Once in Royal David's City

 

Cecil Frances Humphreys was born in 1818 and married Reverend William Alexander in 1850. Two years earlier, at the age of 30, she published a book of poems called Hymns for Little Children. A year later, one of those poems, "Once in Royal David's City," was set to music by Henry John Gauntlett and became his most well-known melody.

Once in royal David's city stood a lowly cattle shed
Where a mother laid her baby in a manger for his bed
Mary was that Mother mild
Jesus Christ her little Child

He came down to earth from heaven, who is God and Lord of all
And his shelter was a stable, and his cradle was a stall
With the poor and mean and lowly
Lived on earth our Saviour holy

And through all His wondrous childhood he would honor and obey
Love and watch the lowly maiden in whose gentle arms he lay:
Christian children all must be
Mild, obedient, good as He

For he is our childhood's pattern; day by day like us he grew
He was little, weak, and helpless; tears and smiles like us he knew
And he feeleth for our sadness
And he shareth in our gladness

And our eyes at last shall see him through his own redeeming love
For that Child so dear and gentle is our Lord in heaven above
And he leads his children on
To the place where he is gone

Not in that poor lowly stable with the oxen standing by
We shall see him: but in heaven, set at God's right hand on high
Where like stars his children crowned
All in white shall wait around

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...Oddly enough, though it has been published in over 400 hymnals, I have never sung this...and I think I'm a lesser person because of that. Its simple telling of not only Christ's birth but his life and our eternal destiny is a fitting meditation for the modern heart.

Christmas On!

 

I need to thank Carolyn Arends for bringing the following John Blase poem to my attention.

In the face of seasoned waves of evil

that we would sing that old noel,

that we would hang lights on branches,

that we would give gifts to others

even if that gift is only ourselves --

this, this is a defiance seemingly impotent

against the principalities and powers who

daily conspire to convince us that

we are alone and love is a lie.

But do not be deceived for the demons themselves

tremble at such quaintness.

Sisters and brothers,

Christmas on.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

This is the reason I still get a lump in my throat at the end of the silly song by the Royal Guardsmen about Snoopy and the Red Baron. The Red Baron forces Snoopy's "World War I flying ace" to land, then pops open a bottle and makes a toast, "Merry Christmas, my friend!"

https://youtu.be/0-hWZGIWe_U?si=T6p-ot5xLcOrJbBl

Truth is...We are not alone. Love is not a lie. Yahweh did not send his son into the world to condemn us, but to save us. Yes, no matter how jaded and divided our culture becomes, I will Christmas on like nobody's business.

Following Jesus When Heaven Speaks and Earth Scoffs

 

According to Jesus' biographers, not everybody thought he was anything special. Even with huge crowds following him around to hear him speak and receive healing, Jesus definitely had his detractors.

Mark 2:3-7 (CSB)
They came to him bringing a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they were not able to bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and after digging through it, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying. Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

But some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts: “Why does he speak like this? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Matthew 12:22-24 (CSB)
Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to speak was brought to him. He healed him, so that the man could both speak and see. All the crowds were astounded and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”

When the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man drives out demons only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.”

Dear Jesus,

You were falsely accused. Your parentage was questioned. Your clear claims of divinity and demonstrations of power were called unholy and attributed to Lucifer.

And you took it all with a sense of peace and calm born from your inner conviction and absolute confidence of who you were.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...I need to forget about wanting man's approval or applause and live my life in step with the Spirit  -  doing what he urges; shouting from rooftops what he whispers in my ear. (Matthew 10:27)

A Thankful Stream of Consciousness

 

Getting into a sun-warmed vehicle on a crisp autumn day

My car starting immediately and running smoothly

Having an app on my phone that verbally directs me on the fastest route

Arriving 15 minutes earlier than needed

Sharing a meal with a friend

Having friends who like eating and laughing with me

Having friends who actually pray for me when I ask

Having a Lord who listens to prayers

Jesus providing answers that are even better than my requests

Being loved and forgiven

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...I am thankful.

The Ins and Outs of It

 

John Fischer was a pioneer of what is now called Contemporary Christian Music, having written a lot of songs that a lot of teenage Christians sang around a lot of campfires.

He not only wrote songs, but for many years wrote a "last page of the magazine" monthly article for CCM. Several of those articles found their way into book form in 1988's Real Christians Don't Dance!.

One of the most memorable pieces in the book is a poem titled "The Ins and Outs of It":

"In it, not of it," the statement was made
As Christian One faced the world, much afraid
"In it, not of it," the call was made clear,
But Christian One got something stuck in his ear.
"Not in it, or of it" was the thing that he heard.
And knowing the world was painfully absurd,
He welcomed the safety of pious retreat,
And went to the potluck for something to eat.

Now Christian Two, he knew what to do,
He'd show those fundies a thing or two!
How will the world ever give Christ a try
If we don't get in there and identify?
So "In it, and of it," he said in his car,
As he pulled in and stopped at a popular bar.
"I'll tell them the truth as soon as I'm able
To get myself out from under this table."

Now along comes Christian Three jogging for Jesus
In witnessing sweats made of four matching pieces.
His earphones are playing a hot Christian tune
About how the Lord is coming back soon.
"Not in it, but of it," he turns down the hill
And stops for a bite at the Agape Grill.
Like the gold on the chain of his "God Loves You" bracelet,
He can have the world without having to face it.

While way up in heaven they lament these conditions
That come from changing a few prepositions.
"Not in it, or of it," Christian One thought.
But who in the world will know that he's not?
"In it, and of it," thought Christian Two.
But who in the world will know that he knew?
"Not in it, but of it," thought Christian Three.
But who in the world watches Christian TV?

And Jesus turns to Gabriel, shaking His head.
"'In it, not of it,' wasn't that what I said?"

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...This is all based on John 17, when Jesus was praying about his disciples and said, "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it."

For us to be the answer to the prayer of Jesus, we need to be present as a contributing part of our earthly reality, engaged and engaging, but not fall in love with the foul and shallow trappings of a fallen worldview.

Like John said in First John 2: "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world  —  the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life  —  comes not from the Father but from the world."

True Religion

 

According to their website, "True Religion is a global lifestyle, apparel, and accessories brand that focuses on producing high-quality denim and sportswear for Men, Women, and Kids.  Born from the belief that denim is a universal fabric, our mission is to transcend boundaries of faith, class, ethnicity, and orientation. True Religion is worn by athletes, musicians, and artists globally to express their individual style."

According to the NIV translation of James 1:27, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Or, as stated in the NLT, "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you."

So you see, both the Scripture and the denim company are correct. True religion transcends boundaries and goes far beyond what anyone wears on their body.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...If what I believe doesn't square with how I behave, how can my religion be considered True?

What a Soviet Spy Teaches Us About Worry

 

In the 2015 film Bridge of Spies, Tom Hanks plays an American lawyer recruited to defend an arrested Soviet spy in court. He takes his job seriously and is concerned about his client's apparent lack of concern.

LAWYER

I have a mandate to help you. Nobody else does. Quite frankly, they have a vested interest in sending you to the electric chair....You don't seem alarmed.

SPY

Would it help?

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...Even without me bringing up any spiritual concepts of trusting in God, this short conversation lays out a bit of street wisdom that deserves attention. It also agrees completely with Jesus when he says in Matthew 6:27, "Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"

I Changed My Mind About Halloween

 

When our children were young, and I was employed full-time as a youth pastor, Beloved and I never encouraged any kind of celebration of Halloween. We never took our kids trick-or-treating. We never turned on our porch light and distributed candy to the neighborhood kids. I never even organized an alternative "Christian-themed" event at any of the churches I served. I protested against the exaltation of all things spooky and death-related by purposefully ignoring it all.

Well...not completely ignoring it. I DID teach a lesson or two about the pagan and superstitious origins of jack-o-lanterns, gruesome disguises, and the like.

What I also did was inadvertently give credence to the stereotype that Christians are people who are grouchy, hateful, and have no desire to interact with anyone different from them.

Besides, our North American culture has done the same thing with Halloween that it did with Christmas: totally separated the current customs and celebrations from any meaningful connection to their spiritual origins.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...As with most things, there is probably a balance between the extremes that should be strived for. I hope my current practice of dressing like Santa Claus to hand out candy canes tonight is somewhere close.

No Need to Fear God's Judgment

 

There's an episode of Calvin & Hobbes that sent me on a search for a spiritual tract from the 1970's...and that ended up helping me appreciate the grace of Jesus.

But first, Calvin explains to his mom how it is that he finished his homework so quickly:

But then, with the specter of accountability looming, fear explodes:

That look of fear and desperation on Calvin's face is what reminded me of a series of cartoon-based tracts from "back in the day" produced by Chick Publications. They were almost all meant to literally scare the "hell" out of people. (I searched "scary tracts" and chick.com was the third item on the results page.)

I was specifically reminded of this panel from a tract titled This Was Your Life which pictures a guy dropping dead and then, before the judgment seat of God, a movie was shown of everything he ever did.

Truth is...for those who confess Jesus as Lord, there is no need to fear the cat being let out of the bag during the final day of judgment. And here's why you can be sure of that"

Micah 7:19 (NIV): "You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea."

Psalm 103:12 (NIV): "As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."

Advice from the Fifties that Still Hits the Mark

 

I have no idea how old the "Church Etiquette" advice I found in this old newspaper clipping is, but, other than a reference to a worship order "book" being used, the advice and reasoning still stand firm.

1. COME  -  Never miss church unless it is absolutely necessary. George Washington's pastor said of him, "No company ever kept him from church."

2. COME EARLY  -  Rushing into church the last minute is not conducive to true worship.

3. COME WITH YOUR WHOLE FAMILY  -  The church service is not a convention that a family should merely send a delegate.

4. TAKE A PLACE TOWARD THE FRONT OF CHURCH  -  Leave the rear seats for those who may come late and for backsliders and mothers with children.

5. BE DEVOUT  -  The church is not a theater or place of amusement. You come to worship God, not to whisper, lounge, or sleep. God's house deserves our very utmost reverence.

6. HELP STRANGERS TO FIND AND FOLLOW THE SERVICE  -  If they have no book, share yours with them. Sing! Join in the worship! Don't just sit!

7. ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT STRANGERS ARE THE GUESTS OF THE CHURCH MEMBERS  -  Treat them with the same courtesy as you would if they should visit your home.

8. GIVE A GOOD OFFERING TO GOD  -  God loveth a cheerful giver. Freely ye have received.

9. NEVER RUSH FOR THE DOOR after the benediction as though the church were on fire. Speak and be spoken to. Be congenial.

10. NEVER STAY AWAY FROM CHURCH BECAUSE THE CHURCH IS NOT PERFECT  -  How lonesome you would feel in a perfect church.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...This list was apparently constructed with the assumption that the purpose of a Sunday morning worship service is not to benefit or entertain those who attend but to honor God and expand his kingdom.

And that's a good thing.

Is OMG AOK?

 

Perhaps the most-heard exclamation of surprise, fear, pain, joy, wonder, and/or sarcastic disbelief is the three-word phrase, "Oh my god."

Those of you who just bristled at even reading those words to yourself probably base your discomfort and disapproval on Exodus 20:7, commonly called the Third Commandment and expressed in the King James Version as "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain."

The thing is...God's name is not "God".

In our English-language translations of the Bible, when the word "Lord" or "God" is printed in all capital letters, it stands in for God the Father's actual, literal name, expressed in English letters as YHWH and commonly pronounced Yahweh or Jehovah.

So the Third Commandment is actually, "Thou shalt not take the name of Yahweh thy God in vain." Or as The Message paraphrase puts it, "No using the name of Yahweh, your God, in curses or silly banter."

"God" is a title, not a name. It would be like saying, "Oh my President," or "Manager! That hurts!"

Sounds a little silly, doesn't it?

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...I'm not saying I'm okay with the silly banter of "OMG" and all the other uses of the word "god" that most folks consider to be swearing. Just because it doesn't break the 3rd commandment doesn't make it acceptable. It certainly doesn't express an abundance of respect for Yahweh, who holds that title in a deeper, more meaningful sense than any other entity, real or imagined.

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

(Ephesians 4:29 NIV)

Let's Get Together in Awe of Jesus: "O Come, Let Us Adore Him" Prosified

 

"O Come, Let Us Adore Him" began life as the chorus of "O Come, All Ye Faithful:" The same phrase sung three times with three words, "Christ the Lord," tagged at the end.

At some point, three more phrases were written and the four-stanza version was able to escape Christmastime and be used throughout the year.

Even the lengthened version is straightforward and simple, and yet, the concepts sung about grow in meaning as a person invests time contemplating their connotations.

O come, let us adore him
This is an urgent plea, like a child tugging on its parent's sleeve: "Come on. Come ON!" According to Luke 2:15, it's almost a quote from the shepherds watching their flocks by night: “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

It's also a call to collaboration and community. "Let US adore him!" What started with a choir of angels is going to continue with human voices.

We'll praise His name forever
This communal worship is no flash mob. Our expected eternity will be filled with praising the name of Jesus.

We'll give Him all the glory
It's not uncommon to hear people say things like, "When I get to heaven, I can't wait to ask Peter a few things," or "Can you imagine the concerts in heaven with [insert the names of your favorite musical artists here]?" As if Jesus is just one of many celebrities we hope to meet.

I don't think so. All of our attention and worship and focus will appropriately be given to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

For He alone is worthy
There is none other who deserves to be adored without reservation and praised with utter abandon.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11 NIV)

Price Per Gallon

 

[Disclaimer: The financial figures that follow were current approximations at the time of writing. Their exact accuracy isn't the point.]

During my two-shifts-a-week at a local convenience store, I hear a lot of people talk about the price of gasoline. It's been hovering one side or the other of $3 a gallon lately and people are always telling me whether the price has gone up or gone down.

I don't have the heart to tell them I don't really care and could you just pay for it without whining.

Not having any way of knowing whether I should think $3 per gallon is a good price or a bad price, I did a little research to find out how much per gallon some other liquids cost:

Milk: $3.79

Coffee Mate: $5.54

Evian Spring Water: $6.40

Soy Sauce: $15.33

Red Bull: $30

Tabasco Sauce: $94.46

But what about liquids that DO something?

Penicillin: $301

Insulin: $9,411

Chanel No. 5 Perfume: $25,600

Thailand Cobra Venom: $152,000

Scorpian Venom: Almost $39 Million

Truth is...The significance of all these things absolutely disappears in comparison to the one liquid that has affected more good in the lives of more people over the course of more time than any other thing.

Jesus: "This is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many."

1 John 1:7 "The blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin."

Fear of Friendlessness

 

Do you ever stop in your tracks and wonder if you have any friends who would take a bullet for you?

There's a word for that; at least according to The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows by John Koenig:

nachlophobia (from the Greek for "loosely held together" and "fear". Pronounced nok-luh-foh-bee-uh.)  -  n. the fear that your deepest connections with people are ultimately pretty shallow, that although your relationships feel congenial in the moment, an audit of your life would reveal a smattering of low-interest holdings and uninvested windfall profits, which will indicate you were never really at risk of joy, sacrifice, or loss.

For those of you familiar with the story of a paralyzed man's friends tearing a hole in a roof and letting the man down through it so Jesus could heal him, have you ever stopped and evaluated your personal relationships to the point of knowing what four friends of yours would go to the trouble of carrying you on a mat and damaging someone's personal property so you would have the possibility of being healed?

Forget about taking a bullet for you. Do you have any mat-carriers in your life?

Would YOU be willing to carry someone else on THEIR mat?

If you are susceptible to nachlophobia, it is the final phrase of the definition that might instill the most fear: "You were never really at risk of joy, sacrifice, or loss."

It takes a real investment in each other's lives for a friendship to be important enough to bring joy that is deeper than mere happiness and elicit a mutual sacrifice that is far beyond the inconvenience of a small favor.

Of course, that level of investment also runs the risk of causing pain when the relationship is lost.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

This train of thought takes me to some things I've been saying about "church membership" since April.

There is a difference between attending church and being part of the church, and if a person can easily say, "I'm gonna start going to this other church" without grieving the loss of fellowship with the church they're leaving, I wonder if they're a member or just an attender.

Truth is...risking pain and making sacrifices is abundantly worth the payout of joy that comes from having deep and abiding friends.

You Never Know Who God Is Gonna Use

 

It's interesting when a peripheral character becomes a pivotal part of the story.

According to The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson, Abraham Lincoln made a detour on his train trip from Illinois to the White House. He had been elected President and was moving his family to the nation's capital, but there was an actor...well-respected for his tragic roles...performing in a production of The Apostate at a theater in Albany, and Lincoln wanted to see the show.

That event would have been hardly memorable except that the actor's name was John Wilkes Booth, who would assassinate President Lincoln 50 months later.

The Law & Order "cha-chung" that sounded in my head when I read that is similar to the ominous feeling in any reenactment of the gospel story whenever Judas Iscariot is introduced. But when Judas became one of the twelve, he was just another guy wanting to learn from Jesus. There was nothing about him that immediately said "This guy's going to be a traitor."

In the same way, but in a positive light, there are people...and animals, even...scattered throughout Scripture who are simply living their lives but end up being important parts of God's plan.

Rich Mullins has a song that talks about that. (Oh...THERE'S a big surprise.)

Now Balaam, he had a donkey

Who was gentle and true and kind

And the donkey saw an angel with a sword

So he slipped old Balaam past him

And when he done it three times

Well, Balaam got so mad he beat the donkey

And so the Lord

Well, he gave the donkey language

And the donkey plainly brayed,

"Well, there's an angel about to strike you from the path"

Then old Balaam's eyes were opened

And he realized he'd been saved

By his donkey from the angel of God's wrath

And a princess pulled a baby out of the water

He was hidden in the rushes

Sleeping in a basket made of reeds

And you never know who God is gonna use

A princess or a baby

Or maybe even you or me

Now Esther, she was a beauty

Who was pleasing to a man

And the man that she was pleasing was a king

But her people's lives were threatened

By some wicked men's plans

Nobody knew just how the lord was gonna intervene

Well, Mordecai her uncle, he was honest but he was smart

And he knew that Esther's beauty was a gift

He said, "Maybe you could cook some supper

Maybe you could change a king's heart

Who knows but what you come into the world

For such a time as this"

And a princess pulled a baby out of the water . . .

There was Miriam a-dancing

And there was Jubal with a harp

There was poor blind Samson

Even Pontius Pilate played a part

And a princess pulled a baby out of the water

He was hidden in the rushes

Sleeping in a basket made of reeds

And you never know who God is gonna use

A princess or a baby

Or maybe even you or me

c.1991 BMG Songs,Inc. (ASCAP)

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...You just may think you're a minor character in God's story; that there's nothing outstanding about you that would say, "This person's going to make a difference."

Well...

You just may be wrong.

Everybody's Headed to Hell

 

Previously (as in last week) on Truth Is...

"It's kind of amazing that even though Jesus has every right to rule with an iron fist, he chooses to persuade and call; to open the door and invite."

I made that statement last week, and I repeat it today, fully confident that there are many who think I'm full of beans. They simply do not picture Jesus giving a gentle invitation. Instead, they characterize God as an egotistical despot who sends people to hell if they don't believe in him . . . while refusing to give any undeniable proof that he exists.

Well, let's just back up a second.

I would contend that God doesn't send ANYone to hell. Hell is the default destination of all those who sin. And the list of "all those who sin" includes the names of everyone who has ever lived except Jesus.

God doesn't have to take any action at all for a human soul to wind up completely separated from his perfection, which is the state of existence that we call hell.

That's pretty bad news.

The good news is that not only did God NOT do nothing, but he in fact went to great lengths to pave a path that leads directly to eternal bliss in his presence, which is the state of existence that we call heaven.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...rather than sending people to hell, Yahweh sends people to heaven; a gracious gift made possible by the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. It's a gift we must choose to receive. It's an invitation we must RSVP to.

Who's the Boss?

 

[Jesus] taught as one who had authority,
and not as their teachers of the law.

Matthew 7:29 (NIV)

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."

Matthew 28:18 (NIV)

I used to say, "God said it. I believe it. That settles it," but I don't say that anymore.

Not that God didn't say it or that I don't believe it or that it isn't settled. . .it's just that my believing it or not is of no importance whatsoever. If Jesus said it, I may have questions about how to apply it in a particular situation, but my belief about it has zero effect on its truthfulness.

No matter what my response to him is, Jesus has all authority and is lord of all.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...It's kind of amazing that even though Jesus has every right to rule with an iron fist, he chooses to persuade and call; to open the door and invite.

For corroboration, see an earlier post, "Softly and Tenderly".

What If Your Superpower Was Invisibility?

 

I'm fairly certain that as a male teenager my answer to the question "What would you do if you could be invisible?" would have involved listening to conversations I had no business hearing and staring at things I had no business seeing.

Even as a chronologically advanced man, I'm having trouble thinking of any if-I-was-invisible activities that would be morally upright and honorable.

But then, the Spirit brings to mind these words of Jesus, recorded in Matthew 6:1-4:

Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

What if, instead of wanting recognition and respect to come my way because of my acts of service, I put on a cloak of invisibility before helping anyone or giving anything away?

Truth is...Remember how Jesus healed people and then told them not to tell anyone? A little humility goes a long way toward being like Jesus.

The Unnecessary Ascension

 

While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.

Luke 24:51

It's called The Ascension and for some people, it's one of the strongest visual images associated with the life of Jesus: Twelve guys gathered on a hillside near Bethany and one of them...Jesus...just lifts off the ground and floats into the air until they lose sight of him in the clouds.

According to the first chapter of Acts, two people in white...presumably angels...appeared and asked why they were standing there staring into the sky (which I think is hilarious). Then they said that Jesus would be coming back "in the same way [they] saw him go" (Acts 1:11).

Dear Jesus: I don't think it has ever struck me before, but all this being-taken-up-into-the-air business was totally unnecessary. You could have just dematerialized. You could have faded away like the Cheshire Cat. Heaven is no more "up there" than hell is "down there". But you and the Father and the Spirit decided this was a good visual to give us.

Truth is...I'm looking forward to seeing you return, no matter what it looks like.

The Eye of the Beholder

 

[Yahweh] has made everything beautiful in its time.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

It's nothing new to call attention to the beauty of nature, but what intrigues me today is thinking about the whole concept of beautiful and ugly.

How is it that I can look at a mountain and have my breath taken away and then look at an overflowing garbage can and shudder in revulsion? Where does that come from?

Or even more curiously, why are the faces of some people deemed attractive and others repulsive? Who do I think I am that I should be allowed to make that distinction?

Truth is...I'm pretty sure you see beauty in everything and everyone, Jesus.

Oh Lord

 

And Abram said, "Lord God, what will you give me?"

Genesis 15:2

In Hebrew, Abram called God Adonai.

In English, we call Jesus Lord.

In life, I fall short of actually behaving as if he is Lord.

A common description of submissive obedience is, "When he says jump, you say how high." But if Jesus is really Lord...really in charge...then I shouldn't even ask "How high?" I should just jump.

Jesus, you are not "my homie". You are not just a good example to follow. You are absolutely and forever worthy to be called Lord, Master, Mighty One.

Of course, the trick is to go beyond calling you Lord and actually obey you as Lord.

Truth is...I need to stop praying "What will you give me" and start praying "Lord...use me."

The Other Side of "In But Not Of"

 

I have found a word that describes an experience that is satisfying and pleasant for introverts like me, but which is something to be avoided when thinking about a faith community most commonly referred to as a church.

In The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, John Koenig invented the word midding.

midding - n. the tranquil pleasure of being near a gathering but not quite in it  -  hovering on the perimeter of a campfire, talking quietly outside a party, resting your eyes in the back seat of a car listening to friends chatting up front  -  feeling blissfully invisible yet still fully included, safe in the knowledge that everyone is together and everyone is okay, with all the thrill of being there without the burden of having to be.

As I said, I am an introvert and I can absolutely relate to being "blissfully invisible" and yet still feeling accepted and included. To have people I love and care about enjoying themselves nearby without me having to actually be involved in any informal conversation sounds like a piece of paradise.

But what if I'm satisfied "hovering on the perimeter" of a group that Jesus commands me to love in the same way he loves me? What if I'm satisfied being associated with a church but not truly connected? What if I'm inoculated with an appearance of Christianity but haven't really contracted the full "disease"?

It's been said that disciples of Jesus are in the world but not of the world; of a necessity, we eat, breathe, and do business in society-at-large, but our deeper identity is rooted in a relationship with Jesus. I wonder how many folks have flipped that concept on its ear and are in the church but not of it.

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Truth is...Being devoted to one another in love (Romans 12:10) involves more than being a spectator. Adopt me into your family, Father God. Implant me into your body, Lord Jesus. Energize me with the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, Holy Spirit.

This Is Not Your Final Scene

 

2001: A Space Odyssey is considered one of the most influential science fiction films ever made and is often ranked as one of the top 10 movies of all genres.

But it didn't start out like that.

MGM executives had green-lit a series of costly flops in the 1960s and their collective careers were riding on the success of this new movie by Stanley Kubrick. The expectations were high, but when they saw the first cut of 2001, with its extended silent scenes and challenging narrative scope, those expectations were dashed to pieces.

Still, money had been spent and marketing launched, so the film was completed and premiered April 2, 1968.

“That evening, the film opened at the Loew’s Capitol Theatre on Broadway in New York with the cast and crew in attendance. It was an invitation-only affair, and the theatre was crammed with 1,500 of the ‘best people’: mid-level to senior MGM staff and such celebrities as Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Gloria Vanderbilt, and Henry Fonda....

"The middle-aged audience was puzzled, edgy, derisive, and finally outright hostile. There were boos, hisses, and catcalls....

“Kubrick had posted an aide at the entrance to count the walkouts. It began as a trickle, escalating to a river and then a flood during the intermission. By the end, 241 walkouts had been recorded — more than one-sixth of the audience. One of those was Arthur C. Clarke who, although having seen the film already, was by now humiliated, disappointed, and close to tears. As he left the theatre, Clarke said he’d overheard an MGM suit pontificating: ‘Well, that’s the end of Stanley Kubrick.’” (Robert P. Kolker and Nathan Abrams, Kubrick: An Odyssey)

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Truth is...Maybe you're in a situation where you feel misunderstood or rejected. Take heart. This is not the final frame of your life's movie or the final chapter of your story, and Jesus is not walking out on you. "I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Jesus, Matthew 28:20)

Hammer Time, or, Dear God, Make Me What You Want Me to Be

 

At this point in history, Carl Sandburg is probably most well-known for calling Chicago the City of the Big Shoulders; "Hog Butcher for the World, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads and the Nation's Freight Handler."

But I recently learned about another poem of his titled "Prayers of Steel." It's as if steel is lifting its voice to Yahweh, and it resonates with my decidedly non-metallic soul.

Lay me on an anvil, O God.
Beat me and hammer me into a crowbar.
Let me pry loose old walls.
Let me lift and loosen old foundations.  

Lay me on an anvil, O God.
Beat me and hammer me into a steel spike.
Drive me into the girders that hold a skyscraper together.
Take red-hot rivets and fasten me into the central girders.
Let me be the great nail holding a skyscraper through blue nights into white stars.

This seems to echo Adelaide Potter in the hymn, "Have Thine Own Way, Lord":

Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!

Thou art the potter, I am the clay.

Mold me and make me after thy will,

while I am waiting, yielded and still.

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Truth is...Sandburg's words are grittier and a more realistic image of what it can be like to be fashioned into an effective disciple of Jesus. God's refining work on my life won't always be easy or painless, but the results will be a life of strength and usefulness.

Freedom Is Really Just Switching Masters

 

In the motion picture, The Patriot, Mel Gibson's character is contemplating whether to join his neighbors in the Revolutionary War against England; whether he wants to risk his life and property to gain freedom.

His concept of freedom, and his desire for it, leads him to say, "Would you tell me please, Mr. Howard, why should I trade one tyrant three thousand miles away for three thousand tyrants one mile away? An elected legislature can trample a man's rights as easily as a king can."

I get a similar feeling from Bob Dylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody":

You may be an ambassador to England or France

You may like to gamble, you might like to dance

You may be the heavyweight champion of the world

You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed

You're gonna have to serve somebody

It may be the devil or it may be the Lord

But you're gonna have to serve somebody

Even Jesus has a car in this train of thought:

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Matthew 6:24 NIV)

Truth is...When Jesus said that the truth would set you free (John 8:32), he meant you would be free from the tyrannical rule of sin. Paul put it well in Romans 6:19-23...

I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Holocaust Survivor On Worry

 

Because she was caught helping Jews escape from the Germans during World War II, Corrie Ten Boom was sent to the Ravensbruck concentration camp. She survived and went on to become an inspiring writer and speaker.

There's a particular quote from her about worry I want to bring to your attention today, but first, the Amplified version:

Tormenting oneself with disturbing thoughts and anxiety can be thought of as transporting the next day's burden with this day's energy, health, fortitude, and vigor - loading oneself with the concerns of two days at the same time. It is picking up the trouble meant for tomorrow before you need to...after all, Jesus said each day has trouble enough of its own. Anxiety doesn't eliminate tomorrow's grief, sadness, or regret, it takes the supply of vitality and tenacity of today and pours it out on the ground.

Corrie said it far more succinctly and with an abundance of life experience to back up its truth.

"Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength."

Truth is...To put it another way, it's like taking tomorrow's test before learning today's lesson.

Jesus Is THE Alpha Male

 

Leader of the Pack. The Big Kahuna. Commander in Chief. Top Dog. Jefe El Grande.

Jesus put it this way in Revelation 22:13...

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end,
the first and the last.

In Philippians 2:9-11, Paul wrote...

God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord.

And in Colossians 1:15-18...

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

Make no doubt about it, everyone and everything pales in comparison to Jesus. Does your parent love you unconditionally? Jesus loves you more. Are you in touch with your inner motivations and strengths? Jesus knows you more.

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Truth is...Because of this, I want Jesus to be my Alpha. And that should be easy, right, for Jesus to be something for me that he already says he is? It's like asking him to "be with me" when he's already said, "I am with you always."

Christ before me

Christ behind me

Christ on the lips of everyone

who speaks of me