Month: April 2020

Is It In There

One of the areas of confusion among people which I encounter frequently is the number of items individuals accredit to the Bible but are not actually written in Scripture. An example is, “God helps those who help themselves.” This phrase is recorded nowhere in Scripture but instead is a popular statement based on the interpretation of various passages. Some Christians argue that it even stands against the concept of grace which is prominent in our understanding of God. As a line from Kermit the Frog’s song, Rainbow Connection, reminds us, “Somebody thought of it, and somebody believed it, and look what it has done so far.” Unfortunately, because this type of confusion prevails, too often people get a very inaccurate perception of God and God’s expectations.

The Church has unwittingly, or at least I hope it has been unwittingly, propagated this confusion. What I mean is that the Church has established rules which the leadership has determined are beneficial for the well-being of humanity. These rules are based upon the Church’s interpretation of Scripture at a specific time and place within its history. Some of these rules truly are beneficial and should be followed to the best of one’s ability. However, some rules over time have changed as the Church reexamines Scripture and determines a change in interpretation is in order. Since we understand that the Bible is the Living Word, and we know that the Spirit continues to reveal God’s truth in the world, this change of interpretation is in order. Just as science continues to discover new understandings of creation, the Church discovers new understandings of what God’s message was and is now.

The key here is that people take the time and make the effort to differentiate between what is in the Bible and what is a rule that the Church has established because of an interpretation of the Bible. It is also very important to understand the context in which the rule is adopted. The reason that all this is important is because we know that our interpretations of Scripture are not absolute. They are the best understanding of God’s humanly recorded interaction with humanity at a certain time and place. These interpretations give us some insight into the nature of God and how we are to respond to God. Yet as Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, and other great reformers of the Church have shown us, these interpretations need to be reviewed, revisited, and reformed.

Next time someone tells you that you should or should not do something because this is what God wants, make sure that you clarify whether it is truly in the Bible or if it is someone’s interpretation of the Bible. The Spirit will guide you in your interpretation at that given moment and your response to God.

Awakening The Force

I am a huge Star Wars fan. I vividly remember when the first movie came out (Chapter 4 – A New Hope). It was the summer before I entered Junior High School. The first time I saw it was with my sister, brother-in-law, and infant nephew at a drive-in theater. That same week my brother-in-law and I would go to see it again but this time in an indoor theater. Chapter 4 through 6 will always be my favorite of all the Star Wars films. I have all the films on DVD except the most recent one which came out last year.

For my birthday this year, my youngest son gave me The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. So during this period of isolation, my husband and I decided to watch both of these movies. I love seeing some of my favorite characters once again, although they look a bit older. I was sad when Han and Luke died. As I watched these movies, I was reminded of the connection which others have made between the “Force” and the Holy Spirit. You can find endless books and articles which discuss the connection of themes between the Star Wars movies and the Christian faith. Intended, or not, they are strongly visible.

The title of Chapter 7, The Force Awakens, triggered in my thoughts the awakening of the Spirit in our lives. In this movie, we see one of the main characters becoming aware of a power within herself. The Force is always present. It runs through everything in the universe. Some individuals have an ability to harness the power of the Force and are trained how to understand it and use it. These individuals became known as the Jedi, an elite group which is called upon to overcome the evil actions of some leaders who take over the universe’s governing system. The Force has two sides, the good (or light) side and the dark (or evil) side. Here sets up the continuous battle between good and evil.

The character which I mentioned above, always had the power of the Force within her. In reality, the Force does not awaken but instead her awareness of the Force is what awakens. She is confused by the newfound abilities which she seems to possess. Only by conversations with one of the rebel leaders who has this awareness and with one of the Jedi Masters does she begin to truly understand this power and how she can use it to fight against the evil leaders.

Looking at this from the perspective of Christian faith, there are similarities between the Holy Spirit and the Force. But there are also some dissimilarities. Like the character from the movie, we must become awakened to the power of the Holy Spirit within us. Unlike the Force in these movies, the Spirit’s power is not limited to an elite group. Instead, the Spirit’s power is available to all people. Another similarity is that our awareness to the Spirit’s power must be awakened. This awakening can occur in a variety of ways but most common is through discussions with others who are aware of the power. Often the characters who are called upon to use the Force in dramatic ways are resistant at first and tend to want to rely upon their own abilities and the traditional methods. Individuals usually respond the same to the power of the Holy Spirit because the reality of this power is unnerving to us.

I wonder what would happen if more people were awakened to the power of the Holy Spirit. What if we had a group of individuals who used this power to strive for good within the universe? What if a group used this power to change the lives of others in a positive direction? Would we call them Jedis, or would we give them a different name? Would there people who would take the time to train them to use this power effectively and trust in it? Wait….. this may already exist. Could it be that we call this group of people, the Church? Could it be that there already exist individuals who we call pastors, Sunday school teachers, youth leaders, vacation Bible school leaders, and elders instead of Masters?

It is time that we awaken the awareness of the force, the Holy Spirit. Are you aware of the Force within you? How are you utilizing the Spirit’s power in your life? How are you sharing this awareness with others?

Most Important

Those within the Christian faith (and those who are not) have just celebrated the holiday of Easter. For Christians, this celebration is one which remembers the resurrection of Jesus, the Christ. This day marks the end of a week which has become known as Holy Week. Holy Week recalls significant events Including:

  • Jesus’ arrival to Jerusalem which turns into a procession with palm branches
  • Jesus’ final meal which Jesus has with the closest of his disciples
  • Jesus’ arrest by the temple guards, his “trials” before the religious leader
  • Jesus’ appearances before Pilate and Herod
  • Jesus’ crucifixion and death
  • Jesus’ body being placed in a tomb

For non-Christians, this celebration focuses solely on the Easter Bunny, hiding Easter eggs and all types of sweets and candies. Christians also take part in these fun activities. Our Jewish brothers and sisters also celebrate Passover which is significant in the Christian history as well.

The other significant celebration which is shared by Christians and non-Christians is Christmas. The Christian focus is on the incarnation of God in Jesus. Non-Christians focus on Santa Claus. Jews celebrate Hanukkah around the same time as well. A majority share in the giving of gifts, festive decorations, Santa Claus, and family gatherings.

As a Christian leader, I have wrestled with how our traditions and actions deal with both of these holidays which are significant celebrations of events in our faith. I would argue that Christmas appears to be much more important to us than Easter. Looking at the preparation, the amount of gatherings, the type of decorating, and the amount of money we spend on Christmas, our behaviors give this indication.

On an emotional level, I get it. Celebrating a birth is much more uplifting and exciting than acknowledging a torturous death followed by the foreign concept of a full, bodily resurrection. The time of the year may also have some influence. Christmas is celebrated around the winter solstice which is a very dark, and in many parts a very cold, time of year. We all need something to lift our spirits and give us hope. Easter is celebrated in the early part of spring when we are seeing new life and warming temperatures, so we already are experiencing a renewal of hope.

On a theological level, I think the emphasis is backwards. While the incarnation of God is truly amazing and unique to Christianity, and while birth has to be necessary in Jesus’ story before the events around Easter can even happen, the impact of Jesus’ death and resurrection has much greater significance in our faith, life, understanding of God, and life after death. Without Easter, Christmas would be just a celebration of another human birth. Easter gives us the basis of the Christian faith. The message of Easter will be what Peter proclaims during the Jewish Festival of Passover which is considered the birth of the Christian faith. The message of Easter is an outward demonstration of the love and grace which only God could provide.

I realize that economic and traditional behaviors will not be altered by my thoughts here. I can only hope that for those who acknowledge their belief in the risen Jesus, the Christ, it will cause all to pause and examine the behaviors. Maybe even work to bring the level of our Easter celebrations up to the minimum of our Christmas celebrations.

Planting Seeds

Having grown up in an agricultural state, I became very aware of the changing of the seasons and what those changes meant to the growth cycle of creation. Living in a Midwest state where over seventy percent of the state’s gross income is linked to agriculture, you become accustomed to seeing advertisements for seed brands, fertilizers and farming equipment throughout the winter months. All of these advertisements anticipated the early months of spring when life in a small, rural community would shift to applying anhydrous ammonia, tilling the ground, and then eventually planting the corn or soybean seeds.

Much like the farming community in which I spent the early years of my life, I anticipate spring and the planting season every year. While I do not plant crops over acres of land, this year I participated in this cycle of life by planting flowers and trees as part of the landscape of our new home. Just as farmers spend time researching seed varieties, my husband and I researched different plants which grow well in our location. We discussed what types of plants, where we would place them, and what care was necessary to help establish them. Then we went to a variety of locations searching for exactly what we wanted in our price range, purchased them along with pots for some, and brought them home to be planted.

With spring and thoughts of planting, I remembered a truth which I was told and experienced as a spiritual leader… we plant seeds which we may never see grow to full maturity. The Apostle Paul summarizes it in this way:

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

1 Corinthians 3:5-9

One of the most difficult aspects of being a spiritual leader at times is realizing that your work may not result in an end product. This is often due to a pride struggle and external demands. What I mean is that you want to be proud of the work which you are doing. In our world, success is often measured in a numerical sense based on observable criteria. The work of planting spiritual seeds does not always result in some observable fruition. Yet, ecclesiastical bodies and most church members look for those results in determining the effectiveness of a ministry since in the rest of the world this is how we rate an individual’s success.

The other interesting item in regard to planting seeds is that it is not the sole responsibility and privilege of spiritual leaders. Every believer is called to plant faith seeds. Jesus makes this clear in his words prior to his ascension to the Father recorded in what we now refer to as the Great Commission:

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:16-20

Here Jesus tells his disciples (followers) to go and make other disciples and teach them Jesus’ lessons. This is planting spiritual seeds. If you are a follower of Jesus, then you have received this commission and been made a planter in the world. These seeds can be planted through a variety of methods, most often without using words. St Francis of Assisi is attributed as saying, “Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.” St Francis refers to planting seeds as preaching but not in the oratorical sense we usually consider.

Planting time is upon us. During this time of year, we plant seeds for plants to grow. However, it is always planting time for followers of Jesus. Each of us should spend every day living in a manner which plants the seeds of God’s love and faith in that love. Just remember that you may or may not actually see those seeds spring into the fullness of life. After all, as the Apostle Paul tells us, only God makes these seeds grow. 

Reflecting God

In the account of God creating humanity, it states…

So God created mankind in his own image,

in the image of God he created them;

male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:27

Often this is misinterpreted in a way which leads people to believe that we have the same physical appearance as God. Since we all look different from one another, I am not sure how this could ever have been viewed as an accurate interpretation. I think that a more accurate interpretation is that we reflect God’s love, attitude, and actions.

Last week I was sitting beside some water. As I looked at the water, I was entranced by the various objects which I saw reflected in the water. In addition to the sky and the clouds moving across the sky, I saw birds as they flew overhead. I even watched a leaf as it floated down across the water. These observations lead me to consider how I reflect God.

Jesus tells us of the importance of our actions pointing others to God when he says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) Here Jesus is telling those who listen that our love, actions, and attitude reflect on who God is and lead them to praise God.

We reflect the image of God, the image in which we are created, when we express love to one another. The image of God is seen in us when we show compassion by assisting those who are struggling, are alone, are rejected. God’s image shines out of us when we offer grace to those who have wronged us in some way and extend forgiveness even when the person does not see a need to be forgiven. We reflect God’s image when we reach out to the lonely, the abandoned, the ignored, the abused.

When we do not show others love through our actions and attitudes, we hide the image of God inside ourselves. It is as if we place a veil or a cover over that image, just as Jesus refers to in the passage from Matthew 5 which I mentioned previously. Instead of reflecting God, we put forth our own self-centered image with all its flaws and brokenness. God’s image of love, grace, and compassion is not allowed to positively impact others through us.

How have you reflected God today? In what ways can you reflect God tomorrow? Why wait?