Worship

I am reading a great little book by Mark Driscoll entitled, "Vintage Jesus". The author does a great job of presenting the timeless truths of the person of Jesus while targeting his message to teens and twenties. Though the language is a bit edgy in places, Mark succeeds at peeling away the "religious dressings" Jesus has come packaged in down through the ages and revealing the wonders of this magnificent person. As one cover leaf endorsement reads, "This is a Savior worth fighting for".

This morning I was reading the chapter entitled, "Why Should We Worship Jesus?". Mark spends time talking about what worship is, what it is not, the fact that everyone worships something, and why Jesus is worth our ultimate worship. It's not that I have never heard teaching of this sort before, but it was just hitting me in some fresh ways...kind of like something you know but have not given much thought to for quite some time, or perhaps, even more convicting, realize that your own worship has been a bit displaced.

Mark defines worship as "living our life individually and corporately as continuous living sacrifices to the glory of a person or thing". As he was going through a litany of things and people we worship, including ourselves, pointing out how, and in what ways we sacrifice for them, I could not help but recognize the many ways I have been pulled toward certain other things, lessening my grip on a primary affection and devotion to Jesus. Or, I should say, the lessening, in regards to awe and devotion to Jesus typically preceeds the pulling toward other things.

Even for those of us who profess a strong commitment to Jesus, there is this constant danger of having someone or something else displace him as the object of our worship. This does not happen so much deliberately on our part but often subtley as the wonder and greatness of Jesus begins to dim in our consciousness by a simple act of inattention over an extended period of time. Perhaps this is why the writer of Hebrews encourages us to "fix our eyes on Jesus". We are pulled towards those things or individuals we esteem worthy of our time and sacrifice.

Who or what do you worship? Mark posed these simple questions to help us uncover our possible idols:

• Who or what do I make sacrifices for?
• Who or what is most important to me?
• If I could have any thing or experience I wanted, what would that be?
• Who or what makes me most happy?
• What is the one person or thing I could not live without?
• What do I spend my money on?
• Who or what do I devote my spare time to?

Understanding

Have you ever wished you could get your mind around a certain issue or subject, really understand and master it? This happens to me all the time. There are so many things I wish I could understand, wrap my mind around, and feel like I really know the issue or the subject well. It seems the older I get the bigger the list becomes of things I feel intellectually inadequate to fully explain. I believe I had a much better grasp of things when I was younger.

Shouldn't we be gaining in understanding the older we get? Doesn't insight, wisdom, and the ability to understand a greater number of things come with years lived? To some extent, certainly. But the greater part of insight, wisdom and understanding is not the amount we know but the amount we realize we really don't know. Years lived often carries with it enough experience to teach, even the most reluctant learner, that we really don't have the grasp on something we thought. I guess this is one of life's paradoxes....to be growing in experience, wisdom, and understanding, at the same time the bench mark for fully knowing keeps being set further and further out.

The Bible talks about this paradox of knowing yet not knowing, of understanding but not understanding. For example, the book of Proverbs instructs us regarding the value of gaining wisdom and understanding. "Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding." Proverbs 4:7. This same author devoted himself "to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven". At the end of that experimentation he wrote,"of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body". His conclusion of the matter: "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man".

It seems the older I get the more questions I have. Do I possess more knowledge and wisdom than when I was younger? Yes. But that knowledge and wisdom has also created more questions and a greater realization of how far I fall short of knowing fully.


"Now I know in part". The apostle Paul

"Institutionalized" Christians?

April 8, 2007

Recently I was thinking about the term “institutionalized” and how it relates to the predominate form of Christianity as practiced here in the West. One of the uses of the word references individuals who have been incarcerated the majority of their lives. In this context it is meant to describe the process of becoming so accustomed to life in prison that it is difficult to resume normal life and relate to others outside the walls of the institution (prison in this case).

I believe there is an application here for those of us who have been “spiritually reared” in institutional church. Can one become impacted in such a way, through emersion in institutional church life, that the result is certain undesirable effects that actually run contradictory to the simplicity of devotion to Jesus and reflecting his likeness? Unfortunately, I have found this not only to be possible, but true.

One such potential negative impact of institutional church is that of making people religious. By religious, I mean the process and result of which one becomes disingenuous, unauthentic, pretentious, self-righteous, judgmental and unapproachable. Not a very attractive list of characteristics, nor, none of which, are thought highly of by Jesus.

Often inherent in the system and structure of church life is an underlying pressure to perform, much like an actor playing a role. There is this explicit or implicit standard by which “spirituality” is defined and by which everyone’s life is measured against. So, to make sure we are accepted, we perform. We play the part. We “act” spiritual. And because institutional church is typically weak relationally, it is easy to “act” the part and nobody knows the difference, or even worse, cares to know the difference.

The emersion into institutional church life can also have the effect of leaving many Christians feeling uncomfortable and awkward in relating to non-Christians. I personally struggled with this issue for years.

This begs the question for all of us who call ourselves Christians. Are we more “institutionalized” than authentic followers of Christ? Is our life marked more by a religious mind set and behavior than by a likeness to Jesus? And for all of us who make up institutional Christianity, are we making authentic disciples of Jesus or institutional Christians?

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.” Matt. 23:15

Being with Jesus

March 15, 2007

In one of the gospel accounts there is a story of Jesus visiting the home of two sisters Mary and Martha. While Martha busied herself preparing a meal for Jesus and his disciples, Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet intently listening to his every word. Martha, becoming exasperated with her sister said something of the following to Jesus, “I could really use some help here in the kitchen, seeing I’m the only one trying to prepare a meal!”. Jesus’ response, I’m sure, caught Martha off guard. He said something along the lines of, “Relax, Martha, you are worried about too many things that really aren’t all that important. Mary, on the other hand, has figured out what’s really important and she’s doing it. Leave her be.”

It’s pretty obvious what behavior Jesus is commending here and therein lies the battle for many of us. I’m sure Martha had some deep feelings for Jesus or she would not have been following him around the countryside, caring for his needs and the needs of his disciples. In her mind, serving in the practical ways, as she was in this instance, was her way of expressing love for her Lord. If we were to do a gifting profile on Martha she would no doubt come out as having a strong servant motivation. That’s a good thing, right? Yes. However, according to Jesus, Martha still missed the point.

So what is the point? Why has Mary, down through the ages, been honored for her actions over the actions of her sister? Here’s what I think. Jesus, above all else, longs for our undistracted attention. We were made to derive our very life from Him and the only way we can do that is to be with Him, listening to Him, receiving from Him in quiet, submitted, loving adoration. It’s the “being” part of following Jesus that is the most important. The “doing” part flows out of the “being” part and the “being” part is formed by being in His presence. “Doing” is important, but it is secondary to and the by-product of “being”.

Mary indeed got it right. Though I strongly relate with Mary in my heart, it’s Martha’s actions I most identified with. It’s honestly easier for me to busy myself with many things, good things and useless things alike, than to sit quietly at the feet of Jesus. Distractions by the bucketful are easy for me to collect and than sit and sift through while irretrievable time slips by. To be honest I have derived my sense of worth from “doing”, from accomplishing things. My family is a family of doers. But, I’m also on a journey. A journey to develop the heart and discipline of Mary, to be with Jesus in the way He can transform my mind and soul. The doing, I know, will follow.

Transition

I'm 59 years old and find myself in yet another life transition. About six weeks ago the company I had worked for for the past three and half years terminated my positon due to the difficult economic times we are in. Since my livelihood has primarily been in the construction industry over the past 25 years, and since my job loss was due to a depressed housing market and the subsequent economic crisis, I have been left incomeless at a very difficult time for the very industry I have been depending on to support my family.

The dictionary defines transition as the "movement, passage, or change from one position, state, subject, concept, etc., to another". Life is full of these changes, and, in all reality, transition is a veritable staple of life, a state we are always in in one form or another. But some transitions stand out from the rest. Life changes that effect our livelihood, our families, our economic status, our vocation, our health, etc., are by nature more in our face, more obvious, and carry the potential to be either exhilerating, exciting or downright nerve wracking and posssibly personally devastating. Either way, they are life altering.

So how have I handled this latest life transition? Well, the last few weeks prior to leaving my company, in all honesty, I struggled. I dealt with hurt and anger, and feelings of injustice and disenfranchisement. I, the seasoned vetern was being let go. I knew that this job was not the final thing I wanted to do with my life, but I hadn't expected it to come to such an abrupt and unplanned for end, especially with no thought through plan to fall back on.

Once I was able to work through those feelings and reconcile myself to the fact I was losing my job I began to look at this change as a new opportunity. I began to think that perhaps God was allowing this to happen at this time to move me in the direction he wanted me to go and he knew I didn't need to waste any more time being sidetracked doing something that wasn't getting me there. I'm certainly not getting any younger. It felt a little like being pushed off a cliff, exhilerating and terrifying all at the same time.

The last several weeks have been a great experience. I have had fresh inspiration regarding a ministry vision I believe the Lord is calling my wife and I to and have had plenty of time to think, reflect, pray, write and converse with others about it all. I have enjoyed not having my days filled with "job related" concerns and schedules but free to pretty much do as I please. My wife and I have been taking walks together, praying together and hanging out alot together. All good stuff.

The down side, which is now beginning to become more focused, is the income issue. Though I am taking small steps to see a thirty year old ministry vision finally unfold, I need to realize an income source to keep the family needs cared for. As the small financial reserve quickly dwindles I find myself beginning to feel a bit anxious about what I am to do in this interm period between vision conception and vision realization. I have to admit the thought has hit me that it may get worse before it gets better.

Transitions test us. How are we going to respond in the heat and the pressure? What kinds of decisions will we make and for what kind of reasons will we make them. Transitions of this nature expose both the presence and absence of faith and trust in God, and, if allowed, are great opportunities to build the character qualities of perseverence, faithfulness, trustworthiness, and an unshakeable belief in the ultimate goodness of God.

Tough transitions can also potentially break us, crush us, defeat us and rob us of faith. So what makes the difference in the kind of outcome we experience? As I move through this transitional time in my life, what is it that can assure me of a good outcome, a good result in the life of Dave Smith? I'm not sure I have all the answers for that question. What I do have is a little history with God. I've experienced and seen the goodness, mercy and tenderness of God in the midst of some pretty tough life changes in my past. That has given some confidence that he is with me and that he is good and that in some way he will see me through this time in my life much like he has in the past. And not only will he see me through but he will bring me into a larger place with him. A place of greater intimacy, of greater dependence, of greater fruitfulness, of greater glory, for his name's sake.

Decisions

In just two days from now votes will be cast and America will decide who their next president will be. That decision, made by millions of Americans, will have ramifications for this nation and our way of life for decades to come. Decisions are like that. They play an integral role in who and what we are and are becoming. Granted, some decisions may seem less weighty in the magnitude of their consequences than others, but all decisions wind up defining and shaping us in one way or another.

What and who are you becoming? How are the decisions you make playing a role in that process? If you don't like what you are seeing or who you are becoming or have become perhaps it is time to take an honest look at the kind of decisions you make. Decisions simply reflect what is in the core of our person, the good, bad, and ugly.

I've made my share of "bad" decisions in life. Decisions that have had negative impact on myself and others. But, thankfully, that has not been the end of the story for me. I have learned that God can redeem even our bad decsions and mend the broken parts in us that lead to making them in the first place.

Imagine a world, comprised of individuals who, from their own inner wholeness, were regularly making decisions which truly benefitted themselves and others. Difficult to imagine? Start with your world and the difference your decisions, flowing from you own inner wholeness, could make on you and the ones around you. That's a world worth imagining.