A revision of an assignment for one of my classes, this blog is a reflection on the role of worship in the Book of Revelation. I found it interesting, so I thought I would share. The two books referenced are Charts on Revelation by Dr. Mark Wilson and The Revelation to John commentary by Stephen S. Smalley.
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Since God is worthy of all honor and praise,  it should be no surprise that worship is a major theme of the book of Revelation. The four living creatures, the elders, the angels, the heavenly voices, the great multitude, the saints, and the nations are all depicted worshiping God. The seven hymns in Revelation declare that: God is Holy (Rev. 4); worthy (Rev. 5); the source of salvation (Rev. 7); powerful to reward and to judge (Rev 11); marvelous, true and righteous (Rev 15); just in his judgments (Rev 16); and holy, victorious, reigning, and glorious (Rev 19) (Wilson, 74). Utilizing a combination of doxologies, acclamations, amen choruses, victory hymns, hymns of thanksgiving, praise hymns, and other songs, the book of Revelation lays a foundation of worshiping God both in heaven and on earth.

“The rejection of John’s attempt to worship the angel… and the command to ‘Worship God’ instead, is more likely to be related to one of the main themes of the Apocalypse. The seer is conscious of the insidious danger to Christian witness of idolatry, which has been in mind during the visions concerning Babylon…  A clear choice must be made between ‘Babylon’ and ‘Jerusalem’; and true worship means obedience to the one God, not to those like the beast who claim divine status, or even to God’s heavenly agents.” (Smalley, 486).

Flames by "fir0002/flagstaffotos" via Wikicommons

As usual, God seemingly heard my ranting and offered me a response to last night's blog post. Okay, in all actuality, I don't think my personal frustrations had anything to do with today's chapel service- but I do know that God spoke to me through the message.

I'm currently in Virginia Beach for modular week at Regent University. And, the professor teaching my Revelation class had a double duty today as he shared a message at our midweek chapel. Speaking on 1 Thessalonians 5:19, Dr. Wilson exhorted us not to "put a lid on the Spirit's fire". 

Sharing the imagery of a camp fire being extinguished and anecdotes of successful ministers straying toward apostasy, Dr. Wilson reminded us that a once vibrant faith can be suppressed if we confine the Holy Spirit to operating within our own parameters. Specifically, he shared how an academic pursuit to know about God can replace knowing God. He discussed how denominations and ministries may hinder the Spirit through doctrine or practice- citing the Baptist mission board's stance against speaking in tongues and modern Pentecostalism's tendency to distance itself from spiritual gifts in order to become more culturally acceptable. He went on to explain how our infatuation with technology may also be hindering our ability to connect with the Spirit because of our hesitancy to unplug.

By no means was Dr. Wilson advocating an intentional focus on manifestations of the Spirit or attacking any denominations or suggesting we stop using our smart phones and laptops.... he was simply illustrating how easy it is to "put a lid" on the Spirit and the consequences doing so have on our own faith and the work of the Church.  The next verse in 1 Thessalonians 5 warns people not to prohibit prophetic utterances.

"...don't hinder charismatic manifestation. To despise prophecy [or speaking in tongues or any other work of the Spirit] is to despise the Holy Spirit" - Dr. Wilson, (paraphrased excerpt)

"Do not quench the Spirit." Quench, as Dr. Wilson noted, has lost some meaning in our culture due to popular advertising campaigns that use the verb (hint: thirst). We are prone to think that to refrain from quenching the Spirit means to not do something contrary to the Spirit... but Dr. Wilson rightly pointed out that this epistle is written to people who have already drank of the Spirit. They already know God, and the command is not to avoid making the Spirit angry. The command is to not suppress what the Spirit is doing, and to continue to seek complete sanctification, to cling to what is good, and to draw closer to God.

The problem is that we often seek to avoid doing something wrong, rather than seeking complete sanctification through the Holy Spirit (v. 23). We seek a myriad of other things: a degree, acquired knowledge, denominational credentials, approval from our superiors, respect from our friends/families, success, a sense of being updated through social media and the interwebs... the list goes on and on.

Rather than being continually open to what the Spirit is doing and actively seeking to be increasingly aligned with His heart, we too often are defined by our circumstances and our own pursuits (many times even in the name of God), and so we stifle the Spirit and place our parameters above God's plans. As one of my classmates stated earlier today during his presentation, "putting anything above God is a form of apostasy. As harsh as that sounds and as much as we don't want to hear it, it's true."

Even as I type this, I want to refute his claim. I want to say "no, that's idolatry, NOT apostasy".  Why? Because idolatry I can live with, I can repent from and move onward.  Apostasy suggests renouncing one's faith and abandoning God. Idolatry is just putting something ahead of God momentarily, it isn't abandoning faith..... or wait, it is abandoning God in the moment for something we perceive to be more important or valuable, isn't it?

To put the Spirit in our  own box is to place our view of God above His own image. This is idolatry, and it is quenching the Spirit. To despise what the Spirit is doing or what He could possibly do is despising the Spirit Himself. And, to despise God by temporarily abandoning the Spirit by putting a lid on Him because our circumstances seemingly deem it necessary... that is a way of actively standing against our Lord. 

With all that said, and granted I am speaking through reflective analysis not through any sort of exegesis at the moment, I once again confess that I am guilty as charged. I have quenched the Spirit in favor of my own parameters and my own pursuits. Even in the few hours since hearing this message, I have made the same mistake. And as I type this, I find myself wondering: "Is it even possible not to quench the Spirit? Will there every be a day when I, a sinner, stop renouncing my God through my thoughts, words and deeds?" As I recall the depraved condition of my own heart, I am also reminded of the character of the God that I serve and therefore I have hope. His Spirit lives in me, and He continues to refine me.

As Paul writes to the Thessalonians just a few verses later: "God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful." (1 Thes. 5:24- NLT). Amen. Lord, please make it happen... thank you for being faithful, thank you for for not giving up on me- even when I fall short in the same ways repeatedly. Help me to not quench your Spirit, help me to seek complete sanctification, and help me to glorify your name in every situation and circumstance. Holy Spirit, please ignite my life and let your fire burn in any way you please...

"Yes, the perfect movie to watch!" I doubt that everyone will immediately share my enthusiasm about a documentary involving land seizures in Zimbabwe, but needless to say, I was quite excited to see Mugabe and the White African pop up in my Netflix instant watch.

Since researching Zimbabwean politics for a paper on illiberal democracies, I have intentionally kept up to date with current events and have kept the people of Zimbabwe in my prayers. Knowing a bit about Mugabe, I expected the documentary to appeal to themes of justice while exposing the heinous crimes of an corrupt political regime. But, I was admittedly surprised to see how clearly and prominently themes of biblical justice and faith were highlighted in this film. It is definitely a must see for any Christian interested in social justice or international relations.

For those who may not know, allow me to briefly provide some context: Robert Mugabe has served as Prime Minister/President for over thirty years- declaring himself "president for life" in 2006. His party ZANU-PF is known for political violence, unfair elections, corrupt economic policies, and human rights violations.  In 2000, Mugabe's regime began a land redistribution program, promoted as an initiative to reallocate  the land owned by the minority white farmers to the majority poor black population. In all actuality, it was redistributed to political allies of ZANU-PF.  In the years following, there has been widespread hunger, hyperinflation, job loss, and increasing political violence.  [Disclaimer: this is obviously an incomplete summary; here is a good place to start for a more comprehensive history]


Back to the documentary...

"In 2008, Mike, 75 years old and a grandfather... took the unprecedented step of challenging Robert Mugabe before the SADC (South African Development Community) international court, charging him and his government with racial discrimination and of violations of Human Rights.

This film is an intimate account of one family's astonishing bravery in the face of brutality, in a fight to protect their property, their livelihood and their country...

On the brink of losing everything, Mike and his family (wife Angela, daughter Laura and her husband Ben Freeth) stand united by their courage, their faith and their hope... Whatever the verdict by the court, this audacious and unprecedented stand may yet cost them their lives." - excerpts from the summary on the film's website

Despite the threats and odds against them, the family fights for justice believing that God is directing them in this pursuit.  The cameras document them asking workers to pray for the court cases, reading their Bibles, and talking about God's presence being with them. All this to say, it is obvious that faith is important in their daily lives.

When Mike,  Angela, and Ben are kidnapped, beaten, and tortured... amazingly they seem to maintain their faith, their livelihood, and their sense of calling. Laura talks of interceding for her dad, mom, and husband-- truly believing that God heard her prayer and saved their lives. A week later, Ben travels to the international tribunal to continue the case. During an interview, he says that he has no bitterness and no hatred toward his attackers. He simply smiles and says that he has only love, and that love is exactly what the country needs.

Their story is heartbreaking, inspiring, and convicting. I find myself asking: What would I do if I were in their shoes? Would I persist in prayer,  the pursuit of justice, and kindness to others in the face of adversity? Would I be able to smile and say I love men who literally almost beat me to death?

The truth is that I don't know that I would. Honestly, I know that I don't show that level of faith in my own daily life. And, the thing is that my life has never been on the line- the only thing under the threat of dying is my pride, my security, and my reputation.

The Campbell family was faithful in the little things like the everyday running of their farm, and faithful in the huge things like international court tribunals. I have little doubt that God will look upon their lives and say "well done good and faithful servants". My prayer is that God will continue to work on me and enable me to live a life worthy of the same affirmation.

Even more importantly, my prayers are with the people of Zimbabwe who are still facing injustice. Just today, the news reports that ZANU-PF supporters have evicted children from an orphanage. Even more disturbing is the fact that the supporter responsible is an excommunicated Anglican bishop...

I digress... bottom line: you should watch the film. [Update: Full film is available to stream for free on PBS- there you have no excuse, watch it.]

Over the last few years, I have been in a perpetual identity crisis. In ministry, it seems that there is always this unspoken alliance to some sort of denomination or theology. My problem is that I  am dissatisfied with and disagree with every viewpoint- including my own.

I was listening to a radio broadcast earlier today where a Christian thinker/speaker said simply "deconstruction happens". Why yes, yes it does. Especially in the Church and especially regarding the life of Christ. But should it?

Has anyone else noticed that sects of Christian thought tend to focus on specific aspects of Jesus' life? Instead of following Christ in His entirety, we like to boil Jesus down to specific principles or moments in his life.

• Inception- I'm not implying that Jesus was part of the multimillion dollar film, but simply stating that some people dwell on the role of the divine truth- the logos nature of Christ and His place in Creation. The goal is the find God in creation, to find the divine in everything, and to recognize the interconnectedness of everyone. Fantastic, but if put all your focus here you end up with a relativistic faith where the truth was never revealed or you end up dwelling on a broken world where God is simply an abstract that created the world and then left it destroy itself. If you solely focus on Jesus as images of God in the Hebrew scripture, you are left waiting for a Messiah who has yet to arrive.

• Incarnation- Others focus solely on the incarnation and incarnational ministry. They emphasis that Jesus came and lived as a man. During his life on earth, he healed the sick, fed the hungry, spent time with the lowest members of society, and so on and so forth. To follow Christ is to replicate his material life; if we live a life of social justice, we are replicating his life on earth. True. Yet, if we dwell here, we neglect to see that Jesus came to redeem much more than just the material. If we only focus on this, there is no need for atonement and there is no hope of eternal salvation.

• Crucifixion-   Some people spend their entire Christian lives praying to  a bloody Christ, dying on the cross. Yes, we need to recognize His sacrifice for us. Yes, we need to remember that the sinless Jesus gave himself as an offering of atonement for our sins so that we can be reconciled to God. However, if we only focus on the blood dripping from His wounds, we neglect to celebrate the fact that He is Risen. He is no longer dead, He no longer rests on the Cross, and the hope of the Gospel is knowing that Christ is alive and working amongst us. 

• Resurrection-  Similarly, there are evangelicals who celebrate daily the Risen Christ, but forget to acknowledge that Jesus ascended into Heaven and bestowed His Holy Spirit on the Church to spread the good news. These Christians spend their lives singing praise, but never invite anyone else to do the same or perhaps they have never seen the gifts/fruits of the Spirit working through their lives.

• Ascension/Empowering of the Church- On the other hand,  some churches focus solely on the fact that Jesus ascended and that the Holy Spirit filled believers with power so that the Church could share the Gospel and advance the Kingdom through signs and wonders. All of which is true, but an over emphasis on spiritual gifts can sometimes lead overlooking the other aspects of the Gospel like the incarnational ministry of social justice, or the fact that Christ's atoning act on the cross was enough, or the fact that God is diverse and expressed through many ways- not just charismatic gifts. 

• Return. - The last group I want to mention is those who are obsessed with the End of Times. Yes, Jesus is coming again and He will return and restore the Earth. BUT, it is important to remember that we are called to help bring Heaven to Earth now. The reconciliation and the restoration of the Gospel is for the present time as well.  We will never truly understand the End of Times, so we must do our best to live our lives in a way that glorifies God in the here and now.

This man's theology is not perfect. No man's is because no man is Christ. With that said, I think he has some inspiring and challenging thoughts worth listening to and considering.

My question is this:   Are we living our lives in a way that seeks to bring Heaven to Earth or are we simply choosing aspects of the Gospel that reinforce and affirm the way we are already living?

"It's not spoken word... it's silently-whisper-into-the-dark-corners-of-my-closet-*dramatic pause*-word." 

Apparently, my definition was amusing enough for my roommate to share it as a status update.  Personally, I'd find it a little funnier if it weren't bitterly true. Empty walls and dirty windshields have been my only audience for quite some time.

Knowing my love for poetry, the same roommate recommended that I watch Sarah Kay's performance on TED talks.  Tonight, I finally did and it's worth every second. You should watch it, if only the poem at the beginning.



As she shares her dreams for her hypothetical daughter, I found myself smiling- thinking if I ever have kids, I want to write them poetry like that. Poetry like my mom wrote for me growing up, words that capture the moment and refuse to allow time to tarnish the memories.

According to Sarah, all you need to know are a few things that are true and you can create a poem. Her theory is put into practice in her efforts to empower students through Project V.O.I.C.E.

"Conceived in 2004, Project V.O.I.C.E. encourages young people to engage with the world around them and use Spoken Word Poetry as an instrument through which they can explore and better understand their culture, their society, and ultimately themselves". - from their website.

When confronted with the task of explaining how she went from a timid teenager to an renowned poet, Sarah revealed her three step progression from hiding under bars in poetry clubs to encouraging students to take the stage themselves.

1. "I can. I can do this." - first we must recognize that we can do something. We can build connections with people, we can share our stories, and we can make a difference in the lives of others by simply expressing ourselves. (Her explanation of the three steps begins at 7:50)
2. "I will. I will continue"- it isn't enough to know that you can do something, you must decide to do it. Sarah spent years studying poetry by listening to others share their stories, but it was her willingness to continue learning by taking the stage that really began the transformation. (8:01)
3. "grow, explore, take risks and challenge yourself- infusing the work you are doing with the specific things that make you you even while those things are always changing because step three never ends" (13:30) - it's all encompassing and continually changing, and we must actively respond to and intertwine what we do, what we know, and who we are... and share it with others.

While I am challenged by Sarah's words because I love her medium of expression, I think anyone can glean wisdom from her journey. How many things do we refuse to acknowledge we could do? How many times to we refuse to do the things that we already know we could accomplish? And, how often do we stop allowing ourselves to be challenged to grow by preventing what we do from being infused with who we are and what we know to be true?

Perhaps I should share my stories with more than the dark corners of my closet, and perhaps you should too. I'm not suggesting that we all literally take the stage to share a poem (though perhaps I literally should given how often I talk to myself in empty rooms). Just take a moment to ponder this:what would happen if we each were vulnerable enough to express ourselves?

Whether it be through spoken word, art, music, story telling, or something completely different... what would happen if we shared a little more of who we are and what we know to be true with the world? What if we took the time to encourage someone else to share and actually listened to their story? Perhaps, just maybe, we would build a connection with someone else who 'feels' what we are saying. And, perhaps those connections would inspire more people to express themselves while empowering others to do the same.

Sunday was everyone's favorite weekend at church: the annual "giving" sermon. I've heard it before, and it always seems like common sense to me. 

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. " - Luke 6:38

It's a privilege that I value, but often over look. This year, I feel convicted to add a practical application to make the promise of Jacob my covenant with God in my own life. 

"...of all that you give me I will give you a tenth." - Gen. 28:22.

"Of all that you give me" has stuck with me.  I generally don't find that I have an issue giving my finances to God, but all too often fail to apply the same giving concepts to the rest of my life.

If I am giving God a portion of everything He gives me,  then maybe I should intentionally tithe my time as well.  After all, God gives me life on a daily basis- every minute of everyday. Why not give at least 10% of my time to Him as well? Just to Him; not to Church, not to His people... but to God and God alone.

God gives me 1,440 minutes a day. If I gave Him just a tithe of my time, that would be 144 minutes a day devoted to God. That's less than 2.5 hours. I bet I spend more than that online checking my email, facebook, blog reel, and all those 'necessary' sites.  If God is the most important thing in my life, shouldn't He have the first fruits of my time as well? 

Truth be told. I'm not a morning person, so I'm not interpreting firstfruits in a literal sense- 2.5 hours starting at 6 am would not be the best time for me to meet with God. But what if I intentionally spent the first and last moments of my day with the Lord?

By my birthday, January 27th, I want to be in a position to begin seriously tithing my time to God. Let's make this a one year commitment:  2.5 hours a day for God alone, starting and ending my day with focused time with the Lord.

"You know Him!!"  The audio from the streaming sermon echoed through the room.  It's title was "Magnifying the Holy Spirit", and the preacher kept saying over and over again, "You know Him. You know God!"

Dumbfounded, I thought, "You're right. I know Him".  Why do I often I forget that?

The sermon was recorded in September and never mentions the nativity, but isn't this what Christmas is all about? Knowing Him. Knowing a Messiah that loved us enough to become Emmanuel God with us. Who loved us enough to live a model human life and then sacrifice himself on a cross for us. Who loved us enough to leave the Earth so that He could give us His Holy Spirit and His Church could continue His incarnational ministry? 

This Christmas, I am reminded that I know Him, that I have seen His love, and my responsibility and privilege is to make Him known by sharing His love during my time in this crazy world. 

" Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.  This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. "1 John 4: 7-16.

I love when I am praying and God randomly drops an obscure Bible verse into my head. To be honest, this hasn't happened in awhile because I haven't been open to it happening in awhile.  Earlier this week, I was struggling with understanding my current situation. As I headed over to Weds night prayer, I asked God to refreshen my vision for being here at AU.

As I was silently praying, God answered my prayer through a random Bible verse. "2 Chronicles.. start at 5." Flipped open to 2 Chronicles, read chapters 5 and 6... and started crying.  Two things really struck me about this passage. 1) the content of the fifth verse.  2) the theme of dedication.

⁵And they brought up the ark, the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent; the Levitical priests brought them up. (ESV)

To give you some context. Previously, the Spirit of God was believed to dwell within the Tabernacle and was carried from place to place. At this point in history, a temple has been constructed to give people a more proper place to worship God. As they prepare to dedicate the temple, the Levitical priests - those set apart to serve God- bring the Ark of the Covenant, the Tabernacle, and the holy vessels that were in the Tabernacle to the temple.  The Ark normally contained the tablets of law given to Moses, the pot of manna, and the rod of Aaron. At this point in the story, the only thing within the Ark were the Tablets of Law. The Tabernacle, of course, was the place were the people of God would meet with God, and the Ark was kept inside the Holy of Holies or the sacred part of the Tabernacle that could only be accessed on the Day of Atonement.

In other words, the people that were chosen as the servants of God brought forth the Word of God, the Spirit of God, the environment in which people met with God, and then the instruments that were used to worship and bless God... they brought these things into the sacred space that was being dedicated to God. They brought these things into the Temple, a place that was meant to honor and serve the Spirit of God.  Then, they dedicated the Temple and rededicated themselves as God's people. They expected God to dwell within their city, so they constructed a place for Him and then carried the necessary things into the space.

As I continue to serve God as a "Christ Ambassador" at my university, I expect God to dwell in the midst of our campus. As a community we have attempted to create a space for Him to dwell and reside: this space is not a architectural  structure, but a living temple- an authentic community. As we dedicate this space to God, we must also bring  the necessary things as His chosen servants. The preparations are made for time and space (services, studies, events, hangouts),  and we must bring our own arks, tabernacles and vessels. The Ark symbolizes God's Law and God's Spirit. As we prepare space for Him, we need to bring forth His Word and His Spirit. We need to be rooted in scripture and fed by His presence. We need to carry His presence into even the tiniest of details through prayer and worship and study both in our own daily lives and specifically in preparation for our times of ministry. As we expect God to dwell amongst us, we need to pitch our own tents of meeting. We need to create the environment of the Tabernacle. We need to give people the opportunity to encounter God with authenticity and minimal distractions. This means extending hospitality, preparing details, being intentional about being present in peoples' lives and giving room to grow.... this could include giving altar time in service, planning intentional coffee dates, or simply creating space where people can gather together. Lastly, we must bring in the vessels that are used to worship and honor God as we meet with him. What are these vessels? These vessels are normally people. God oddly chooses to use humans to do His work. We need to invite people to come into the spaces where we are expecting God to move. If we expect God to work in and through people, we must carry the people to Him.

All this to say that this passage reminded me of my responsibility and privilege as a servant of God. It reminded me of the elements that are needed in my own temple- that is in our community and in my daily life. I need  to be rooted God's word, to be centered in God's presence, to create spaces to meet with Him, and to invite people into my life and into the presence of God. That is my duty as a Christian, to gather resources for the purpose of glorifying God and to dedicate myself to His service. 

Which brings me to point number two,  the theme of dedication. Chapter 5 details the preparation of the dedication and Chapter 6 is Solomon's dedication of the Temple. My study Bible notes that there is more time devoted to talking about the dedication of the Temple then there is talking about the planning to build it. Scripture clearly outlines that the priority is dedicating oneself to God. Unfortunately, my priorities are all too often the planning and not the dedication. I spend lots of time planning how I am going to gather the necessary things to dedicate my life to God and little time actually dedicating my life to God. Corporately, we have a tendency to have the same flaw. In our community, we spent an hour and a half setting up for our weekly worship meeting and only five minutes praying together that it would be dedicated to the service of God. I am not saying that the timetable should be flipped or accusing our community of not prayerfully devoting our services to God, but I am suggesting that our priorities should be examined.  Preparation is important, but dedication is key. Am I spending more time planning my small group Bible study or praying that God would be in the midst of my small group?

I'm  not suggesting that planning and dedication have to be mutually exclusive. It is possible to dedicate your planning to God as well, but all too often we don't. Despite popular belief, we don't multitask well all the time. I don't know about you, but I need to rethink my priorities. To go back to the weekly worship meeting example, I used to pray as I unwrapped chords for the sound system, but lately I just focus on setting up the sound system. This small shift in paradigm makes a world of difference. If I invite God into the little tasks as I dedicate them to Him, how much more will I serve and glorify Him in the process.

Here is a post dedicated to understanding my role and rededicating my life. Will you join me in reconsidering what we bring to the Temple and how we can better dedicate our lives as the Church to God?

"Everyone knows I'm in
Over my head
Over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind
She's on your mind"- Over My Head, The Fray

It's overtime. My deadline was August 1st. The extended deadline August 10th. Most people would say that I am in way over my head, and they are correct. The clock is ticking...

With just moments left, my eyes are on the basket, my heart desires to make the shot, and the music in my head sounds a little like this...



Awesome song, but "She's on my mind"... a little white isle with some propa music, but for now...

Lord, please help me get my head in the game! Let's finish strong because this is only the beginning... =]

It isn't uncommon that my face to fails to make the appropriate expression as I perceive the world around me. My response to this song was no different. At first I laughed in amusement, then dropped my jaw in surprise, then I grimaced with disdain, and then I laughed with disbelief... and I still don't know whether I find the lyrics to this song funny or disheartening or a bit of both.

"I’m really glad I found my way to church
‘Cause I’m already feelin’ better and I thank God for the words
Yeah I’m goin’to take the high road
And do what the preacher told me to do
You keep messin’ up and I’ll keep prayin’ for you"

And then proceeds to pray for judgement and punishment... I realize that this song is written with some jest and I am not offended by music on the radio.... but the lyrics did make me think because this is sad, but true. How many people convince themselves that they are taking the high road through prayer, when really they are justifying the bitterness and pride in their own hearts through a religious practice?

How often do we pray for God's wrath rather than His love and mercy? Do we pray for our enemies to experience hell or to find the redemption of salvation? Jesus prayed for His enemies to be forgiven, and Paul reminded us to do good to those who harm us because we are "little Christs". Quoting Proverbs, Romans 12:20 reads:

"If your enemy is hungry, feed him; 

if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Neither suggested that we desire that actual burning coals be heaped on their heads.  It's interesting that Jesus' outline of how to pray in the Lord's prayer is to pray that debts would be forgiven, that temptations would be lifted, and that things would be as they are in heaven (not as they are in God's wrath and the tortures of hell). And, here Paul reminds us that we are supposed to play an active role in bringing a little bit of God's goodness to this world. Through prayer and deed, we are supposed to reflect God's love and mercy. And, it is the very absence of those attributes that comprise God's wrath and judgement; if God wasn't loving and merciful, He couldn't be jealous and just. People either forget that love and service toward those less than likable people in our lives could transform them into our friends, or forget that it is their love and service that may lead people to repentance by showing them the Godly sorrow of true conviction by means of selfless kindness. Either way, the prayer is for reconciliation and redemption, not for destruction.

Jesus begged for those who were persecuting Him, while Jonah wished that people he despised would remain unrepentant and see God's wrath to its fullest extent. Who will we model our prayers after? When we pray for wars and conflicts, do we pray that men like Joseph Kony would repent from his sins or burn in hell for all the children he has corrupted? When we pray for thieves and murders, do we pray that they will experience true liberation or be locked in an eternal prison away from God's presence? When we pray for prostitutes and drug dealers, do we pray that they would enter our services and our homes and become our friends, or do we pray that they would flee from our cities?

Are will praying God's will over the world around us or our idea of what God's will should be? The distinction between obeying the preacher and obeying the High Priest may appear slight, but it really makes all the difference. It is the distinction between praying like Jesus and praying like Jonah.

As C.H. Spurgeon once wisely suggested: "Prayer itself is an art which only the Holy Spirit can teach us. Pray for prayer.  Pray until you can really pray." The Holy Spirit, the spirit that rose Christ from the grave, lives within us and can teach us to pray like Jesus prayed. Instead of Jonah like prayers where I give God suggestions of how to fix this broken world, I pray that Spirit will continue to teach me to pray like Christ, to pray that the Father's will be done on earth as it is in Heaven and that my life could play a little role in actively showing the world His goodness.

And, I'll continue to pray the same for you...

As someone who lives my life through lyrics, I often wish that people could hear the music playing inside my head. If I listed the soundtrack to my life right now, you would understand. So here it is, the music between my ears.

Did you get that? Oh, you thought it would be a little clearer? Nope, because this is what it sounds like to me too. Seven songs by seven artists, a swirling pool of bits of broken records in my mind....

"I knew as well as I knew anything that the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as the oppressed. A man who takes away another man’s freedom is a prisoner of hatred; he is locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness. I am not truly free if I am taking away someone else’s freedom, just as surely as I am not truly free when my freedom is taken from me. The oppressed and the oppressor alike are robbed of their humanity  " -Nelson Mandela.

Last night, I listened as several individuals told stories of how they were dehumanized by sexual assault and domestic violence. As you can tell by my entry yesterday, I anticipated being fairly disturbed and upset by the testimonies. I was disturbed, but not because of the content of the stories. I was disturbed by the lack of healing, the bitterness, the hatred, and the rejoicing in the suffering of the oppressor. 

What I realized last night is true healing cannot occur without forgiveness.  Because God's healing has been sufficient in my life, I was okay both listening to others and reflecting on my own experiences.  However, the voices that I heard were not okay. They were damaged, scarred  and imprisoned by their outrage at their nightmares.

As the Mandela quote indicates, both the oppressed and the oppressor are held captive by the injustice committed. I cannot rejoice in someone being thrown in jail regardless of how heinous their crime may have been. Even when deserved justice is served, there is still a human life that is lost and imprisoned by the sentencing. The oppressed and the oppressor are of the same essence, of the same humanity. What makes one the victim and the other the perpetrator is a combination of circumstance, sin, and receptiveness to the evil in the world.   Rejoicing in another's suffering never results in freedom; it merely shifts the chains and bindings.

"Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,
   “I will take revenge;
      I will pay them back,”
      says the Lord.
 Instead,
   “If your enemies are hungry, feed them.
      If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
   In doing this, you will heap
      burning coals of shame on their heads.”
  Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good." Romans 12:19-21 [NLT]

 Scripture provides instruction to forgive, to love, and to trust God to handle judgment. However, the most disturbing part of this equation is how few people realize that God loves them and cares for their circumstance. A few people mentioned God in their testimonies, but even their words showed little understanding  of how much He cares for them. God's love is the only solution; His love covers a multitude of sin - both those we commit and those committed against us. Unless we allow Jesus to replace our bitterness with His love, we are never truly healed- even if the pieces appear to be back together again.

Growing up, I always loved Easter, but always thought that my family went a little overboard on the traditions. In retrospect, I am grateful for my mom's intentionality in keeping Christ as the focus of the holiday. Every year, she made us memorize her favorite Easter song, watch the entire video series: Jesus of Nazareth, and spend Good Friday reflecting on the cross and the Gospel instead of watching television or playing with electronics.

And, sure enough, every year, I remembered what Easter was all about:

"E is for the early dawn when Christ arose that day, and left us so a new life could begin.
A is for the angels who rolled the stone away
S means that He suffered for our sins
T is for two thieves who hung beside Him on the tree
E is for His everlasting love
R is for the righteousness He gave to you and me.
Yes, Easter comes from our dear God above."

Aside from being one of the few songs I can sing in tune without music, it also ingrained something into my heart and mind. I have always been mysteriously fascinated and haunted by that "T". The two thieves who hung beside Him, who were they? What was their story?

Unlike Jesus, these men were not innocent. They did something worthy of death in the eyes of the authorities, and lived their lives as criminals. Yet, through these two men we see perhaps the most simplistic and beautiful story of salvation. 

"Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ,save Yourself and us.” 

 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?  And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” - Luke: 23:38-43

 Both men are guilty, both deserve death. One uses his last moments to mock Jesus, and the other uses his final words to admit his sin, recognize the innocence of Christ and the power of God, and ask that Jesus remember His name. He uses his last moments to begin a relationship with Christ.  

Jesus invites him in, and assures him that his confession and request is enough... that today as he exits this world that he will enter paradise and continue his relationship with Christ there.

Yesterday, I wrote about the elements of beginning  and sustaining a healthy relationship with Christ, but we must not forget that salvation is simple, as simple as the faith of the  thief on the cross. This man did not recite a sinner's prayer, he was neither sprinkled with nor dunked in water as a profession of faith, he never spoke in tongues,  he did not have a New Testament  to read daily, and he had the opposite of a life of good deeds. Yet, Jesus tells us that assuredly he was saved. This man believed that Jesus was who He said He was, he recognized his depravity, and he asked Jesus to remember him. He put his faith in Christ, and that was enough to save His life.

Jesus himself says: "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven" Matthew 10:32-33. And so, one thief disgraces Christ while the other defends Him. One man gets the death he deserves while the other enters into eternal life in paradise.

 It's that simple, but also that complicated.  This tale is beautiful, yet haunting because the truth is that we are not in our last moments, or at least most of us aren't. We have most of our life yet to live, and more opportunities to deny Christ. That ability to mock and deny him scares me because we are all capable of doing it. That is why we need all those elements of growth and discipline that I wrote about yesterday to support that faith which we know to be true, so that we can boldly acknowledge Jesus before men... but we must  also remember the simplicity of the Gospel, that it is by grace through faith that we are saved (Ephesians 2:8-10).

The truth remains that I could have been saved when I was 5 and began singing "Jesus, Remember me when You come into Your Kingdom" every time I realized that I needed God. The truth is that a simple confession and request is enough when it is sincere. I cannot pinpoint my salvation because I cannot know when this deceitful heart was first sincere in its acknowledgment of Christ.

I do know that sixteen years after my first request, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that if these were my last moments, "Today, I would assuredly be with Him in Paradise".  After years of traditional Lutheran Easters, my constant prayer is still my favorite hymn. It only has one line and a simple tune, but they are the most beautiful words I have ever spoken: "Jesus, Remember me when I come into Your Kingdom".

The tree said, "I wish I could be
A different kind of tree,"

On my bus ride home this evening, I had Tree Hugger stuck in my head on repeat. Since you don't have the pleasure of hearing my musically talented friends play it, click here to hear the song.

Cute little song, but  also rather sad. Nothing in the song is satisfied with what it is... everything wants to be something else.  Isn't that true about each of us too? Instead of being content with growing into who God created us to be, we are always trying to be something different, perhaps something better.

I don't know about you, but  I often wish that  I could be a different kind of tree. I feel like I am always trying to define and redefine myself. "Can I quit? Can I do this instead?" Sometimes I ask these questions and test angles in vain because I already know that there is an incredible plan for my life. In other words, I need an attitude adjustment

During this advent season, I am reminded of  people in the Bible who embraced who they were becoming and the roles they were designed to fulfill.  Imagine that?

Though my tone is laced with sarcasm, I do seriously need the reminder. During the next few days, I am going to take the time to examine the callings and the responses of these remarkable individuals who left the suckage out of their attitudes and allowed God to crazily use their lives.

For now, I think I need to remind myself that my roots are  planted and there is much growth ahead.


^"And don't be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God's place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there." - 1 Cor 7:17 (the message)