Sit Down Ye Saints of God!

As it is with birth, so it is, for the Calvinist, with death. When someone dies, someone else can always say, “It was his/her time to go,” or “The Lord knows what is best.” Conversely, when someone is not killed in a demolished car, someone will say the opposite, “It was not his/her time to go,” or “S/he was spared for a purpose.” If we pressed pre-destination to its logical conclusion, we would never go to a doctor, never have surgery, or never worry about habits, food or safety. If somewhere there is a ticking clock set to ring out the timing of our death, why make any effort to prolong our lives? John Wesley warned that Calvinism can tend to destroy our zeal for good works. We often sing, “Rise up ye saints of God, have done with lesser things; give heart and soul and mind and strength to serve the King of Kings.” Someone once said that Calvinist should sing, “Sit down ye saints of God, there’s nothing you can do; God is in charge of everything and has no need of you.” Is that the God you want to serve? I know some find comfort in not being held accountable, but this is going to a wild extreme, and again, I just can’t go there. During our next visit, I will introduce you to an old friend: Jacob Arminius.

Out of Our Hands?

I recently had someone ask me about my take on pre-destination. Okay, time for a lesson on Calvinism. John Calvin (and his followers called Calvinist) begins with the premise that God is totally sovereign (sounds innocent enough) and follows that premise to its logical conclusions, including: God is omnipotent (therefore God is in total control of everything that happens); if God knows what is going to happen, God causes it to happen—to foreknow is to predestinate; God therefore pre-determines who is to be saved and who is to be lost. Rick Warren, in his popular book, The Purpose Driven Life, is an example of popularized Calvinism. In it he writes, “Your birth is no mistake or mishap, and our life is no fluke. (God) was not at all surprised by your birth. In fact, he expected it. He thought of you first. It is not chance, fate, nor luck, nor coincidence that you are breathing. Many children are unplanned by their parents, but not unplanned by God.” Really! Have we no free will at all? That means that God—not two young adults who are intoxicated, not an oppressive husband, not a boy who forces himself on a girl, and not a girl who forgets to take her birth control pill—is responsible for every birth. Sorry, I refuse to make God responsible for crack babies, for multiple children born to single young women and teen moms, for whom high schools now have childcare centers…I just can’t go there! (I will give you time to think this over and continue my thoughts tomorrow.)

In the Real, Real World

Well here I sit, frustrated again. It’s Monday night and I’ve suffered thru what felt like a month of Olympic news and now the Democratic National Convention has started. It’s not that I hate sports (no really) or politics, it is just that the constant barrage of skewed inconsequential news presented as life altering information disturbs me. Actually, the election process fascinates me and this DNC will be historic, but it’s the opinionated commentators (yes, I do realize this is just my opinion!) who offer information that has little to do with the process or the outcome that irks me. I guess in a perfect world we could cut thru all the fluff and get to business…whether it is sports or politics…but then, in the real, real world religion will be the main business. There everyone would first know the significance of the eternal. Having said that, here’s the rub…this IS the real, real world, and the reason others do not know the significance of the eternal is because we have failed. Jesus commanded us to be HIS witnesses…not sports fanatics or political activist. Some days it would seem we (the Church) are about everything but being Christ’s witnesses. I am not a prophet, I don’t claim to be, but if the Church will not tend to the business we’ve been commanded to be about, we ought never to be surprised if (when) we find ourselves abandoned by the Spirit.

In the Center, Not on the Fringe

Many people today are in the habit of making decisions without a passing thought of seeking God’s input. They think that as long as they don’t lie, steal, commit adultery, or kill someone, they are in the will of God. They will make important life decisions based on common sense—or sometimes less than that! “I feel like it”; “My friends are doing it”; or even, “The world calls this success!” When God is left out of our decisions, we are not walking in faith…we are walking by sight. Instead of tapping into God’s great resources of wisdom, we rely upon simple human ideas. Just think about it…do you think the God who gave his own Son as a sacrifice for you doesn’t also care about other details of your life? A faith-filled believer will pray earnestly until he/she finds God’s will for every detail of their lives. Yes, every detail. Remember, the all-knowing Creator of the universe wants us to be in the very center of his will…not on the fringe or worse yet, out of it. God knows things we have no way of knowing. When we don’t inquire of the Lord and ask in faith for guidance, we miss what God wants to accomplish in us. God wants to show us His plan for our lives: for where we belong and were we don’t belong, but we must actively seek his will.

The Power of Personal Prayer

God is drawn to prayer…he delights in communion with us. God’s eyes are still running all across the world looking for someone—anyone—who will totally and passionately seek his face...his will. He is looking for those who are determined that every thought and action be pleasing in his sight. For such a person, or group, God will prove himself mighty. The power of the Holy Spirit will explode on their behalf. Prayer releases his blessings into our lives. When we align ourselves with the channel of God’s grace, all kinds of marvelous things will take place. His power energizes us to face any obstacle, large or small. When we call upon the Living God, he equips and sends us forth to accomplish that which we could never do on our own, regardless of how much money or education we possess…regardless of our track record. Anything, no everything is possible with God if we approach him with a broken spirit; if we seek only his will. But in order to do this we must humble ourselves, remove the debris in our lives, and keep leaning on him instead of our own understanding. It is truly astounding, but our future is determined by just one thing: seeking God.

Repentance

It would seem that many in the 21st century are extremely good at circumventing the approved process. Any approved process, no every approved process! We have the mindset that holds there must be an easier, quicker, more effective way of doing everything. I am not sure if this is a human nature issue or one of our age, but we’ve got it. The following comes from Vision and Character by Craig R Dykstra and it caused me to wonder.
“If our problem is really sin—a fundamental breach in human existence—then repentance, not self improvement, is the first requirement. This is the biblical view of the foundations of morality. The prophets, John the Baptist, Jesus, and Paul all beckoned their hearers to a new life by calling them first to give up the old in repentance (Mark 1:15, Luke 13:3; Acts 26:20; Rom. 2:4). Repentance is the absolutely inescapable first step of the Christian moral life. Without repentance, the Christian moral life if impossible.”
Could it be that we have neglected this first step in favor of an easier path? Self-improvement sounds great, even godly, but until we reject the practice of doing wrong, we’ll never reach our intended goal. This is true of dieting, of learning to play a musical instrument, of climbing the corporate ladder, of learning to print the alphabet, of living the Christian life.

There's the Problem!

There are some things that I find nearly unbelievable. Acts 4:32 says, “All the believers were one in heart and mind” (NIV). Did you hear that? Other versions say “they (believers) were in one accord.” I am sorry, but in my wildest dreams I cannot even imagine if that is possible, or what that would be like! All believers…he is referring to the Methodists and the Baptists, and the Lutherans, and the Catholics, and the Apostolics, and the list goes on to include ALL believers. I will confess I have yet to see a Methodist church (including my current appointment) where ALL the Methodists were one in heart and mind, let alone ALL believers. (Just so you know, I have consulted with other pastors, some of other denominations, and they concur.) So what’s going on here? Has God withdrawn his blessing? Has the Spirit lost his power? Is it us…are we the ones to blame for this insurgence against one another and against God? Yes, I said against God. If we are the Church and Christ is our head, then when we fail to accomplish what he calls us to accomplish, for whatever reason, we have rebelled against our leader. So how do we become of “one in heart and mind?” We start with prayer, lots of prayer. We practice respect, especially if we expect respect. We acknowledge that our personal agenda may be different from God’s. And we realize the importance of being of one heart and mind: so important that Jesus prayed that we “may be one as we (the Father and the Son) are one; I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:22b-23 NIV).

Helping or Hurting?

In August of 1743, John Wesley said: “You have nothing to do but save souls; therefore, spend and be spent in this work. And go always, not only to those who need you but to those who need you the most.” How do we do that, in this season, this time and place: in Franklin County in the twenty-first century? Can I suggest to you that we do not…we cannot…we will not…unless we have help. Perhaps the sin of the church over the past decades is that we have tried to fulfill the great commission on our own and we have failed miserably. So where does that help come from? Consider the words of Christ to his disciples in Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you…” Perhaps too reminiscent of 19th Century “shouting Methodist” for some, the fact is God working thru human hands makes for an effective team. Moses, Joshua, Gideon, David, Peter, Paul (the list goes on and on) each were tremendously effective, not in their own power, but by submitting to God. It is the Holy Spirit of God that goes before us, prepares the way, and softens the hearts of those we shall witness to. It is the Holy Spirit that prepares us for our mission to the lost and dying of this world. Not you, not me…only the Holy Spirit. The question is will you submit yourself to be filled, led, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to fulfill Christ’s mission for the church? If not, are you prepared to spend your own strength hindering the Kingdom?

Investing in the Kingdom

I will confess that I do not watch much television, but I do probably average two hours a day, consisting of news, weather, the Discovery Channel, the History Channel, and of course The Beverly Hillbillies (or something comparable from TV Land). I say that to qualify, or perhaps disqualify the observation I am about to make. It seems to me that just about every other commercial on television is selling pharmaceuticals. One doesn’t have to be a brain surgeon to realize the boomers are growing older, and some are doing it “not so gracefully.” I suspect the drug companies stand to make trillions of dollars off them as it would seem they’re spending billions promoting their products. Now before you yell at me for denying someone their needed medication, let me also state that most of the commercials are for items that seem to this medical novice to be unnecessary medications, or at the very least for treating non-medical conditions. And there’s the rub. When I think of the disposable income spent on these products, many purchased in the name of vanity, it grieves me. What might be accomplished if that money were spent meeting the needs of orphaned children, oppressed women, or spreading the Gospel? What if just the advertizing monies were spent for the good of humanity? What will we say when Jesus says, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me…truly, I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the lease of these, you did not do it to me.” (Matthew 25:41-43, 45).

Worth the Effort!

This is an exciting time at the Quick home…school is starting in just a few days. Hannah will be a senior this year and she is looking forward to the best year of her education thus far. Anna will start the first grade…she is excited, but hopes to have her Kindergarten teacher and old friends in class with her again this year. We have no doubt she will move forward once she gets there (perhaps with Chuck’s help!) And Isabella will be in Pre-K! She is just excited about being in school (something I pray she retains for the next 20 years!) with Hannah and Anna. Jill and I are excited about having tired girls at the end of the day! However, with all of this excitement there comes apprehension and hard work. There will be struggles ahead of us, along with hours and hours of homework, extra-curricular activities, ballgames, and special projects. There is lots of work ahead of us, but it will be worth the effort and we welcome the challenge. It must be like that for God. As we journey thru this life of new and constant challenges, God must think of the person we can become, knowing this journey won’t be easy, but it will be worth all the effort. Why else would he leave the ninety-nine to look for the one who wandered off? (Matthew 18:10-14)

I Feel Better Now!

Frustration is an evil thing. Defined as a deep chronic sense or state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs, it is entrenched in the Church. Laity is frustrated with leadership; clergy are frustrated with the membership; and I’m guessing that just about everyone is frustrated with the Bishops. The result is a Church which is dying a slow, painful death, struggling for a last gasp of air. As I see it, that is the picture of Christianity in the United States (actually in the Western World). We have become affluent and now focus on maintaining our wealth. At least part of the problem is the politically correct, hyper-sensitive day in which we live. There’s a pink elephant in the room and rather than naming it, everyone just hopes it will leave! We are the Church! Both clergy and laity need to realize we are about making disciples for Jesus Christ, not elite memberships that will faithfully grease our palms. We are about serving others, not being served. We are to reach the least, the last, and the lost with the Good News, not hide behind closed doors reassuring ourselves of our own security. I wonder how long it will take, if we don’t start acting like the Church again, till we sense the frustration of our God! Until then, “I know that my Redeemer lives and in the end, he will reign upon the earth!” (Job 19:25).

Praise the Designer!

J L Fryar shares the following in the devotional, Man of God:

The past few years the concept of intelligent design has taken the realm of science by storm. Proponents argue against the possibility that the wonders of the natural world around us came into existence by the process of natural selection. Those who believe in intelligent design contend that evolution, as currently defined by many in the scientific community, makes no logical sense. As one studies the intricacies of plant or animal cells, for example, the design built into the plant and animal kingdoms points toward a Designer. There are even some scientists with no particular religious bent who have come to this conclusion. As believers, we see the heavenly Father’s fingerprints everywhere we look in creation, but we are not the first to realize this. David asserts in Psalm 19, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Day after day this purposely designed creation proclaims its Designer (vs. 1-6) and hints at the Designer’s compassion for each of us (vs. 7-11). Seeing the majesty and power, the holiness and splendor of our God, the psalmist then bows in reverent awe; the Lord’s revelation leads him to repentance and a plea for increasing holiness in his thoughts and words (vs. 12-14).

I pray the intellect behind the quasars in the universe and the quarks inside the atom will drive us to our knees in worship of the One who designed them all.

Quadrilateral Thinking

I’ve recently watched a series on CNN called God’s Warriors. It looks at the radical fundamentalist interpretation of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. I recommend it to you, but be forewarned: it is disturbing. It frightens me that people (of all religions) will justify the injustices and oppression of others, even the killing of others, in the name of God. Have we learned nothing from history? Whenever a radical fundamentalist extremism dominates people’s mindset, others suffer. It can be political, it can be religious, but others always suffer, and to use Scripture to justify and even mandate the suffering compounds the sin. What ever happened to “loving your neighbor as yourself?” (Leviticus 19:18).

I will also say that I found hope in the program. I saw devout (not radical) people of each of these religions who hold similar ideals and goals which gives me optimism. Their interpretation of Scripture allows these God fearing people to view all others as God’s children; people of sacred worth. For them, reason and experience play into their thinking. Remember Wesley’s Quadrilateral; Scripture, reason, tradition, and experience, each forming our beliefs? The good news is regardless of how we act, or what we watch, God wins. Just read the back of the book!

Living Prayer

As I continue to reflect back on our month of Prayer & Fasting, and as I seek out books which challenge my own prayer life, I came across Everything Belongs by Richard Rohr. He writes:

“Prayer is not primarily saying words or thinking thoughts. It is rather, a stance. It is

a way of living in the Presence. It is further, a way of living in awareness of the Presence,

even enjoying the Presence. The full contemplative is not just aware of the Presence, but

trusts, allows, and delights in it.”

Doesn’t this clarify Paul’s words that we are to pray continuously? We’ve talked before that praying continuously is more than speaking to God all the time. Prayer is so much more than mere words and it is even more than listening to God. Prayer is a way of living in the Presence of God, aware of, and dependent upon that Divine Presence. That is to say, we are to seek and acknowledge God’s presence at all times; when we wrestle with the bad news, celebrate the good news, and even when we find ourselves waiting for news (perhaps even more while we are waiting for news). With every breath we should be in prayer because God is with us every breath. The Holy Spirit of the Living God lives in us! We cannot escape his presence as David realized in Psalm 139:7-10. “Where can I go from your Spirit? …even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” Trust, allow, and delight as you live in God’s presence…that is prayer.

Soaring!

I’ve been told there are two types of believers: first, the overactive Christians who “burn out” for Jesus and then the believers who do little or nothing and are said to “rust out” for Jesus. The problem is that both of these followers are “out!” I don’t think either example is what Jesus prefers we be. I mention this as several of us are recuperating from a week of VBS! Isaiah offers us the secret to serving God tirelessly: “But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) This is one dynamic metaphor: the soaring eagle! Now, that’s an image I can wrap my mind around. Soaring high above the earth, seemingly effortlessly, never shaken or startled…this raptor fearlessly surveys the landscape for opportunities to swoop in and score a kill, or more appropriately offer the Gospel to someone! (The only image I could more want to emulate is riding off to the thundering sound of Harleys!) You might well imagine my surprise when I found out that eagles soar high, not in their strength, but on updrafts. They only utilize the prevailing air currents to achieve their altitude. Furthermore, these predators are actually very vulnerable birds, easily distressed by even the slightest changes in their environment. And then there is this harsh reality: an eagle that doesn’t soar is nothing more than a sitting duck! We have much to learn from Isaiah’s eagle.

Olympic Glitz or Sin?

As each of you know, the Olympics will start this Friday in Beijing China. As many of you also know, I am not a sports fan. Putting that aside, I read something yesterday that blew my mind. The article stated the opening ceremony of the games, which I understand has traditionally been a grand affair setting the tone for the entire event, the opening ceremony later this week will cost one-hundred million dollars to produce! Did you hear that? One-hundred million dollars for a two hour production! I realize that is only a drop in the bucket when compared to the global economy, but instead of using that money to feed the hungry or clothe the naked, many in our world today justify spending this money to impress the global community with a massive production of fireworks and choreographed dance. I will confess, I do not know the poverty or homeless rate in Beijing, or in China for that matter, but I cannot imagine it is much different than any other place on our globe. I wonder how they will respond when Jesus says to them, “Whatever you did not do for the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did not do for me.” And what will we say when Jesus asks, “How could you condone this behavior?”

Successful Launch!

Samantha hasn’t “lived” at home for four years. Yet, all the while she was at McKendree U, it seemed as if she still did. Any given day I might go home and find her there for an hour…for the night…or even the weekend. Last Saturday I drove a U-Haul truck loaded with all of her possessions (and maybe some of ours!) and moved her to Springfield. She is still going to school, attending University of Illinois at Springfield working toward a master’s in Public Administration (MPA…go figure). Knowing Sam as I do, I still expect her to drop in occasionally, though now it is not nearly as convenient. But she’s gone…moved out…on her own (as it were). I am not writing this bemoaning our not-so-crowed nest (as is her mother); this is a celebratory note. I feel like the mad scientist who has just had a successful launch of my first rocket! Sure, that is my baby racing toward the stratosphere, but we’ve experienced a success! For years we have tinkered and experimented with the right formula to get her off the ground, and now we have accomplished the goal. I will confess that I want to look skyward, hoping to see a vapor trail in the clouds, but she is far beyond my reach now. My hope lies, as does every parent’s hope, in Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way (s)he should go, and when (s)he is old (s)he will not turn from it.” My attention now turns toward those little rockets still in training…and I seem to get just a little madder.

Did He Speak?

Well, July is now over and we’ve completed our month of prayer and fasting. We’ve prayed for people and programs; for our church, our community, our country, and all of our leaders. Did you hear from God? Did the Holy Spirit speak to you in any perceptible way? If so, I would ask that you follow the leading of that voice to the very best of your ability. If needed, seek clarification, seek further direction, seek how God wants to use you to implement his will and know that your work has just begun. If you did not hear from God, I would ask that you continue to fast and pray. While God has spoken to several of us this past month, God moves in his time, not ours. I am not so sure you should intensify your efforts, but I do think God would have you continue. Continue to seek his face, seek his will for you, listen for his voice in Scripture, in the words of others, in that moment you are all alone. God longs to be in relationship with each of us and a major part of every successful relationship is communication. I truly believe God longs to move in our communities and we are the only thing holding him back, for God will not move until we seek, discern, and surrender to his divine purpose.