Covenant Renewal

“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” ~ Joshua 24:14-15.

It will not surprise people who know me to see this passage referenced again because I quote it, at least in part, often. It takes place after the Exodus, 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, and possession of the Promised Land. The Israelites were on the cusp of becoming God’s holy people in God’s holy land. The LORD whittled them down to a very dedicated, lean, and battle-hardened remnant of the multitude of freed slaves from five decades earlier. Their numbers are still substantial and more than sufficient to generate fear in God’s enemies but, even after repeatedly witnessing the LORD’s glory, some violated the covenant of Moses and their forefathers. So, Joshua reminded them of the sacred covenant that bound them to the Lord God. He required them to renew the covenant before beginning something unprecedented.

We also stand on the brink. A new and unprecedented year will begin with the promises of our LORD, unforeseeable encounters as we press on. Our weary eyes have seen people we know return to slavery, falter in the wilderness, and even die over the last two years. Our wilderness testing made us more resilient than we knew we were, and our faith in God grew. But we largely built our faith on experience and cannot confidently promise to be as strong in the face of the unforeseen, unless we fully rely on our Christ-changed nature and the Holy Spirit.

The people of God whom Joshua led into the Promised Land were ready for anything they'd already encountered, but they were ignorant too. Their ancestors were familiar with the gods of Egypt, but they were all dead. Now, a new generation met the gods of their enemies in the Promised Land. Their mysterious powers awed and frightened them, and some of the LORD's people even became infatuated with the gods of the uncircumcised and worshiped them. It's no wonder Joshua made the people renew their covenant and then erected stones of remembrance to bear witness against them in a breach. 

In the same way, I urge you to begin the new year with some form of covenant renewal. I regularly use the “Covenant Prayer in the Wesleyan Tradition” as a part of the first Sunday worship in the year wherever I serve as pastor. (UMH 607) It is a recommitment and affirmation before the altar that is a kind of Ebenezer stone of remembrance. Please make it the one New Year's resolution that you will not break, because you can count on being tested by new threats and temptations. In fact, the Enemy is far more likely to tempt you than to assail you. There will be hardships, but they have as much potential to strengthen your covenant as to weaken it. Lies and false gods, however, can corrupt your interpretation of the covenant and deceive your perception of the unholy. Therefore, we must be answerable to the covenant we made before the congregation, just as Joshua called out the whole people of Israel to bear witness. They heard each other say the words and could testify to it.

Besides a public, shared covenant proclamation, I urge you to join or start a small group for accountability and spiritual enrichment. It is vital to revisit the covenant with others weekly. Plan to make Sunday worship and small group participation an unbreakable habit in the coming year because it is not about you but the Lord. Moreso, it is not about you but the body of Christ occupying and fulfilling the kingdom of Christ. We cannot complete it without covenant devotion, a new birth in Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Let this be the year, no matter what comes. Let this be the year. Amen?

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

     There’s an old saying that “familiarity breeds contempt” and I believe Christmas carols are at risk of such apathy. We often sing them from memory and revel in their melodies as part of the season’s ambiance, like the smells of pine boughs and warm cookies, the taste of eggnog, and the sound of crackling fires and jingle bells. So, to counter inadvertent disregard for rich Christian hymnary, let us absorb the richness of one of the most popular Christmas carols of all time.   

Hark! The herald angels sing “Glory to the newborn King; Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!” Joyful, all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies; With th’angelic host proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!” ~ Hark! the Herald Angels Sing | Charles Wesley 1739. v1

     Charles Wesley opens the hymn with a familiar image of shepherds cowering under the heavenly hosts. Therefore, we join the well-known rhythm and become lost in revelry. If so, we might not heed his first admonition to “Hark!” Let the abrupt proclamation alert us to the rest of the message. The angels said, “Listen! An unprecedented thing is happening. A helpless baby lying in a manager will change the world and all creation forever. The nations would join the angel’s triumphant proclamation, if only they would listen. We would join them, if only we would really harken to their Word. ’God and sinners reconciled’ because the Messiah was born in Bethlehem.” 

Christ, by the highest Heav’n adored; Christ the everlasting Lord; Late in time, behold Him come, Offspring of a virgin’s womb. Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail th’incarnate Deity, Pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel. ~ Hark! the Herald Angels Sing | Charles Wesley 1739. v2

    The child of Mary, wrapped in carefully prepared cloth, nursing in his mother’s arms, surrounded by farm animals, and guarded by a godly husband, was adored by all the hosts of Heaven. Their joy so magnificent that it pierced the thin fabric between heaven and earth, concentrated through a tiny portal bursting with light and then, briefly, as a vast display before astonished shepherds of the Temple flocks. The LORD, ADONAI, reduced to human form, even pleased to be so, is our God with us. 

Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness! Light and life to all He brings, Ris’n with healing in His wings. Mild He lays His glory by, Born that man no more may die; Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth. ~ Hark! the Herald Angels Sing | Charles Wesley 1739. v3

The evil king, Herrod, thought of destroying the unwanted heir, as if he could even do so. As the devil’s instrument, Herrod’s lies, oppression, and chaos could not withstand the providence of God. The Prince of Peace and glory of God’s perfect nature reigns! Infant Christ grew and became the perfection of our salvation. A baby was born to die and rise, and break the back of Satan to open the way home to the Father’s house. The cooing child in quiet stillness lay while all the power and might of the LORD rested within him like a seedling in winter soil. His birth provided for our spiritual rebirth and physical resurrection.  

Come, Desire of nations, come, Fix in us Thy humble home; Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed, Bruise in us the serpent’s head. Now display Thy saving pow’r, Ruined nature now restore; Now in mystic union join Thine to ours, and ours to Thine. ~ Hark! the Herald Angels Sing | Charles Wesley 1739. v4

Rulers in the world seek His annihilation, but the people born of Adam long for his victory over the Enemy. The world’s meek and lowly fervently desire the end of lies, oppression, and chaos. Just as the least among men were the first to greet him, so too the humble, contrite, and faithful may still enjoy His glory now. Christ is ever present and His glory is the aura seen behind so much that seems commonplace. 

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface, Stamp Thine image in its place: Second Adam from above, Reinstate us in Thy love. Let us Thee, though lost, regain, Thee, the Life, the inner man: Oh, to all Thyself impart, Formed in each believing heart. ~ Hark! the Herald Angels Sing | Charles Wesley 1739. v5

Wesley’s last verse is a response to the message we have harkened. Take away the visage of Adam’s sin that clouds our true nature. Replace it with that of the new Adam, Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Fill us with the love that only your Spirit can generate within. Remake our nature so that we will be You to all with whom we walk. 

Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

The Final Word

He spoke the Incarnation

And then so was born the Son

His final word was Jesus

He needed no other one" 

The Final Word ~ Michael Card

    The overarching theme of these weekly messages changed to encouragement around April 1, 2020. The great COVID busting hunker down that would be over in a month started looking like a journey of many months. Rising anxiety started a slow crescendo reminiscent of Ravel's Boléro. Circumstances dimmed the summer’s brief ray of hope and around November, the virus coincided with political vitriol to bring grief, sickness, and hopelessness to the Christmas season we celebrated online and in our homes. If the maestro had known his gradually intensifying orchestral works would become a theme song for our angst, he would have added a few more movements with undulating peaks and valleys. Once again, we find ourselves isolated, untrusting, frustrated, and hopeless at Christmas time. Many things differ from a year ago, but the stress and anxiety remain.  

     The encouragement I’ve sought to give is wide and varied, as I have endeavored to listen to the Spirit and write as I am led in the moment - usually Wednesday morning. It is a kind of public journaling exercise, which may explain why some of the recent messages seemed to be about encouraging me. Every wilderness wanderer of the Exodus suffered, even Moses and his team of leaders. The land of promise was geographically near, but God’s timing was unknowable. One simply had to remain faithful and monitor the pillar of cloud and fire. Thankfully, there are moments of inspiration and hope.        

     I have found that memories are vitally important to my faith journey. Looking back to other times of anxiety and strain and remembering God’s faithfulness and my resilience causes me to believe it can happen again. With the LORD’s help, I have reframed my circumstances, revised my expectations, and adapted. If I did so without the guiding light of the Spirit, I’d still be wandering in a wilderness encountered long ago. With the help of those memories, I can reframe, revise, and adapt again. 

     A series of youthful errors of judgement and their consequences led to a season in my mid-twenties that felt the same as the present times. That time in the 1980s was highly personal, and this one is global, but the feelings are the same. Anxiety, stress, isolation, and hopelessness drove me to my knees and my keyboard - it was a Smith-Corona electric typewriter! I wrote my questions and then attempted to write the answers. I often used short stories and poems to flush out the wounds and peel away dying flesh. I loved music, as most young people do, but I sought originality and richness in verse. The gifted poet and the songwriter often merge complex ideas into beautifully succinct phrases. 

     Michael Card is an artist whose influence on my spiritual life I cannot adequately express. His warmly styled, theologically rich songs enlivened my soul and filled in gaps that hindered by sanctification. I’ve quoted a brief phrase from a Christmas song he wrote in 1986 - “The Final Word” plays in my mind often these days. Because of it, I keep telling myself and others to have hope this year, because Jesus is God’s answer to all the questions. 

• When you don’t know who to believe, Jesus is God’s answer. 
• When you don’t know what is real, Jesus is God’s answer.  
• When you’re alone and broken, Jesus is God’s answer. 
• When the world lets you down, Jesus is God’s answer. 
• God created you for eternal life in God’s home. Jesus is the key that unlocks the door. 
• God made you for eternal life. Jesus bought it for you. 
• Change is inevitable. God is unchanging. 
  

    Michael Card is one of several voices through whom the LORD spoke in my past. Each was unique and critical to my maturity. I now see clearly from the future that my wilderness time was used to refine, nurture, and train me for now. Today’s wilderness is the same. The Spirit will use the voices, signs, and symbols around us to make us ready for the future. Thanks to the One who stepped out of eternity and into time, we can step out of time into eternity. Therefore, whatever we endure now is significant, even if it prepares us for life beyond the veil. 

    You may not write things out like I do, but I’ll wager you have other forms of relief and recreation (re-creation). You might not take comfort from poetry, literature, musical verse, but you have sources of inspiration. God will meet you where you are, like Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. He understands your situation and how you got there, just like Jesus and the Samaritan woman, because Jesus is God’s answer. Jesus is your hope. 

CCLI Song # 228362

Michael Card

© 1986 Birdwing Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

Mole End Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com

CCLI License # 1252648

If You Love Me, Feed My Sheep

"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe." 

~ Ephesians 1:17-19

    I had the privilege of sharing my heart for ministry in the LORD’s name with a precious Christian sibling recently. I heard myself saying familiar words to me and seeing fresh significance in the eyes of another - Love for the LORD and His sheep is the taproot of my calling (John21:17). The conversation arose as a compassionate response to my recent expressions of burnout. I’ve regained my footing after sliding down the hill somewhat and I am again plodding my way up the slope of the institutional church in the 2020s. 

    Another Christian sibling recently responded to comments overheard between two pastors by saying, “I’m gonna stop this pity party by changing the subject.” It seems there are always people in a pastor’s world who just don’t understand the scope and stresses associated with the calling. Most are supportive in their own way, but many succumb to their assumptions about the role and its various duties. Believe it or not, there are lifelong church attenders who believe their pastor only works a few hours a week on Sunday morning. Others form conclusions about the character and personality of their pastor based on how well he/she aligns with their assumptions and cares for their peculiar wants and needs. 

        I wonder what you’re thinking about the previous paragraphs. Is this another “pity party”? Or do you feel sorry for pastors, even me? If so, then I have news for you. Your pastor is not feeling sorry for himself and doesn’ desire pity. Rather, he values understanding and appreciation because pastors are not service providers in the same way as your doctors, druggists, store, restaurant, and theater managers. While the pastor is charged with ordering worship and directing the temporal and spiritual life of the church, he/she is not a hired hand or overpaid & under-worked executive. 

     An authentic calling from the LORD compels the pastor to sacrifice and serve in the Spirit of Christ. The call is a burden to the pastor’s spouse and children, but it is not their shared calling. In fact, if you want to tempt the pastor toward sin, just try putting unrealistic expectations on his/her precious loved ones. Few things weigh more heavily upon the pastor’s heart than the suffering of their family because of his/her calling. 

     I fear I have touched some nerves by now and some readers will not read on. If so, it’s a pity because the truth, direct from Scripture, is forthcoming. First, know this: It is a statistical fact that clergy are quitting in larger numbers these days than ever before. There is a significant upswing in departures among younger clergy. Christian ministry in a post-Christian society is hard enough, let alone during a pandemic and all its consequences. Although the motives vary from pastor to pastor, it all boils down to questions like, “Is it worth it?” 

    The Spirit-driven pastor suffers and perseveres because of the truth in the passage from Ephesians above. When Christ the Lord invites a pastor to shepherd a portion of His sacred flock, an incomparable love drives him or her. The pastor's interaction with the flock and its members, no matter how difficult or blessed, is an act of love - love for the Lord’s sheep and, above all, love for Christ who said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (John 10:11) The pastor must honor his/her Master’s devotion with obedient courage to speak and serve with truth in love. 

Still in the Wilderness

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." ~ Isaiah 43:19

    I started preaching a series of sermons back in June 2020, when worship in the building resumed, that compared our exodus from lock-down with Israel’s Exodus from Egypt. The ordeal felt much like slavery and oppression, with strange limitations masked as liberties. Fear and frustration and the obvious consequences characterized those days. Fear kept people at home, while frustration led to distrust and angst. We all thought the lock-down would end the threat and then everything would go back to normal. Hopelessness of another kind confronted us. We felt nothing would ever be the same again, and no one knows anything for sure. 

    The sermon series extended about six weeks, but the wilderness journeys we discussed are much longer by years. Israel wandered for 40 years, and we now know the COVID journey will not end soon. The sermons seemed to enlighten and encourage, but the effects of the pandemic last longer than our memories. Therefore, it seems appropriate to revisit the subject, hoping to enlighten and encourage once again.

    Some say that it took three days for Israel to get out of Egypt, but it took forty years to get Egypt out of Israel. It is true for us today too. It does not take long to realize God’s love and accept God’s grace, but it takes years to give up control and let God be your Lord. God is so adamant that His people would have new life under His rule that God assured destruction for those who return to Egypt. “Woe to those who run to Egypt for help, trusting their mighty cavalry and chariots instead of looking to the Holy One of Israel and consulting him. In his wisdom, he will send great evil on his people and will not change his mind. He will rise against them for the evil they have done and crush their allies too.” (Isaiah 31:1-2)

    The second anniversary of the pandemic’s beginning is still a few months away, but we have already seen so much change that it seems longer. Like the Israelites, we have witnessed rebellion and destruction. God wiped entire clans out, leaving only a few remnant faithful. Graves and other monuments marked the long journey in the wilderness in tribute to the relentless march of time. Survivors have nothing to count on except change - unless they focus on the almighty glory of God. It is hard to accept, but the fallen, the judged, and the enemy’s strengths and weaknesses are all known to God and will serve as part of God’s unerring plans. 

    The people still had to fight the true enemy of new life in the Promise of God, even as they left Egypt behind - the enemy’s name is “comfort.” Their leaders quickly realized that, as much as they hated being enslaved, the people could at least count on an ugly comfort. Their days comprised predictable routines, familiar surroundings, food and shelter, and a predictable oppressor. When they entered the wilderness, the challenge of obeying and loving their new Master, and depending upon Him for all their needs, emerged. The people learned that faith requires discomfort; that embracing the wilderness requires courage to engage one’s fears.

    It’s hard to believe, but most of the people who left Egypt in those days would not make it to the Promised Land because they never realized that their need for comfort was far more oppressive than their Egyptian masters. The current wilderness wandering of our Christian family presents us with the same challenges and maybe even the same outcomes. Who will surrender to God’s authority and follow the cloud and pillar? Who will fight the enemy called comfort and courageously let go of those who will not? Who will embrace unpredictable change and adapt as needed, no matter how weary, like the Israelites who followed the LORD to the Promise? 

Puritan Pilgrims

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. ~ Romans 12:2

Thanksgiving holiday traditions in America trace their origins back to English Puritans who courageously sought to establish a purer form of Christian community in the New World. They had witnessed the drab conformity of their Christian counterparts in Britain and also vividly remembered cruel religious rivalries and bloodshed. Circumstance tested their faith as they raised funds, recruited intrepid pioneers, and gained necessary permits and provisions. A perilous sea crossing followed by terrible hardships on land left a band of survivors resembling the remnant of Israel at the end of the Exodus or after the diaspora. 

      The deep commitment of the puritan pilgrims stemmed from their devotion to the Kingdom of Christ. No cost was too high for them. They rejected British royal headship over the Church like early Christians who willingly rejected the lordship of Caesar. The pilgrims gave thanks for their blessings and their suffering, even after losing so many of their family and friends. They recognized good and perfect gifts from above and realized a deeper devotion to the LORD when they made His Kingdom the highest priority. 

     Popular culture and time-compression leave many of us with stereotypical images of the puritans. Tall hats, belts, and shoes with big buckles; plain dresses, white aprons, and bonnets come to mind. Friendly, half-naked natives and big roasted turkeys serve as backdrops for our celebrations, but the images are caricatures. Images of savage, superstitious puritans condemning and burning women accused of witchcraft may remain from a month earlier - thus, critics often derided conservative Christians as “puritanical” haters - but those are also caricatures. In fact, puritans were, like many pioneer Americans, forward thinking visionaries whose spirit of adventure combined with their faith to embrace risk. Their industry caused their society to diversify. The puritan culture divested its predecessor and eventually saw its own divestiture as Christians strove to create a better way. 

    History strongly suggests that there is no pure Christian society until Christ returns. In the meantime, believers strive to reject false gods and corruption. They adapt and overcome while hoping to resist pride, oppression, and accusation. When temptations of the flesh break down the purist expressions of faith, and they always do, pioneer Christians boldly move toward fresh expressions of the Scriptural mandates. 

     Pilgrims are sojourners seeking a holy place or outcome for spiritual enlightenment. Exodus is often antecedent - before going to something better, pilgrims must reject something lesser. Does your religion seem corrupt? Is your spiritual life dry and lifeless? Is your faith in Christ and commitment to His Kingdom such that others will realize it? Will they mock you and nickname you “puritans” or “methodists”? Will your priorities change so that you willingly embrace the cost of discipleship? If these things are true in your life, then you can give thanks for suffering and the good and perfect things from above.    

Recommended Reading: 

Romans 12

The Valley of Vision 

Into the Light

 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”’ ~ John 18:36

     We often sing the familiar doxology “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. World without end. Amen. Amen.” It is a succinct statement of faith in the Kingdom of God yet, it often seems we are woefully unaware of the implications. If we were aware, then we would see more clearly with a Kingdom worldview. The Kingdom had not come yet when Jesus said, if it had, his servants would fight for him. The LORD restrained Heaven’s angelic army for a time so that God’s magnificent grace could run its course. For the moment, Jesus bore the immeasurable weight of sin alone. 
     The coming Kingdom of Christ was the central theme of His preaching and teaching while he walked among us. Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled” “and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe in the gospel!” (Mark 1:14) Heaven’s gates opened wide and the unseen Kingdom of God became a present reality to all who would be its citizens after Christ’s death and resurrection. “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.” (Colossians 1:13)
     The Father rewarded the Son for His faithfulness with Kingship and we who repent and believe are Christ the Son’s subjects. Many Kingdom citizens choose to live in its frontier zones. Christ sees them in houses of worship each week, or occasionally. They often behave as if the light of Christ’s glorious throne is too much to bear.
     Frontier Christians and those near the Kingdom realm prefer to think of the King as distant and ineffectual. They wear masks, like welder’s shields, when compelled to enter His presence. Fear causes them to believe they cannot see our LORD’s glory and live. Their fear is justified in a way, because one’s eyes adjust and permanently change after lingering in His presence. The transformation is so profound that the old world of the frontier goes dark and one simply cannot return to it. In effect, death to the old way occurs. 
     Average Christians are familiar with this concept and most will declare their death to sin and celebrate the assurance of Heaven when their flesh expires. However, confronting the reality of the Christ’s Kingdom on Earth as in Heaven requires acknowledgement that we all fall short of Christ’s glory - in fact, we unconsciously try to avoid it. Many of us deeply desire a more complete relationship with Christ, but remain inert for fear of the light of His glory. One wonders if, like Icarus, we fly too close to the Sun we will surely die. 
     It takes faith to walk toward His glory. It takes courage to leave the oddly comfortable dimly lit, grey world of the flesh behind. Ironically, many American Christians push further from the heart of Christ’s Kingdom because of innate pride in their rugged independence, bold frontier explorations, and dedication to freedom at all costs. “We rebelled against kings and kingdoms,” they declare. Such persons audaciously rewrite the gospel with a uniquely American twist, combining patriotic legends with superficial biblical concepts. Others prefer the dark frontier periphery of the Kingdom because they fancy themselves as sources of light, aligning themselves with the lesser gods of the flesh. Moving closer to His glory diminishes them and their assumed status. 
     Right now, you may wonder what sort of encouragement is coming, if any. So far, it sounds like a put-down or just an overly hard message to accept. “Here he goes again, saying I’m not good enough!” I’m speaking to myself too and, believe me, I get it. Beloved, the LORD compels me to speak truth in love so that we might strive for the heart of His Kingdom together. The long, dark winter nights of our land remind us that, if not for the gentle rising of the sun, we would emerge into the brief daylight only to be blind for a time as our eyes adjust. So it is with pressing on toward the King’s throne. What we once saw only dimly, we gradually see with greater clarity than we thought possible. 
     Consider the exceedingly grey times we are presently enduring. Everyone seems to move cautiously through the days as if constantly rounding a bend in the road, fearful of what lies just out of view immediately ahead. People are so risk-averse that they refuse to make commitments and choose to hoard their time and possessions. The old, grey faith of their predecessors no longer brings comfort and they distrust nearly all public figures, even religious leaders (Sadly, often for good reason). 
     Have you noticed that survival supplies are in high demand? Have you seen advertisements for powerful flashlights that will illuminate vast areas and far ahead on one’s path? People instinctively fear the dark unseen roads ahead, yet they distrust those who profess to possess the light. As stated above, distrust and the vanity of false sources of light have bred extreme caution. 
     Beloved of God, there is only ONE true light. It radiates from the throne of our King, Lord Jesus Christ. When we look to Him and move toward His glory, we leave fear and failure behind. We see the world the way it really is. Gradual illumination reveals false gods of the carnal and lights the path of righteousness. 
     How do you see the lighted Way of our King? Jesus said, 'It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught of God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me. (John 6:45) The divine irony is that one must hear the Word of God in order to see the light of the Son’s glory. The eyes deceive, but the ears become more effective in the dark. Therefore, hear the Word of God spoken in truth and love. Close your eyes and listen, or in this case, read the words aloud and listen for the King’s voice. Do you hear Him calling you home? I hope and pray so. 


Recommended Reading: 
Insurgence: Reclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom by Frank Viola
The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis
 

Understanding is Worth More than Sympathy

 For the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He knows you're going through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you. You have lacked nothing.”’ ~ Deuteronomy 2:7

There’s no way to adequately express how much the heartfelt compassion I have received in many forms of get-well wishes and encouragement lately has lifted my spirits. One message insightfully stated, “Our Church was broken years ago through no fault of your own. The Methodist Church is broken, again through no fault of your own. You have helped the healing process in our Church. You are leading us through the transition within the Methodist Church as best you can.” I was grateful as I read that since it helps to know that someone realizes my weariness results from a cumulative effect. Each of my pastoral appointments was to broken churches. The brokenness is nearly always because of poor leadership. In my experience, clergy seldom possess the skills to turn things around. Seeing local churches through the storms and attacks of the Enemy over the last two decades was usually a solitary affair. As I strove to reorient systems and values, there were always persons who felt that I undermined their rank and values. Others who had hoped for such an unseating and the end of oppression privately cheered me on, but publicly sympathized with persons whom they feared. No one had the courage to stand with me to say I was doing the right things, yet all celebrated their victory when the battle ended. Some church people have been unbelievably cruel and incredibly insensitive. When discussing my home, my salary, and my time, they showed little regard for my family’s well-being and my basic need to protect and provide for them. I have often been treated as a soft target whose feelings and needs don’t matter because I am expected to be passive and devoted to everyone else’s needs because I am a pastor. I’ve always fought back so that change could lead to Christ’s glory. The cumulative toll eventually comes due.

Another sentiment expressed recently by a few kind encouragers. “We’re sorry for letting you down” deeply troubles me because I have no right to that role in their life. I do not intend to imply that the flock is accountable for the shepherd’s feelings and their physical manifestations. Here we see that Christ’s enemy is cunning and ruthless as he plays on our weaknesses to make us feel inadequate and ineffective as we strive to be a Christ-centered family. Fixing broken churches is part of my calling and I have no right to feel sorry for myself. Working with unhealthy souls and pushing others toward greater spiritual stamina goes with the territory. Still, making some things better is relatively easy for a person with the right skills. My primary aim, for which I earnestly hope and pray, is that our LORD will bring revival for His Name’s sake ... sometimes I just wonder if I’m not good enough for that part. My weather gauges are the countenances of the present worshipers, and the influx of new ones. The evangelist in me feels such urgency - the LORD is coming soon; He really is!

The Church history class on Wednesday nights reintroduced many significant players in the ongoing drama of the Christian era to me. I enjoyed recalling that I am a little like the great reformer Martin Luther in that we are both anti-establishment-religion and talk too much about it. Like him, I can be too passionate and crave “table-talk” wherein honest, unfiltered conversations generate fruitful critical thinking, but it unsettles people with comfortable traditions and ideologies.

History lauds the outgoing, gregarious people, with strong wills and Type-A personalities who often accomplish great things and also leave collateral damage in their wake. We’ve all benefited from their efforts but are left to deal with incomplete projects and walking wounded who stayed through it all when others became angry, bored, or unfulfilled and then quit. Two of my church appointments involved mitigation of, or cleanup after such hurricane ambition blew through. 

I am not an extroverted or autocratic leader and much of what I do seldom gets noticed, which suits me. I enjoy working unnoticed, behind-the-scenes doing strategic planning, motivating and training. Helping others to thrive and succeed in their mission fulfills me. There is often tiredness after I do my leadership in public. However, I am energized by teaching and preaching. It’s a pleasure to enlighten and inspire people. In my experience, charismatic leaders frequently pressure people into joining them in what they are doing and sometimes those people regret it later. I prefer to present intriguing knowledge and ideas and then pray people will respond. It is a harder way to get support but it tends to build stronger bonds.  

It must seem strange for a self described introvert and private person to put so much introspection on display. Well, writing is my favorite form of self expression. I like its exactness and permanence. If I change my opinions later, I can jot it down and add it to the body of my written thought, so that a process of critical thinking and growth is apparent (if only to me). The Lord challenged me to be vulnerable and humble when I’d rather be stoic and strong. It seems like sharing with you will help with understanding our shared calling as the Body of Christ in this time and place. I know too well of the detrimental effects rumors and assumptions have. Therefore, writing things down takes away speculation, at least among those who read it. If you want to know something, all you have to do is ask me.

Patrick O'Brien wrote dozens of books about seafarers of the 18th century. My favorites are from the series usually called the Aubrey-Manturin books from which the 2003 feature film “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World” emerged. Technically, I’m a lubber, but in my imagination I am an explorer-adventurer captain of a sturdy warship like HMS Surprise - You can learn much about leadership from good fiction stories. Reading good literature informs everything in my life, even bible study. Try Stevenson’s “Treasure Island '' for example. Read or hear the unabridged version and don’t settle for one of the good movies. B90 veterans will recognize the biblical parallels throughout the tale. 

I’ve long believed that God created Israel for conquest. The people of God set out from captivity in Egypt to take possession of the Promised Land away from God’s enemies. Many weak and faithless people turned back, rebelled, and died along the way. An entire generation died in the wilderness while their successors matured in faith, trained, and prepared for conquering the land God prepared for them. The LORD would go before them and the victory would always be His, but they would faithfully stand in the breach. God made His people for Kingdom conquest; for warships, not cruise ships. The LORD made us for adventure and exploration; risk and reward, not for entertainment and excess; nor to be served, but to serve. Under Christ, we fight the status-quo by being set apart from the world, not like it. We serve the LORD first and then whatever needs be. We still stand in the breach, and the battle still belongs to the Captain of the LORD’s host. His manifesto is the Sermon on the Mount by which our war strategy is executed. 

The local church is also meant to be a warship - I like to think of an aircraft carrier, because it regularly launches parts of itself on risky missions. The captain and crew strive to keep her trim and shipshape while managing the crew and dealing with disorder, decay, and disease. Its captain and navigator plot the course toward a destination beyond the horizon. The ship’s conquests include adding to its manifest. It is stressful at the best of times and frustrating amid capricious currents and winds. Battles with the Enemy and foul weather leave the ship and crew wounded and scared, and fatigue accumulates. Increased responsibility naturally produces increased stress. It is both exhilarating and exhausting. 

Joshua led God’s people into the Promised Land. An encounter with the Captain of the LORD’s hosts preceded his first major battle. He understood that the battle belongs to the LORD, but God chose him to lead the people in the breach. Joshua was humble and bold. He was obedient and decisive; organized and flexible. Joshua encouraged other leaders and cast a clear vision for the people. He knew who the real enemy was and strove to keep the main thing, the main thing, at all costs. He said, “choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

The COVID-19 storm led to courageous action on deck and perseverance below as unsung heroes plugged holes, pumped bilges, and shifted loads. Shellshocked passengers and crew have grown weary and the captain’s call for “all hands on deck” goes unanswered. He collapses at the wheel, for a time, but does not give up the ship. 

OK. It’s a corny metaphor - thanks for indulging my imagination. The truth is, we are not plunging through a stormy sea on a warship, as much as I would wish it. We are actually a remnant people trapped in a wilderness of our own making waiting for the LORD to lead us into the Promised Land. Like Moses, I am a complicated, moody old man who has walked with Christ for a long time and still needs large daily doses of sanctification. I speak recklessly about the powers above me like Martin Luther, and I am a temporary burnout like Elijah. You can help me most by accepting me as I am and staying with me all the way to the Promise.   

“Heart Attack”

See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; ~ Hebrews 12:15

I awakened with discomfort in my chest and gut Sunday morning. I didn’t dwell on it since I hadn’t been sleeping well for some time and the dark mornings of autumn only make it harder to get moving. Aches and pains in the morning are a matter of course for most of us over a certain age anyway. The unusual thing about my chest pain and knotted gut was that I instinctively felt a correlation between them and my emotional and intellectual weariness. It had been a particularly hard week with heartbreaking disappointments and no-win scenarios that followed a general dismay over the future of the work I’ve loved for decades. 

My Sunday morning partner in worship ministry and I stood before the altar again intending to pray for our efforts to please the LORD. I whispered “I’ve got nothing left in my tank this morning, Sunshine.” So, we prayed that the LORD would make Himself known anyway. The LORD showed up. Music was rich and inspiring and our prayers about the saints in Heaven evoked strong emotions. Then, with tempered wit and restrained frustration I preached a brief message based on Howe's “For All the Saints.” Ironically, I told my wife and daughter that I thought it would be a good epitaph should I die that day, and that before I suspected I was seriously ill. . 

My bride and I met with a lovely couple whose genuine faith and hunger for Christ inspires me amid so much apathy. They sought counsel in preparation for their upcoming wedding. It was a lovely conversation that gave me joy though I felt myself deteriorating as the chat went on. I was sweating profusely and my skin was clammy. My gut felt like a tightening rubber band on a balsa wood airplane.My chest hurt and my mind was blurry. My bride and I went home after parting with our young friends and we sat down to watch the remainder of a football game. I left the room several times trying not to alarm anyone since I wasn’t sure about my next steps yet. Finally, I quietly called my bride out of the room and said, “I think I’m having a heart attack.” 

I came home from the hospital approximately 20 hours later after constant tests and brief, uncomfortable naps. It had not been a heart attack, which was good news, but “what the heck happened!” I wondered. Stress was generally, but not officially credited with causing my symptoms. While not surprised, I was a little angry that I could be undone by something like that at this point in my life. I’d been in many stressful situations and seasons over the years and had managed to cope admirably by my estimation. It turns out that the Enemy is no fool. Attacking on multiple fronts simultaneously and employing diversions to weaken an objective before the final assault are common tactics for good generals, no matter how diabolical. 

My bride went back to her job the next day and came home within hours as she was suffering with similar, but milder symptoms in her gut. While the hospital care I received was excellent, it was laser focused on my heart. The fact that a stomach virus was passing through the community and likely afflicting me came from the best network in town, the local school. So, I was the victim of an intestinal disorder that was profoundly exacerbated by weeks of stress, months of constant adaptation, and general burnout. 

While it may seem sanctimonious to some, my constant ministry goal is described in the verse above, See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; Over the years, I’ve seen bitterness, in this case “poison” would be a better word, lead many pastors and church members to focus their energies on self-fulfillment and aggrandizement. Consequently, the idea that a local church could be a farm for the development of serious Christian discipleship became an obsession for me. I felt that a systematic approach to the business of the institution and its leadership could relieve worldly stressors and enable faith development in attenders, worshipers, and members of the local church. A small, Spirit-led leadership team could join me in this while and effective, unified staff took care of business. Preaching from the Bible and letting its natural authority speak truth in love from God seemed like a certain way of generating revival and authentic Christianity in the local church. 

My fiscal leadership routinely improved the general health of the institutions I’ve served but my preaching and teaching always seemed to have a limited impact. What’s more, there are always persons whose commitment to their particular role in the local church caused them to resent me for preaching against them. I wasn’t trying to hurt them with preaching since that would be reprehensible in my mind, but I admit that I used other opportunities to call out toxic persons and reject their negative impact on the vision and mission of the Church-Universal. Those battles have a cumulative effect. Grief, self-doubt, and fear all linger in me and combine with less than desirable Spiritual growth in the congregation to bring me down, especially self-doubt. 

A simple majority of 51% seems attainable and yet elusive. If slightly more than half the people attending the local church would worship God because they just can’t help it, then spiritual growth would be irresistible. We see Local churches dying across the land, especially during the pandemic, mainly because they have nothing to offer new generations who see them as social organizations of morally superior hypocrites. I genuinely believe we can do better. My hope is that sleeping saints will awaken and demonstrate the power, life and vitality of the Kingdom of Christ. But, I fear that I have failed to awaken enough for a simple majority. Especially after the pandemic dulled their senses and deepened their lethargy. My grief and sense of failure, and perhaps unrealistic expectations, combined over the years to bring me to this point. 

I do not plan to quit, my King makes it very clear that is not an option. I truly want to stay with my current local church until I’m done. I do not plan to aim for lesser things and accommodate toxicity in the Church. I will not stop preaching truth in love from the Bible or seeking the 51%. Still, for the moment, I will rest. I will pray the LORD reveals a way forward that humbles me and makes me more dependent upon His grace. I will pray that the roots of the growing simple majority will become more fruitful. I hope the local church I serve will realize that this, like a marriage, is a relationship that prospers and fulfills by mutual consent and commitment. This season of burnout will pass but I cannot do it alone. 

There’s another passage from the same chapter of Hebrews that says, “It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?” (Hebrews 12:7) I have no doubt that our LORD is using these circumstances to direct me and refine my discipleship since my journey toward personal holiness means more than my success as a pastor. Likewise, the LORD using your current state of affairs, maybe even our shared journey through this week, to grow your devotion to discipleship. Will you join me in becoming a simple majority for His Name’s sake? 

Burnout

Elijah walked a whole day into the wilderness. He stopped and sat down in the shade of a tree and wished he would die. “It's too much, Lord,” he prayed. “Take away my life; I might as well be dead!” ~ 1 Kings 19:4
    
     The LORD instructed Elijah to request an audience with King Ahab so the prophet could correct the king and usher in the end of a three-year drought. Under Ahab and his wife, Jezebel, the people devoted themselves to worshiping and serving Baal. Baal is a powerful enemy of the LORD. Elijah condemned the king and his wife and the priests of Baal and demanded a showdown with them. 1 Kings 18-19 tell the sometimes humorous and sometimes terrifying story of the encounter. Ultimately, the LORD validated Elijah by destroying the cult of Baal and bringing rain to the parched land. Why then did Elijah end up isolated, discouraged, and ready to give up? 
     I think Elijah was burned out. Elijah enthusiastically embraced his role. His unconditional allegiance to the LORD is clear throughout his ministry years. His love for God showed in the way he cared for widows and orphans, the poor and oppressed, foreigners, and marginalized people. Elijah passionately preached truth in love and willingly rebuked authorities at the risk of suffering condemnation and retribution.
     Elijah’s long career seems to have taken a toll, especially during the season of drought. His fidelity, innovation, and perspicacity held the faithful together while a majority of their neighbors embraced the worldly cult of Baal. When the LORD brought Elijah before the king and the priests of Baal, Elijah was short-tempered, cynical, and crude with them. God vindicated him anyway. I think it only added to his burnout, because Elijah knew the victory belonged to God, which only made him feel inadequate and ineffective.       
     Listen to what Elijah told the LORD when asked, “What are you doing here?” - “Lord God Almighty, I have always served you—you alone. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed all your prophets. I am the only one left—and they are trying to kill me!” (1 Kings 19:10) God asked a second time, “What are you doing here?” and Elijah answered with the same words again. Elijah was worn out!
     Eventually, the LORD whittled down Elijah’s congregation so that only the faithful remained. Then, the LORD sent Elijah to his successor so that he could pass the mantle on to him. God honored Elijah and gave him a unique end to his service, but Elijah’s burnout was unrecoverable. 
     Burnout is a common problem for the LORD’s servants. It follows predictable patterns. Cynicism, feelings of inadequacy, joyless, hopeless efforts, hypersensitivity, indifference, lethargy, headaches, and irregular sleep are all signs of burnout. 
     If you’re suffering through it, especially during the drought caused by the pandemic, you are not alone. In fact, I won’t be trying to tell you what to do about it, because I don’t know right now. I just know that it is unlikely that we will be led to our successor and then into a glorious retirement in Heaven. We will need support and determination to get through burnout and it probably won’t happen overnight. Pray that people who really care will grant you grace and come alongside while you recover from a debilitating illness. 

Be Courageous

 . . . he [she] is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.  ~ Romans 13:4 

    Biblical wisdom informs us of our LORD’s resolve to bring order where there is chaos, justice where there is oppression, and peace where there is discord. Likewise, we can see the Enemy’s fierce resistance. To be sure, where there is chaos, oppression, and discord, the Enemy cheerfully cackles with pleasure. 

    Imagine a season in which the LORD’s partners in peacemaking, justice, and order are among the most derided in a culture. A broad view of those divine partnerships includes many honorable men and women who serve their community in a variety of capacities. I’ve singled out a few unsung heroes in my weekly attempts to encourage lately. Today, I desire to uplift our protectors. 

    The Enemy is relentless in pursuit of his ultimate aim, the defeat of our LORD, Jesus Christ. Therefore, he orchestrates chaos, oppression, and discord within the human family, especially among those who would be the Bride of Christ. He generates fear and faithlessness, grief and sorrow, suspicion and hatred. He suppresses the good news by creating conditions wherein the weaker members of the evangel throng cower in angst. 

    Therefore, we are obliged to those who stand against incredible pressures to protect and defend the rest of us. Our protectors serve the LORD by enforcing just laws designed to enable intercourse and information for the sake of a greater good. They are partakers in the divine nature, if only in the execution of their righteous duties.   

    When protectors and helpers in our community stand in the breach between order and chaos, freedom and oppression, peace and discord, they are like Christ, who perfectly did so for humanity. His sacrificial death saved the divine creation. Similarly, the honorable dead among protectors gave all for the sake of others. 

    The protected should hold protectors accountable, just as we entrust our own accountability to the community, to humanity, to them. We must come alongside our protectors and helpers and their loved ones. We must think of them as we would our own family members, supporting, encouraging, and correcting as needed.

    While most of them go on, unheralded and misunderstood, they are the glue that binds our community together. The unbeliever will say there is no God, while pointing out the chaos, oppression, and discord. He will address the few protectors whose inner corruption causes the things we charge them with preventing, while ignoring the vast majority who honorably serve lest total anarchy reign. The Christian Believer must join the protectors in running toward the things that frighten us, because the cause is entirely justifiable. 

    Christian Believer, especially you, who choose to protect others, go about your daily tasks imitating Christ. Where He is courageous and unconventional, do likewise. Where He is gentle and resolute, be likewise. 

    Law enforcers always consider the spirit of the law. When the law is just and reasonable, enforce it in good faith. Where it and its authors serve the Enemy, delivering chaos, oppression, and discord, be courageous. 

    Evangel throng, do not grow weary in doing the LORD’s will. Proclaim His good news and serve at all costs for its sake. Consider your life and times from the Father’s eternal perspective and be courageous. 

The Lord of the Harvest

Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest.” ~ Matthew 9:37-38

    There is a familiar sight across the land around this time of year. Dust clouds boil around giant farm machines operated by neighbors and friends as they harvest the crops of corn, beans, and other vital nutrients. Each year, the farmers we see cultivating, planting, spraying, and harvesting risk their lives and livelihoods to provide for their families and countless others. Each planted seed carries hope and expectation with it into the soil. 
 Jesus accurately described the farmer’s plight, saying, “some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings. Still other seed fell on good soil and produced a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.” (Matthew 13:5-8)
    When the farm equipment, loaded grain trailers, and heavily laden pickup trucks stir our impatience while we race here and there, annoyed by every minor inconvenience, let it be a reminder of our shared calling. The Lord of the Harvest called us into the fields because millions of souls are ripe for the picking. The Lord sees them like we see the vast, rolling fields across our native Midwest. He asks only that we step out of our routines and see the fruit right before our eyes. Discouraged, hopeless, broken people; vain, vapid, consumers who self medicate to placate their inner fears and longings; pursuits of the flesh define purposeless wanderers whose minds rarely consider eternal things. 
    Few of us realize the impact our farming neighbors have on so many lives. Their risky, hard work helps to fuel people, and industries far and wide. We literally eat the food they raise and harvest, and we all use an endless array of products created from their labor. Jesus would have us know His Kingdom is the same. The Kingdom of Christ encompasses the entire people of God, saved by God’s grace. Even while we mourn the passage of an imagined golden age in our society, we must not forget the profound influence of Christians and Jews. If it were possible to extract Judeo-Christian values from society, it would be like abandoning fields across the nation’s heartland. Weeds, vermin, wildfires, and other natural disasters would quickly replace the once fruitful lands. 
    Of course, there should be a place for wildflowers and other natural vegetation to grow. Environments suited to the needs of wild animals and other creatures are always necessary. But, the Lord of the harvest created all the natural resources we take for granted so that we could join Him in what is doing, so that God’s we will fulfil divine purposes. When you see the farmers at work, it is an image of God’s divine purpose. They witness miracles every day as they sow a small seed that yields so much more in just a little while. So, consider the joys that await the one who enters the Lord’s harvest with such faith? 
    Now, as you witness the ripened fields, the farming families at work through the day and into the night, and the freshly cut stalks ask the Lord of the Harvest to show you the fruit that He desires you to recover. Ask Him now to let you join Him in all that He does. Plead with the Lord to show you the folly that preoccupied you before, so that you can put it aside for a little while. May the Lord give you the faith and courage of the farmers.     
 

Do Not Grow Weary of Doing Good ~ A Tribute to My Local Hospital

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. ~ Galatians 6:9

     I recently took part in a meeting with members of the local hospital staff. They represented all aspects of care and management. It has honored me to join them regularly over the past few years as they describe the challenges they face, especially since the onset of COVID-19. To say these dedicated professionals are weary would be an understatement. As always, they hope to heal the sick, restore the broken, and comfort the dying. They must also comfort frightened, grieving, and confused loved ones whose care is often more demanding, yet not technically appointed to them. Moral and spiritual dilemmas routinely afflict compassionate caregivers who often relate to patients and loved ones as if they were family. Sadly, they seldom receive a return of the favor. 
     Medical professionals understand that end-user engagement is the main purpose of the hospital’s existence, but the outcome involves multiple layers of support from many disciplines. Hospitals function like small cities. They require most of the same governance, utilities, and quality of life resources. Persons who rarely experience direct contact with patients fulfil many vital roles. In fact, patient care and the quality of institutional life would crumble without them. Therefore, when anyone in the hospital community suffers, everyone suffers. Everyone is a caregiver. Doctors, nurses, chaplains, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nursing assistants, food services providers, housekeeping workers, maintenance workers, administration providers, security personnel, and gift shop workers all provide care for patients, loved ones, visitors, community leaders, and each other. 
     So, it’s no wonder that, during a global pandemic, this little community within the community is feeling like the Gulf Coast during hurricane season. The pandemic, like a storm, afflicts indiscriminately. Imagine being both victims and relief workers when you visit the hospital amid the storm and its aftermath. When you feel aggravation about priorities and provisions for the greater good and you want to give someone an earful, remember their weariness; remember their deep empathy and authentic compassion. 
     Consumer-driven societies often define institutional employees by what they deliver to the customer - or, more bluntly stated, they don’t care so much about you as they care about what you do for them. It is hard to find kindness and gratitude in a nation of rugged individualists and social elites. Such people treat others as competition. They resist compromise, grace, and mercy because of what it might cost them. Yet, in the hospital, they look like everyone else when lying in a bed dressed in an immodest gown. 
     Hospital gowns and uniforms help to define roles and responsibilities. The gown reduces patients to our lowest common denominator, naked flesh, tissues and organs that need care and healing. Physicians, nurses, and technicians sometimes act as if that’s all they see, a science project. More often than not, it is a professional detachment that protects them from becoming part of the problem they mean to fix. Healing living creatures is not like repairing machines. Hospitals cannot guarantee customer satisfaction, despite the vast collective knowledge, new treatments, technologies, and drugs. The hospital cannot always give desired outcomes, but they can comfort, encourage, and care. 
     Awe and admiration stirred this departure from my typical blog post. The hospital in my hometown exemplifies the heart of Christianity. Christ gave water to the thirsty, washed dirty feet, treated rich and poor equally, spoke truth in love, was angry with sickness and death. He compassionately healed some and did not save others. He felt pity, grief, and joy with his clients and companions. Jesus encouraged and embraced critical thinking and new ideas. He openly condemned outdated and distorted ideologies. He saw the humanity and sacred soul in everyone he encountered and then gave all he could to save them. 
     This homage to hospital workers is justified not only by the civil services provided by under-recognized neighbors and friends who could earn their living in less demanding ways, but also by the essential Christian nature of their service. They don’t have to proclaim their Christian faith in order to live it. Instead, they identify with Christ on a level that few regular church-attenders experience. Christianity is a lifestyle more than it is a belief system endorsed by its adherents. Hospital workers, first responders, dispatchers, clinics, and a host of other support personnel do not always act like pious churchmen, but they do what Christ does. 

Doctrine and Dogma

 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. ~ 1 Corinthians 2:14

     Consider the most familiar people and places in your life. Your home, your loved ones, your yard, the streets of your neighborhood, your workplace, the coffee shop where you meet with friends, the church building, the sanctuary where you worship, the hallways, the classrooms, etc. Your routine interactions with the people and places naturally desensitized you to the superficial details. Now, suppose your church, workplace, or coffee shop undergoes some sort of project that forces you to use a different entrance. The change of perspective causes you to notice details heretofore overlooked - paint colors, artwork, potted plants, hair color and style, signs, announcements, and dozens of other little things appear new because of your fundamental change. 
     In the passage above, the Apostle Paul says, “There are none so blind as those who will not see.” Spiritual blindness in the Christian family is a matter of deep concern to me. It ranges from ideological idolatry to tunnel vision. In the previous paragraph, I presented a test for tunnel vision by asking you to give attention to details that have faded into the periphery. Tests for ideological idolatry are more complicated and might be offensive in some ways. For example, how do you feel about having the U. S. flag in the worship space, in proximity to the altar? Your answer to that question says something about your theology, doctrine, and ideology. When you think about church worship, programs, and governance, how much does personal experience influence your expectations? Does the term “tradition” refer to your tradition or long-standing practices rooted in doctrine? 
     Let’s define some terms before proceeding. Doctrine is “a set of ideas or beliefs that are taught or believed to be true.” (Dictionary 2021) My favorite definition of doctrine is: “the boundaries of a belief system.” Dogma is “something held as an established opinion, especially a definite authoritative tenet. (Dictionary 2021) Dogma is your tradition that may or may not be doctrinally sound. Church families, religious institutions, and societies regularly suffer because of dogma. Adherence to doctrine forces participants to play by common rules and submit to standards that keep boundaries intact. 
     While dogmatic devotional to personal traditions and lackadaisical disinterest seem very different from each other, they ultimately have the same effects. Their exemplars often regard things of the Spirit as folly. There is another way to look at spiritual blindness and tunnel vision: it is a matter of balancing feelings against facts. Feelings drive dogma and facts drive doctrine. So, how do you feel about infant baptism and why? What is the official doctrine related to it? How do you feel about church music, holy communion, pews vs. tables, Christmas, Easter, etc. etc.? What is the doctrinal standard? What did you decide about the flag and why? 
     My purpose in this critical thinking exercise is to discern the Apostle’s intention when he wrote, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14) The Church at Corinth dealt with plenty of drama and dogma. Spiritual blindness was rampant and Paul rebuked them with truth in love. Christian love is a combination of grace and discipline. Most people prefer more grace and less discipline, but love is incomplete without the fullest measure of both. Doctrine appoints some persons according to call and qualification to exercise grace and discipline. Participants usually accept that kind of spiritual leadership because of their sense of anointing and virtue. 
     John Wesley described the pursuit of spiritual discernment “holiness of heart and mind.” It is a type of self discipline, informed by the Body of Christ and His Spirit in and through it, that embraces God’s grace and Christ’s discipline  - That’s why we call Him Lord. Spiritual blindness and tunnel vision not only cause discord in the Church, but it accommodates the Enemy in his dedication to defaming Christ’s character. Satan cackles, “See how they claim His grace but reject His discipline?!”
     Please stop and pray right now that God would increase your awareness of the Holy Spirit in your life and times. Ask Christ to lead your life, and humbly submit to His leadership, so that you can discern that which is real and reject the counterfeit Christianity of Satan. 

Misunderstood

 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy. ~ Proverbs 27:6

     The fear of being misunderstood is among my greatest weaknesses. My hypersensitivity is likely worsened by a series of traumatic instances during my most significant developmental periods. There is a kind of distrust wherein one feels that a misunderstanding in a new relationship bumps the trajectory of a potentially fruitful friendship just enough to fuel a series of assumptions that lead to feigned civility and concern. It’s difficult to be friends with someone whose assumptions frame their perception of everything you say or do. In the best-case scenario, the fruitful relationship matures through basic misconceptions and arrives as a rich friendship based on mutual respect and trust. In the worst case, one’s assumptions cause distrust, angst, and endless tension. 
     We instinctively know that interaction with other people is essential for emotional and spiritual well-being. There are very few stories of hermits who lived joyfully alone without human contact. In fact, where such stories are told, mock-human relationships eventually surface as a connection made with an animal or even an inanimate object - consider “Wilson” in the 2000 movie, “Castaway.” It turns out that one’s inner dialogue requires a respondent, and more often than not, the voice needs to counter one’s irrational assumptions so that dangerous delusions don’t set in. 
     The compulsion to seek fruitful, intimate relationships begins in early childhood. We naturally desire acceptance and encouragement from parents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents. Those relationships framed our social norms, particularly when they generated positive feelings. Conversely, words and deeds that lead to disapproval and pain usually generate resistance and avoidance. This becomes the rubric for assumptions. Assumptions in the relationship realm frequently result in feelings of dread when words and deeds that met with disdain and hurt long ago trigger internal defense mechanisms. Whether it is the behavior of one’s self or of the new acquaintance makes no difference. Once the panic button gets pressed, the emotional roller coaster glides out of the station and starts clicking its way up the hill. Or, one might say, “I don’t do roller coasters” and just walk away from the risk. Walking away can be anything from literal distancing to emotional shut-down.
     Now, I respectfully request your patience and Christian love as I reflect upon the aforementioned dynamics from my perspective. As stated in the first paragraph, I am unnaturally sensitive when it feels like I am being misunderstood. It’s exponentially worsened when wild assumptions about my motives and meanings are so thoroughly ratified in the mind of my critic that I can feel the heat from his or her burning eyes. As one charged with preaching the gospel and administering the sacraments, I regularly witness an array of assumptions and attitudes. I strive to limit the use of certain words, like “sermon” and “preaching,” because they connote negative lectures from hurtful memories. However, I find it impossible to resist the urge to speak truth in love as defined in and by the Bible - Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ (Ephesians 4:15). Grace and discipline are the benchmarks of authentic Christian love. 
      If I could clarify one thing in the minds of all the people I’ve ever attempted to serve within the Church, it would be this: I did it all for love. First, for the love of Christ, my King. Second, because His Spirit drove me to love you. Like you, all the influences common to people in my sphere shaped me. Thankfully, the LORD took hold of my life at a young age and led me through a wide variety of experiences and paradigms that broadened my perspective. Looking back, I can see the LORD’s hand on my life at so many critical moments. The LORD has exponentially increased my capacity for love and courage. 
     So, when I teach from the bible and suggest the implications of the Word, I do not desire to be heard as an authority figure reminiscent of some painful lectures in the past that lead to shut-down or a roller coaster ride. When I lead Christians in the church institution by applying biblical principles and practical wisdom, I hope to be understood as doing so for love’s sake. My greatest hope is that my charges will develop a biblical-Christian worldview. My highest ambition is to bring glory to Christ.