebrated her ultimate victory in the Lord at a younger age than most as a victim of breast cancer many years ago. Her death, while tragic, was something we grieved with great hope, for that is how she lived her earthly life:

“I heard about a mansion he has built for me in glory;

And I heard about the streets of gold beyond the crystal sea;

About the angels singing, and the old redemption story,

And some sweet day I’ll sing up there the song of victory.

 

O victory in Jesus, my Savior forever,

He sought me and bought me with his redeeming blood;

He loved me ere I knew him, and all my love is due him,

He plunged me to victory, beneath the cleansing flood.”

 So what happened?  When did we stop singing Heaven songs?  They remind us of the hope we have in Jesus Christ, when the world around us often seems hopeless. The promise of Heaven and the glory to come make the trials of this world bearable.  Oh, how I hope we haven’t deprived the younger generation of these great promises!  It’s much easier to keep trials in perspective with an internal playlist like this:

“Farther along we’ll know all about it;

Farther along we’ll understand why;

Cheer up, my brother, walk in the sunshine;

We’ll understand it all by and by.”

 And my old friend Pam Brooks’ favorite:

“By and by when the morning comes,

when the saints of God have gathered home,

We will tell the story how we’ve overcome,

We will understand it better by and by.”

 Let’s bring back these great songs of the faith! We need the hope, encouragement, and confidence of Christ now more than ever. Jesus is coming soon….oh, wait…there’s another great old gospel song we don’t hear much anymore…but He is, and those of us who know Him should be comforted by that fact!  E’en so, come, Lord Jesus!

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.  In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” John 14:1-3

 

 

For the last 23 years, seven months and nine days I have been the primary caregiver for at least one . . . at times three . . . for a couple of years two . . . other human beings (not including the husband, guinea pig, cats, dogs, and short-term goldfish that have also been part of the mix:-) While the years of full-time mothering have been exhilarating and incredibly fulfilling, this season of life ended for me last week when we moved our youngest daughter into her college dorm room.

The last few quiet days at home since our nest emptied have caused me to ponder some really important things . . . and realize a very troubling fact: at some point along the way, I stopped washing my face regularly each night. Please don’t think I’m awful. I absolutely love a tingling, clean face, and I would wash mine the next morning—just not always at night before going to sleep as I had done before the kids were born. More often than not during recent years I would find myself working late on some seemingly urgent, imperative project, and some nights I’d do well just to get my head upstairs and onto my pillow before the alarm clock signaled the beginning of the next day! Somehow face washing took a back seat to balancing the checkbook, paying the bills, helping with homework, planning for choir boosters, late night talks with the kids, and other genuinely important things.

In much the same way, it is easy to allow the interesting and often intriguing topics of secondary issues related to faith to replace the important, soul-cleansing basics that wash away the world’s dirt and grime.  Conversations about theology and how our faith should play out in the “real world” can certainly be valuable, but our convictions are shaky at best if they aren’t built upon basic, foundational truths.

Lately, I’ve become increasingly aware of the fact that one of the most important basic building blocks of Christian faith is a fundamental belief in the authority and trustworthiness of the Bible. Without trusting God’s sovereign ability to guard and protect His Word from error, human beings elevate themselves above the Divine instead of living under God’s authority. That’s a dangerous place to think oneself to be.

Consider these verses from the Bible:

“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.”  Psalm 19:7

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof,  for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”   2 Timothy 3:16-17

“. . .knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.  For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:20-21

Just as Jesus–the Word–was both fully human and fully divine, so, too is the Bible–the Word of God–fully human and fully divine. Scripture was written down by human hands while being fully inspired and kept from error by the Divine hand of God Himself.   This, my dear friends, seems to be a basic premise of the Christian faith. Without a belief in the perfection of God’s Word, the enemy has an easy opening for perverting truth. This has been his strategy from the beginning of time when the serpent questioned Eve, “Did God really say that?” (Genesis 3:1) and then proposed his own plan.  May we not be guilty of falling prey to the devil’s scheme.

And so, will you join me in getting back to the basics? It’s time to begin washing my face again each night; maybe you need to do the same (although I’m guessing I’m in the minority here!) In the same way, as much as possible I plan to wash my hands of secondary, divisive doctrinal issues, and focus instead on the important, everlasting truth of God’s Word.

“But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.” Titus 3:9

 

Almighty God,

How can I keep my way pure?  By guarding it according to your word.

Help me seek you with my whole heart;

let me not wander from your commands.

Help me store your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes, and I will delight in them.

I will fix my eyes on you.   I will not forget your word.

Amen