Speak, Lord, for Your Servant Listens

 

Strange as it may seem, there are times when I actually think the things I write in this space have the potential to wield an eternal influence...or at least an INternal one.

But then I awake from my delusion and realize that my words having an influence on anyone's spiritual well-being isn't the goal here at all.

I absolutely self-identify with the prayer of Thomas à Kempis in The Imitation of Christ, as updated and edited by James N. Watkins:

Prophets indeed can give us words, but they cannot give the Spirit. They speak with great beauty, but they do not burn in my heart when you are silent. They give us scriptures, but only you give understanding to them. They pronounce commandments, but only you give me power to obey them. They show the way, but only you give strength for the journey. They speak to my outward actions, but only you instruct and enlighten my heart. They water, but you produce the harvest.
       Therefore don't let Moses speak Eternal Truth to me, but only you, O Lord my God. Without your words, I die and bring forth no fruit, being outwardly admonished, but not changed within. May I not only hear the Word but follow it. May it not be simply known but loved; not just believed but obeyed. Speak, Lord, for your servant listens. "You have the words that give eternal life" (John 6:68). Speak to me for the comfort of my soul, for the transformation of my whole life, and for the praise, glory, and eternal honor of your name.

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Truth is...The goal of these posts is to point us to Jesus and allow him to have his way in our hearts.

Softly and Tenderly

 

Depending on how long you've been around this blog, you may or may not be familiar with what I call prosification  -  taking a hymn or poem and translating its meaning into prose. It's meant as a way to help a modern audience understand the sometimes antiquated, poetic imagery of the songs of the faith.

Currently at the top of my To Be Prosified list is the 1880 hymn by Will L. Thompson, "Softly and Tenderly".

When I read the lyrics in preparation for prosification, I realized they didn't need to be modernized or simplified. They are perfectly understandable as is.

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
calling for you and for me;
see, on the portals he's waiting and watching,
watching for you and for me.

Refrain:
Come home, come home;
you who are weary come home;
earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, O sinner, come home!

Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,
pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not his mercies,
mercies for you and for me? [Refrain]

Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,
passing from you and from me;
shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,
coming for you and for me. [Refrain]

O for the wonderful love he has promised,
promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, he has mercy and pardon,
pardon for you and for me.

Refrain:
Come home, come home;
you who are weary come home;
earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, O sinner, come home!

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Truth is...It's pretty popular nowadays to walk away from faith; saying that you've been wounded by the church or a church leader. We see the hypocrisy of those who declare with their mouths they love Jesus, but whose actions say something else entirely, and we say, "I'm done!"

Consider this: It's not any particular church that offers mercy and grace and reconciliation. It is Jesus himself, and he's not pounding a pulpit or pointing fingers. He is welcoming us home.

Matthew 11:28-29

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Confession: I Am Guilty of Bareleveling

 

Just when I thought I had a handle on most of the major problems in my life, John Koenig came along and created a new word for an old issue.

From page 74 of The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows:

bareleveling  -  v. intr. trying to improve yourself without anyone else knowing about it, afraid that they'll think it's silly or grandiose or unnecessary, or that they'll end up calling too much attention to your efforts, transforming a casual tweak into a flashy rebranding campaign. (From the Armenian barelavvel, to become better. Pronounced "bair-lev-uhl-ing.")

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person in the room who can relate. I mean, if I don't TELL anyone I'm trying to lose weight, I won't be hit with any shaming or accusatory glares when I order a slice of cheesecake. If I keep my pet project a secret, I don't have to feel like I'm disappointing anyone when I don't complete it.

And now you know why the term "accountability partner" is so important.

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Truth is...Even though the definition of bareleveling makes me think of the Beatles singing "I've got to admit, it's getting better," there's a different song on Sgt. Pepper that expresses a deeper truth: "I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends."

The Lumber Song

 

WARNING: These words to "The Lumber Song" are not saying what you might think they're saying.

Said a friend to a friend one day:
There was a man who passed away
St.Peter met him at the gate
Pete said: Walk with me if you will
I'll take you to the house you built
Man said I can't wait

Passed a mansion made of stone
But with each new house he's shown
They get smaller by degrees
Stopped in front of a two-room shack
Pete said: Hope you're happy with that
Man said: How can this be?
Pete said:

That's all the lumber, that's all the lumber,
That's all the lumber you sent
Looks like the builder, man He's got your number
That's all the lumber you sent

Man didn't know what to say
Poor guy was blown away
Said: You mean this is what I deserve?
Pete said: I'm afraid it's so
It's too late but now you know
You shoulda done better work

Man said: You mean not lie and cheat
And helpin' old ladies across the street?
Pete said: That's a start
Remember that man back in that great big house?
He found out early what it's all about
Built that place with his heart - as for you

That's all the lumber, that's all the lumber,
That's all the lumber you sent
Looks like the builder, man He's got your number
That's all the lumber you sent

What if that man were me
And I'd failed that miserably
You're showin' me things I don't wanna see

St. Peter, if you can, send me back to earth again
Is that somethin' you can do?
Pete said: It ain't up to me
If it was I'd like to see
How you plan to improve

Man said: I'd love God and fellow man
Take a wife and make a stand
Be the givin'est guy I can be
And when I get back to this neighborhood
There'd be a gigantic pile of wood
And I'd say: What's this I see?
And you'd tell me:

That's all the lumber - all that's your lumber
That's all the lumber you sent
Well the Big Boss'll help you
Hammer it all together
That's all the lumber you sent

Linda Halligan / Rick Cua / Robert Sidney Jr.
© Capitol CMG Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group

https://youtu.be/SJVzlXCmIR4?si=Zo1lEssclVdnC0xf

Truth is...This isn't about earning salvation by doing good deeds. This is a creative visualization of the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:19-21 (NLT):

Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

Not the Answer Calvin Wanted to Hear

 

Our text today, flock, was first published October 18, 1990, and begins with Deacon Calvin asking a significant question and Pastor Hobbes having a profound answer.

That alone would make this episode of Calvin & Hobbes worthy of consideration, but when Calvin pauses and reflects on what Hobbes said and what it implies about himself, his reaction is priceless.

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Truth is...We like to think when we have an outburst of anger or inappropriate behavior that we can say, "I wasn't being myself," but it's at those times when we are probably being very much ourselves...proving once again that we need to be changed from the inside out.

Satan Thinks You're a Dumb Animal

 

As short-sighted and horrific as the mid-1800s' slaughter of American Bison on the Great Plains was, it brings to mind a timeless truth.

From the book, Dodge City by Tom Clavin:

The buffalo were just stupid and appeared to be begging to be killed. With most animals on the prairie and plains, getting shot at, and especially having one of your own killed, resulted in flight as fast as their paws or hooves could carry them. Not so the buffalo. A hunter could walk to within a hundred yards of a feeding herd, stretch out on the ground, aim, and fire. A good kill shot was through the lungs. After the animal collapsed and died, the others kept eating as though nothing had happened. If the herd began to move -- and at full tilt, buffalo can run more than thirty miles an hour -- the hunter killed the lead buffalo, which stopped the followers in their tracks.

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Is it any wonder that church leaders are so often the target of Lucifer's attacks? And indeed, how many congregations have come to a screeching halt because of a sinful scandal involving its leader?

For that matter, I believe it is no accident that God has designed us to be part of a group that loves and cares for each other...unlike the stupid bison who can watch a member of the herd fall over and die with no reaction whatsoever.

Truth is...Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (I Peter 5:8 NIV)

The Conversion of Han Solo

 

The first part of Han Solo's life helped him become a self-serving smuggler and an egotistical raconteur. He had no need for moral standards or mystical relationships. His world revolved around himself and his needs. As long as he had a good blaster at his side, he considered himself good to go.

And then reality reared its head and headed straight toward him. He experienced life through the eyes of a group of believers dedicated to something greater than any single one of them. He saw things happen that could only be explained by what he considered to be a hokey religion. And little by little...he knew it was all true.

Truth is...The Church can be seen as a plucky group of rebels who put the whole above each of themselves, empowered by the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. Bring on all the Solos of the world and may the Force be with you!