I have been and continue to be on vacation. That is good. No internet–that is bad! But, worse is that I have had to work on completing papers for two classes that I took in January. I just finished one today and emailed it off on the above passage. Here are a few of my conclusions. I think I will take off tomorrow!
When Elijah is threatened by Jezebel, despite the powerful display of the word of the LORD in 1 Kings 18, he falls into disappointment and despair and decides to end his ministry of proclaiming the word of the LORD. God compassionately cares for an exhausted Elijah by providing him with needed food and water and sleep. God chooses to meet with Elijah on Mt. Horeb, in a cave, on the mountain that would remind Elijah of the key prophetic tradition he has been called to following Moses.
While at Mt. Horeb, once again the word of the LORD comes to Elijah (19:9), not to command but to question, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah cannot understand what has happened. He has faithfully and zealously proclaimed the word of the LORD but it seems to have been rejected by the Israelites (forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, killed Your prophets. (19:10:14)Through his experience on the mountain, Elijah is drawn back to the presence of the LORD and His word and shown that he must listen closely and carefully to God so that the ministry of the word may continue.In reading the Scriptures, we need a “focused attentiveness” a commitment to listen and to wait upon God as we read the Word. Webster 90
Elijah is commanded to return to his ministry of the word of the LORD but at the same time is promised that he is not alone (there will be a remnant of 7000) and that his ministry will not be in vain. Elijah will discover that it is out of the Word of God that God’s people are formed, that they are a “creature of the divine word.” Webster 42 The ministry of the word will continue on in the person of righteous Elisha and the unrighteous Kings Hazael and Jehu will make sure that the LORD’s judgment will fall upon all who disobey the LORD and follow Baal.
Are there lessons here in handling burnout in the ministry? It seems that there is a temptation to read modern day psychology back into the text. However, we should not be surprised when we see “our story” today as we observe how the people of God lived “back then.” Davis 30
We leave on vacation this morning for 10 days and internet may be sparse so I wanted to make a post before leaving.
I was feeling a bit sorry for myself on Monday after what I thought was a hard day. But, what a gift to be able to walk out the gate of our office, through the squatter community behind our office, on the way to our car. How can I be grumbling when I have so much–air conditioned office in this oppressive hot season, a personal computer for both of us, our office likely being as big as some of the “living” room that is their house. We have a car, we can take a vacation, we have friends around the world who love us and care for us and pray for us. Anyway, you get the point.
Second gift came last night during a prayer meeting we have with part of our team here. I had read earlier in the morning from John 10:1-18 or so about the shepherd and his sheep. I was struck by the hired hand who ran away when the wolf came and John says because he did not care for the sheep. On Monday, when I was feeling sorry for myself, I wondered if we should just stop what we are doing because it seems we are unappreciated and criticized by some. So, naturally, the question–am I a shepherd or a hired hand who abandons his sheep? Well, last night as we were praying together. the Lord reminded me of the deep respect and love I have for my colleagues, who are laboring here, in often, less than ideal situations. Indeed, he has given to me a shepherd’s heart–thank you, oh God!
”Having faced the personal misery and relational pain of doing things my way, having experienced the futility of living life to be noticed, and having carried the heavy burden of making pleasure my idol, I’m far more willing to pay the price for transformation. I may as well embrace the pain that leads me to God instead of suffer the pain of being drawn away from him.
So I hope you’ll take these words as an encouragement. Pain in this world is a foregone conclusion. The only question is whether we choose to live a life of redemptive pain or of self-destructive pain. I pray you’ll choose redemptive pain.” 200
For some reason, as I have been meditating on the risen Lord Jesus this morning, I thought of the song, When God Ran by Benny Hester. It must be an old song by now and I don’t think he is even singing anymore. Maybe the younger generation won’t like it but I do–this song is about our return to the Father as in the prodigal son story in Luke 15. How grateful I am that God moved (and continues to move) towards me in love. May I respond back with love and gratefulness to Him.
Here is one video link to the song as sung by Benny Hester
Here is another video of the song but sung by Philips, Craig and Dean. Too “religious” for me but I do like it when the son runs to the father in this video.
Here is a painting by Wesley that I like of this scene–not as much as Rembrandts but still worth a look if you have not seen it.
Thanks to La Shawn Barber’s Corner I found out about seeqpod which is a search program for the web in which you can find lots of music (and much more although I have not looked at more than music). La Shawn Barber is a Christian political blogger that some of you may want to examine–her post about 11 years of sobriety is powerful. Thanks La Shawn!!
But what I really wanted to post was to tell you how I found on seeqpod a number of videos for the song “Slow Fade” by Casting Crowns. There are a number of youtube videos–not all I can recommend. By the way, I would be very interested to learn about the legality of posting a copyrighted song on youtube. Here is one home made video of this awesome song that I think will touch the most hardened among us.
This reminds me of Jean-Pierre Causasade’s Abandonment to Divine Providence. This is from the daily newsletter from Henri Nouwen society. In reading this, this once again encourages me that being present with people is what is most needed.
It is good to visit people who are sick, dying, shut in, handicapped, or lonely. But it is also important not to feel guilty when our visits have to be short or can only happen occasionally. Often we are so apologetic about our limitations that our apologies prevent us from really being with the other when we are there. A short time fully present to a sick person is much better than a long time with many explanations of why we are too busy to come more often.
If we are able to be fully present to our friends when we are with them, our absence too will bear many fruits. Our friends will say: “He visited me” or “She visited me,” and discover in our absence the lasting grace of our presence.
I watched Rambo IV last night–quite violent and there are a number of very disturbing images just to warn you. In it (a rather old) Rambo, rescues missionaries who have gone into war torn Burma. He tells the missionaries before they go up country that they will never be able to change anything–nothing ever changes. The missionary wife tells him that it is better to spend your life on doing something than waste it on doing nothing and that eventually gets Rocky (I mean Rambo) to move into action.
Here is what Sylvestor Stallone said in early 2007, “The more I go to church,” Stallone said, reported Focus on the Family’s CitizenLink, “and the more I turn myself over to the process of believing in Jesus and listening to His Word and having Him guide my hand, I feel as though the pressure is off me now.”
About Rambo, Sly said Rambo’s mission in this movement, “is to bring a group of Christians upriver into a very hostile territory, and they’re there to bring the Word of God and medicine and dentistry to these natives. He starts getting influenced by their faith in the face of such incredible odds.”
“I think it may work,” he said.
“Here’s how it is. I believe that you can have a Christian theme but you can’t hit it too heavy. You can’t hit ‘em over the head with a hammer. You have to be subtle about it,” he conclude
I am coming to the end of The Beautiful Fight by Gary Thomas and he has increased the challenge in these last chapters.
“Pain in this world is a foregone conclusion. The only question is whether we choose to live a life of redemptive pain or self-destructive pain.” 200
He is saying that there will be a cost if we move towards the transformed life in Christ. The only alternative is that we move away from God and Thomas warns that we will pay a cost for rebellious or disobedient choices. He writes,
“Having faced the personal misery and relational pain of doing things my own way, having experienced the futility of living life to be noticed, and having carried the heavy burden of making pleasure my idol, I’m far more willing to pay the price for transformation.” 200
Putting it another way, he says, “When I refuse to face the pain of transformation, eventually I must endure the misery of my immaturity.” 199
He explains what he means by paying the price:
“It means we need to start learning, listening, and surrendering. Don’t waste your physical ills; learn from them. What does it matter whether God causes them or merely permits them. . . . Don’t run from social frustration or relational confusion; be humbled in the midst of it. Learn how to love in the messiness of human relationships–confronting, forgiving, and asking to be forgiven. Don’t make a hassle-free life your primary pursuit; instead listen to God to discern how he is using these interruptions to cleanse your soul and purify your attitudes. ” 207
Thomas says that the process (and he really emphasizes that this is a process) of transformation requires a fear of God, the virtue of humility, surrender, perseverance and gratitude. He concludes his 14th chapter with these powerful words.
If I recognize that I am not like Christ, that I am proud where he is humble, that I am selfish where he is sacrificial, that I am greedy where he is giving, that I am lustful where he is pure, then mustn’t I be broken before I can be remade?
Of course I must. And so must you.
The breaking can be painful, even excruciating. It hurts to die to certain dreams and desires. It sometimes feels as though we’re being ripped apart when we let something go. But the pain is a good pain, the difficult journey is a good journey, and the Beautiful Fight is still a beautiful fight.
Charles Krauthammer shows how the battle for the Democratic candidate in the upcoming American Presidential elections is not about policy or personality but about race, age and gender. Sad . . .
“Morality, which is hard to define let alone to measure, is not a good basis for public policy. Science is a good basis for public policy.” And finally, she informs us that “morality demonstrably collapses in the face of reality.”
A friend of mine, Zoila, sent me this prayer–if I find out where she found it, I will let you all know.
“May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships so that you may live deep within your heart May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy
And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in the world so that you can do what others claim cannot be done to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.”
Lord Jesus Christ, prepare our hearts to walk with you the rest of the way this Holy Week.
Help us to find ourselves in this part of your story and not run from the pain and the unanswerable questions contained within it.
Draw us to sit with you at the Last Supper where you shared your heart so tenderly with your friends and also faced your betrayer honestly and without malice.
Help us to stay awake in the Garden of that Dark Night, wrestling with the death and dying that must take place in order for your will to come forth.
Give us the wisdom to know, as you did, when it is time to lay down our life so that some day we can take it up again.
Give us the grace to endure the pain of witnessing your humiliation and rejection so that we can more gracefully endure our own.
Help us to be as gut-wrenchingly honest as you were when you cried out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
Grant us the courage to let go when it is time.
Grant us the patience to wait with you in the silence of death until you call forth the resurrection.
At church today, our pastor gave an excellent presentation of the triumphal entry using a synoptic gospel approach. He reminded us what Jesus did as he came over the Mt of Olives, overlooking Jerusalem. Even though on this day, Jesus was presented and proclaimed a king by many, Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem. (Luke 19:41 ff)
We were asked the question, “Is Jesus weeping over you as well today?” “Or, is He weeping with you?” He then went to Psalm 56:8 where the Psalmist talks about the compassion of God, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.” (New Living). Earlier in the morning, I had been reflecting on this very same verse and my prayer had been, “Lord, once again, I ask You for the gift of tears–oh, to weep and pour out my sorrows to you, to somehow find joy in my contact with the love of God, despite affliction.”
I had just read the following quote from Simone Weil in my Guidebook to Prayer,
“It is in affliction itself that the splendor of God’s mercy shines, from its very depths, in the heart of its inconsolable bitterness.
We know that joy is the sweetness of contact with the love of God, that affliction is the wound of this same contact when it is painful, and that tonly the contact matters, not the manner of it.
The knowledge of this presence of God doe snot afford consolation; it takes nothing from the fearful bitterness of affliction; nor does it heal the mutilation of the soul. But we know quite certainly that God’s love for us is the very substance of this bitterness and this mutilation.” (New Living)
I am not sure I understand nor fully agree with all that Weil says but I really like his phrase, “joy is the sweetness of contact with the love of God” and this even in affliction! After reading Is 53:1-12 today, I know He understands sorrow and affliction. Indeed to follow Christ is to follow Him in His sufferings. Is 53:11 says, “When he sees all that is accomplished by his grief, he will be satisfied.”
“A hundred times over, I reject any pride-centered, legalistic false piety based on a list of arbitrary rules. If avoiding certain sins makes us proud and self-righteous, then all we’ve done is act like an alcoholic who thinks he’s superior to another because he gets drunk on vintage wine instead of malt liquor.”
“There’s a far more glorious motivation fro embracing real character growth than selfish piety. . . If my transformation can bring glory to God and comfort to his people I’m going to take it that much more seriously.”
“The highest motivation for striving to grow in holiness is to honor the God who saved us.” 176
I have become quite a fan of Michelle Malkin of late–enjoyed this collectivist quiz that she referred her readers last week. I think it hits hard on both Clinton and Obama! See if you can guess “who said what” about “The Common Good”, “War”, “Life in a Democracy” and many more.
She also provides a link to a Saturday night skit that takes off on the 3 a.m. phone call that the Clinton campaign recently ran–maybe offensive to some so I won’t provide the link here!
In the Feb 9, 2008 Henri Nouwen Society email letter, I read the following that encourages me when I listen to the pain of others, which has been the case lately.
“To offer consolation is one of the most important ways to care. Life is so full of pain, sadness, and loneliness that we often wonder what we can do to alleviate the immense suffering we see. We can and must offer consolation. We can and must console the mother who lost her child, the young person with AIDS, the family whose house burned down, the soldier who was wounded, the teenager who contemplates suicide, the old man who wonders why he should stay alive.
To console does not mean to take away the pain but rather to be there and say, “You are not alone, I am with you. Together we can carry the burden. Don’t be afraid. I am here.” That is consolation. We all need to give it as well as to receive it.”
I think it is easier to give consolation than to receive it!
Heather McDonald has just written a follow-up article on campus rape in City Journal. Once again she has some things to say that are worth hearing by college administrators and parents and students! When I told a British friend about her premise that Universities are actually contributing to the problem of sexual promiscuity, he said that would never happen on U.K. campuses. Hmmmm. Well, I don’t agree with everything McDonald said–a rape counselor told me that in her experience, very few women will tell their families they have been raped because of the shame and questions that will be asked. Even though I am an abuse survivor myself, I do not begin to understand the pain, fear, hurt and anger on this subject. I think I need to move on to another topic.
I have been reading more on line about the political race in the U.S. as it has been heating up of late. Since I am from Texas, I am very interested in what happens in Texas tomorrow in the Democratic primary since that election (and Ohio) could determine if we continue to have a race between Hillary and Barack. I have been reading more since a couple of friends have told me that they are supporting Obama. He certainly is promising change but . . . can he fulfill those promises and what kind of changes will he bring about. I have purposely avoided making any political posts until now (and there is a lot of stuff to post about). I may regret making one tonight but I cannot resist after reading in Michelle Malkin’s blog comments from Obama regarding his understanding of the Sermon on the Mount and regarding his church involvment.
It is not clear exactly what Senator Obama was referring to when he made his quote even though the writer that Malkin quotes gives some possibilities. Usually, my wife is the one who is reading all of these stories but she just told me that she has had to stop because she found she was getting to the point of not being able to pray for the candidates and those writing about those candidates.
I remember traveling to the States at the height of some of the scandals in the Clinton administration and being shocked by the hatred some of my evangelical friends had for our President. When I challenged them on what they were saying, they were shocked that someone would disagree. I don’t understand Obama’s positions (or Clinton’s for that matter) but I don’t think any of us will ever know if we carry around hearts of hatred and anger and seek to twist the truth of what either candidate says to fit our pre-conceived ideas. Don’t get me wrong, I am not a supporter of either Obama or Clinton but I am trying to figure out why others are supporting them. And when they start going to the Scriptures, they do get my attention! I think I better avoid politics in my blog in the future.
