Not so scary.....

     For most of my Christian life, there has been one particular doctrine which I have semi-intentionally avoided dealing with.  Every time the key words associated with it came up, it seemed an inevitable disagreement would come up among the parties involved, one may come off sounding a little smarter than the other, and nothing would get resolved.  Clearly it had been a point of contention for centuries, and was not something that could be "solved" by a simple conversation hundreds of years.  The doctrine I am speaking of is that scary Calvinistic word "election", or predestination.
     This semester I have Systematic Theology, and the very first thing we have been studying is the whole doctrine of salvation, the first aspect of which we focused on is that of election.  Having now had the opportunity to really study it, and since reflect for a while on it, I have come to the profound conclusion: it's not that scary.  In fact, it is beautiful.  We tend to focus so much on the angry side of it, speaking of it as though it is a sort of mechanical function of God, that the cosmic coin flip came up heads for some and so He is just carrying it out.  Have we forgotten what God has gone through to effect this choosing?  It is not so simple or impersonal as a "thus saith the Lord".  He gave up His own Son, to effect our election.  He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world knowing how utterly unworthy we would be of this choice.  The choice was made not on the basis of knowing who would believe or not believe; it was made on the basis of who we are.  He chose us first, and so it is we believe.  Even though God very easily could have remained uninvolved in carrying out the purposes of election, He has passionately pursued humanity, His chosen ones for thousands of years past, and will continue to do so until His return.
     Why share the gospel if it is all so predetermined?  Because how can I as an object of such passionate pursuit NOT tell others of the nature of this love? It is no affront to God's sovereignty for me to shout from the mountaintops what this sovereignty has accomplished in me.  I understand that is not exactly a philosophical argument, that logically it may not follow on the strict basis of the facts.  On this point I do not care, and I do not think we should make much of it.  Are we the unworthy, unconditionally chosen people of God, ransomed from death and hell by the sacrifice of God Himself?  Then He should not even have to ask us to tell others, but He has, and so our obligation is so much the greater.
    So much time is wasted on the debate as to who God has or has not chosen.  I will never in the first place understand why He chose me, so how can it be productive to wonder as to His choice of others?  So it is I do not find election scary anymore; I find it humbling, awe-inspiring.  I find it overwhelming.

Thank you my Lord, for though you are a God we are to fear, you are not scary.

How we bury our dead...

     Today I attended the funeral of a close friend's sister.  She was a 25 year old mother of two, killed in a car accident, survived by both children (who are toddlers or younger), her husband, her parents, and her brother along with his family.  There is no way to accurately describe the nature of that tragedy, the depth of the pain associated.  To the lost world, it makes no sense.  Without explanation, there really isn't much that can be done other than offer some hollow words of comfort, share some good memories, and try to move on after the body is buried.  
     To those in Christ, it still may not make sense, but I was struck today how differently we bury our dead.  The Christian father of this daughter got up at the beginning of this funeral and proclaimed the greatness of His God, reading from His word.  He presented a call to worship, and worship we all did.  These were not funeral dirges, mourning a life lost; these were hymns of praise, songs to declare the holiness of God, the sole hope and promise of life that is in His Son Jesus.  I wept at this funeral, less from grief, and more at my own unworthiness in the presence of sovereign God.  I wept as I gratefully realized that but for His grace, I may as well be in that coffin.  I wept as I realized how much time I waste on things which are urgent, but not important.  I wept as I realized yet again (thank you Lord for your patience!!) that He is what is important in this life, His work, His Kingdom.  The sermon delivered at the funeral was not soft spoken comfort food offered to appease the hurt, it was a powerful call to respond to the Gospel.  It was the Word of God wielded as the double edged sword that it is, piercing though it would be to the lost, hope-filled to those professing faith in His Son.  The words spoken were true, and offered genuine hope, not like the false hope this world professes to have.  
     Though this was a profoundly difficult event for the family, a tragedy that makes no sense, it was clear to see that the power of Christ is greater.  Today Christians could be seen by how we bury our dead.

A Season for Everything...

     I got some wonderful news, and some very sad news from some very close friends this week. 

     Travis and Jaime Riggs are like family to me.  Jennifer and I first met them almost six years ago, at Highview Baptist Church.  We hit it off just about immediately, and after we had been friends for a while Jenn and I both expressed to each other that we had somehow known we were going to be great friends with Travis and Jaime.  That proved to be the case.  Through our ABF, soul group, and just time spent together as couples our friendship grew and deepened.  In Jaime, Jennifer found a sister she had never really had, a best girlfriend with whom she could share anything.  In Travis, I found a strong brother in Christ, a trustworthy confidante whose opinion I came to value greatly, whose fellowship I enjoyed.  By the grace and greatness of God we wound up as neighbors for the last 3 years, living a hard rock's throw from one another.
     Obviously the nature of that relationship where Jenn is concerned has changed significantly.  One of the greatest joys in this life that Jennifer has given up has been the closeness of that relationship she had with Jaime, and of the shared relationship as a couple we had with them.  To this day it grieves me that she probably has no idea what she has missed/is missing in that regard.
     For my part all that transpired with Jenn has shown just how incredible the Riggs truly are, how blessed I am by their ongoing friendship.  Without "taking sides" in any negative sense of the words, they stood with me fighting for my marriage.  Jaime is still (as far as I know) the only Christian sister to whom Jennifer confessed (in the Biblical sense of the word) her infidelity and actually reached out for real help and wisdom.  Travis and Birch are the first two Christian brothers with whom I was able to be completely open and tearfully share my own pain and struggles.  I will never forget sitting at their dinner table telling first Travis, then Jaime and asking for their prayers, which I know were effective  and persistent on my behalf.  They continued to walk with me, listening when that's what I needed, offering wisdom and counsel when that's what I asked for, keeping a prayerful and respectful distance when that's all that could be done. 
     For that time, far and above the lowest low of my life thus far, they were a great blessing to me.  Simultaneously, they have been deliberate about making me a part of their lives in so many facets, sharing their joys and pains with me, embracing me as family.  For them to make it a special point to call and tell me they were expecting Tucker, calling me to tell him he was born--I cannot begin to express what that has meant to me.  I visited them in the hospital, only really expecting to be able see the baby and congratulate my friends.  Without skipping a beat Travis offered him to me to hold; I don't think either one of them have any idea how I had to fight not to cry in that moment for what that really did mean to me.  Some day I hope I can tell that little boy just how special his parents really are (although I think by the time he is old enough for that, he will already have some idea himself).
     All that long background leading up to the news this week.  The wonderful news: they are expecting their second child.  The sad news: they are going to be moving, a little further away (Lexington).  It is a move that absolutely makes sense, but is sad nonetheless.  They do not know if their little one is a boy or girl yet.  If it is a boy, they told me they are thinking at this point his middle name will be Martin, after me.  This english language is just too limited!  To say I am humbled--understatement.  To say I am honored--simply not adequate.  It has unfortunately put me in the position (selfishly I confess) to be pulling for a boy, but other than that I could not be more overjoyed for them. 
     Watching Travis and Jaime, I admire their relationship, praise God for the which in which His hand is clearly on their family.  There are not enough blessings I can pray on their lives, not adequate words to express my thanks to Him for allowing me to be part of their lives.  For this season of my life, they have been beautiful evidence of the favor of the Lord, of His grace.  As they are transitioning to a new sweet season in their lives I am saddened on the one hand by the imminent geographic reality, but excited by the inevitable works of the Lord that will come out of this time in their lives.  Though not by blood, they are truly my family  in the very best sense of the word. 

It IS plain talk...

     Someone close to me is unfortunately going through an incredibly difficult time in their marriage, one which may end in divorce.  As is the all-too-familiar pattern, both are professing believers, but one has decided that when it comes to happiness, the authority of Scripture is to take a back seat.  As my friend has tried to speak in love to his wife, whose infidelity is ongoing, and has tried to remind her both of his love for her and what the Bible says with regards to marriage and sin, her reaction is one that (while not surprising) is thought provoking to me.  In prefacing a conversation she was about to have with him, she told him she did not want to hear any religious speech from him, but wanted just "plain talk".
     That phrase/idea struck me for a number of reasons.  It implies there is a dichotomy in the life of the believer, that there is a special vocabulary and set of principles for faith, and another altogether for matters of "real" life.  While coming from someone who has chosen to live their life deliberately that way such a statement is probably more revelatory than anything else, I find in it a challenge also.  For the believer our "religious speech" should be our "plain talk".  


1 Peter 4:11 - "If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God..."


     There ought to be in the life of the redeemed no difference in our speech from one day to the next, no contradiction in our lifestyle.  We ought not have a vocabulary we reserve for the occasion of theological debates that is not common to the conversations of our lives.  To somehow separate the two, to foster the mentality that the Bible is well and good for reading and reflecting on, but needs to be set aside in favor of common sense when real troubles arise is not faith unto salvation, it is evidence of a mind blinded by the god of this age. 
     For the believer, the language of our faith is the language of our life.  I am not advocating be uncommunicative with a lost world, or living in such a way as to be deliberately judgmental of others.  I am saying that if Christ truly is transforming us by the renewing of our minds, let this manifest itself in the way we talk, the way we live.  Let faithfulness be fruit of the Spirit in our lives by which we are marked out as believers.  May it be that people know better than to ask us to set aside the truth of the Gospel in having a conversation about the stuff of life.  We cannot (and should not) set aside that on which we stake the hope of our eternal souls.  

A Beautiful Baptism

     I went to see a friend get baptized today at the church he is about to join.  I have seen many baptisms in my life, of friends and family at many different churches, but this one was different for some reason.  This individual is about to go through a divorce unless God intervenes in a radical way.  Having walked down that path, he is in an incredibly difficult place right now on all levels, and the end isn't exactly close on the horizon.  He has not been a Christian for very long--only a few months.  In fact, it has basically been this breakdown in his marriage at the culmination of a long list of events the Lord has used to bring him to Christ.  I knew this individual a few years ago, before he became a Christian, reconnected with him just this week, and the difference is profound.  His joy for the Lord is noticeable, his passion for the things of God inspiring.  It was an indescribable privilege to be present at his public profession this day.

     I think part of it was the nature of the church and the service itself.  Prior to the baptism, the baptismal candidates have submitted written testimonies to be read on their behalf.  The testimony is read, and you hear in their own words how God has romanced them, drawn them to Himself, brought them to this day.  Each candidate makes the confession "Jesus is Lord" before they follow him into the water.  As a congregation it is their tradition to say with the pastor the familiar declaration: "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."  In between each there was the chorus of just a couple of lines proclaiming only the blood of Christ is enough to cover our sin.  In short, the whole process draws you in, so that you feel the communal nature of what is taking place.

     I appreciated all of it greatly, but I think the thing that will stand out the most to me about the baptism today was being introduced to my friend's mother after the service.  Tears of joy are running down her face as I say to her how fantastic this was, and she responds, "Yes it was, and it has been a long time coming."  I cannot begin to understand how many tears she has shed, how many prayers she has prayed prior to this day.  How great is the God we serve!  I realized then that what made this baptism so special, so beautiful to me was that in the grace of God I got to be a part of the story.  Knowing the journey that brought him here, having the opportunity to participate in this new walk, that is what made it so beautiful.  It has challenged me in a new way to share my faith, to invite others, both for their own salvation, but also (and I guess this is a little selfish) so that I can see more beautiful baptisms.  

Thinking about the Holy Spirit

John 16:14 - "He will  glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you."

     One of the main areas that I have been challenged in theologically through seminary thus far is in my understanding of the Holy Spirit.  Like many Christians, I have always understood that the Holy Spirit is God, just like the Father and the Son.  I have always had a somewhat vague understanding of what His work is, that as a believer I am indwelt of the Spirit, etc.  I have never really been challenged to take it any deeper than that, and I am beginning to understand what a mistake that is.  There is a new depth of God (not that I need any new depths to be made aware of--it's not like I can begin to understand Him now!) that I am starting to appreciate as I  learn and reflect more on the Holy Spirit.  I am halfway scared to even write much along the lines of reflecting on the Spirit, for fear of unintentional heresy.  I'll try and keep my meditations brief and bound by Scripture, always with an attitude of worship.
     The Holy Spirit seems to be the most mysterious person of the Godhead.  While in Father and Son we have the luxury of analogous human relationships by which to at least begin to wrap our minds around those roles, there really is no such thing with regards to the Spirit.  While on the one hand that could be perceived as something of a stumbling block, I have begun to realize that the Spirit has been given His own unique role, and it is significant indeed.  I believe Jesus tells us what it is in the verse I reference above: The Spirit's role is to glorify the Son, which in turn glorifies the Father.  As God, only the Spirit can do this adequately.  The fact that He was sent as our Helper, to assist us in doing that, is a pretty incredible role indeed, one which we as the benefactors should appreciate a lot more.  In some ways it sounds like something of a background role, not the up front and visible manifestation such as we see in Christ, and I think that is the point.  It is a perfect expression of holiness, love, and humility that the Spirit does not seek attention for itself, but rather perfectly glorifies Father and Son.  The gifts of the Spirit--powerful and mysterious as they are--are not given for our benefit, they are given to glorify God, to make known the saving name of Jesus, that others might, through faith in that sacrifice, become fit vessels for the Spirit of God, Who works to sanctify us for our eternal existence.
      When I talk to God, I am typically thinking of addressing the Father, and at times the Son, but rarely do I think to address the Spirit.  I think sometimes that is because we don't necessarily have a name by which to address the Spirit, at least not in the same sense that we know the Son to be Jesus, or that we are used to using the word 'Father' to address God.  From a human standpoint that might make things a little easier when talking about the Holy Spirit, but I believe that's one of the cool things about the Holy Spirit--a name is not important, otherwise I think we would have been given one.  His name is God, His work is vital, but understated in the sense that it is not about exalting Himself, it is about bearing witness to the work of the Son by which we are able to have fellowship with the Father.  I by no means have my head wrapped around what that means, and thinking about it kind of makes my head heart.
     I will say it has all made me think about the Trinity that much more, and has led to some pretty fantastic moments of worship as I try and think of different ways to explain it in my own mind.  I tend to come up with some kind of scenario, description, or diagram that I think comes close, and even as I begin to be satisfied with myself about it, I realize it misses something, I have to throw it out, and I am just left laughing at myself and usually feeling goosebumps because of how awe-inspiring God truly is.  While God is most certainly exalted and far above anything I can begin to comprehend, in the Trinity I am struck by just how near He comes.  I am watched over by the Father, advocated by the Son, indwelt of the Spirit--now that is omnipresent!  That is a whole new way of thinking about the Lord that is new and fresh to me, and I am thankful to the Lord for revealing it to me.  It has brought a whole new level of comfort, security, and just worship.  It has challenged me to get to know this mysterious person called the Holy Spirit, who has been sent to me, called the Helper.

Triune God, thank you, and WOW.

Seeking Peace

     The other day I was praying, asking God to give me peace about a particular situation in the sort of nonchalant way that I have always asked in the past, in the way I have heard prayed by others countless times.  This time, however, I was struck by a thought.  I was asking God to "give me peace"--no real qualifier as to the circumstances, no stopping to think about the fact that perhaps not having peace about something may be an indicator that I am not to have peace about it until I do something that He may be urging me to do.  Never mind the fact that the unspoken attitude of my asking was that I was just going to sit there and wait on Him to make me "feel better" about it--that's really what I was saying (without saying) by the way in which I was asking God for His peace.  In short, I was just being lazy!
     I am challenged that there is more to it than that.  I do believe that we are to ask God for His peace; the Bible is full of doxologies expressing that very sentiment, as well as passages specifically telling believers not to worry, to cast our anxieties on Him.  That said, there is more to it than simply asking Him in passing while I go on about my business.  Am I letting the Spirit examine my life, such that areas of conflict which are of my own making can be dealt with?  Have I oriented myself towards the Son such that I have a true perspective when I consider how I am being emotionally affected by what is going on in my life?  Do I trust the sovereignty of the Father, that He is not ignorant of where I am or what I need?  As I ask for peace, should that even be the object of my asking, or should I not be more concerned with connecting with the Prince of Peace?  Too often I am being fooled by the lie that my comfort is to be sought at all times, and when that is even slightly disturbed, it needs to be brought up as a matter of utmost importance.  Instead I should be seeking God, who has a perfect will He is working out in my life, that at times may not be very peaceful--and that is just fine with me.

"Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you" - Matthew 6:33