As Christians, we are called. Called to follow Jesus, the Son of God.
What does this mean, "to follow?"
I read it as a call to imitate his way of life - his love, his compassion, his mercy, his inclusiveness, his deep relationship with God the Father, his sacrificial love.
To me, this means we are called into an intimate relationship with God. Many of us don't really appreciate what an intimate relationship is all about. It means getting to know and allowing to be known. As a human, this means the honesty of allowing God to see the real me, warts and all.
It means turning to God for advice on all kinds of issues, small and large. It means reflecting on events, it means praying for loved ones (and we're called to love everyone).
It's wonderfully simple isn't it?
Or would be, if it wasn't for the fact that I'm a human being. You see, as a human being, I do some daft things. I burn korans. I burn Bibles that are not the King James. I picket funerals with anti-gay slogans. I write hateful blog posts about other believers. I preach from the pulpit about purity while returning home to my pornography addiction. I proudly support some causes while using that as an excuse to walk away from those who need my love. I always have my gun ready to shoot down any opposing views. I abuse others over the centuries and claim it to be biblically justified. I wrap up my anger and hate in the phrase "in Christian love". I destroy my environment. I try to denounce science. I block safety measures that save thousands of lives. I encourage suffering. I... cannot believe what I am writing, and yet I see it everywhere in every form.
What was Jesus thinking in asking us to represent Him on this earth?
And yet as a human, I also show love. I give of my time, talents and possessions to reach out to the needy in the world. I open my home to the homeless. I give a listening ear to the lonely. I touch the leper. I walk with the vulnerable through danger zones, knowing (praying) that they will not harm me, a white western woman. I am the man who stands before the innocent to take their unjust pain. I pause and listen and turn to see the child that no-one else sees.
And when I see this, I understand why Jesus calls us to follow Him. We are called to fill our lives with Jesus, so that our lives will shine a light in dark places and show people there is hope. And some of these dark places are within my own soul.
The temptation we as Christians face the most I believe is to retaliate against other Christians. We do so in anger at what we believe to be a misrepresentation of our Lord. Ironically, we are often attacked by others for the same.
And yet we wrestle with these words from Jesus:
"A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
There is no if, there is no but. It includes all our brothers and sisters. It isn't easy, but neither was going to the cross, and yet we follow Him.
Wednesday, 30 October 2013
Friday, 25 October 2013
Be encouraged in your gifts, be mindful of your weakness
"6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully" [Romans 12:6-8]
To my friends with the gift of prophesy, I encourage you to spend time in prayer to seek out the heart and mind of God. And then speak. Share with those to whom you are directed, and speak. Your words do not need to be long and flowing, you do not need to be in a pulpit. You have a gift of speaking forth the words of God and should touch the lives of others with them. But also, I encourage you to be mindful. Words can build up and they can tear down. Out of the same mouth can come blessing and curse. At times you will have words for others but will add your own, perhaps unintentionally. You should also ask God for a discerning heart to know how to give a message, when to give a message, what message to give (sometimes less is more) and if to give it at all. There are times when God reveals things to you so that you can pray for others.
To my friends with the gift of teaching, I give thanks for your faithfulness to God's Word. I encourage you to persevere in your own learning so that you have more bounty to share with others. Thank you for helping us understand more about the complexities of the Bible and for your dedication towards truth. But also, I encourage you to be mindful. Take care that you do not place truth above love, or try to rationalise harsh words that express your own anger and claim that these are only true words spoken in love. We all hurt at the misrepresentation of God, but we must love one another into a better place. Your gift is one to treasure and nurture, but take care that you do not lose sight of the wood for the trees.
To my friends with the gift of encouragement, how we need to hear your voice this day. Your words, spoken, written and unspoken are a lifeblood to us in our walk with God. The strength you give is more than just praise, it is courage in our hearts and strength to our bones. Other gifts can be worshipped or devalued. Yours is often invisible. But know today that you are appreciated and loved more than you will ever know in this life. But also, I encourage you to be mindful. Just as you see the needs of others and find a way to give them courage and strength, so you must nurture your own need of encouragement. It is not possible to love others if we do not also love ourselves. And when the pain and stress come, take special care that you do not turn your words to cause pain, as a cry of help to let others know you are wounded. Instead, turn to the ear that is always willing to listen and to the arms that are always there to comfort.
To my friends with the gift of giving, I pray that you will continue to contribute generously to the needs of others. Your giving is a light in a dark place and through your gift, the work of God can move with power in the Church. Many will not appreciate the spiritual nature of your gift, but know that yours is a gift of life to many. You do not give for reward, but you will see the fruits of your giving in the transformed lives of many. But also, I encourage you to be mindful. Take care of the temptation to give with ulterior motive. Your wealth or contribution is a gift from Christ to his bride and you are a channel for this love. Do not let others give you power that corrupts or praise that deflects from other areas that merit those words if encouragement. Know that in your giving you are giving from and into the love of Christ.
To my friends with a gift of leadership, I pray a blessing on you as you help steer the ship on its journey. Your gifts of planning, motivation, vision casting and organisation help us in ways that many take for granted and some even oppose. We all need to remind ourselves that your gift of looking ahead and guiding is as spiritual as any other and is equally spirit led. The work you do behind the scenes is a blessing to us all and know that God sees what goes on behind closed doors, in your studies and places if inspiration. But also, I encourage you to be mindful. Yours is a gift that can lead to an abuse of power. Remember that a gift is not the same as a role or position. Some will put you on a pedestal and will start to follow you, not the Lord you follow. Do not forget to develop and encourage the gifts of others and take care to avoid shining the spotlight on yourself. Just as you lead others, allow yourself to be led. Then God can use you in powerful ways to grow the Kingdom.
To my friends with the gift of showing mercy, I rejoice that you are the hands and feet of Christ. You are the reminder to the world that ours is not a faith of rules, judgement and condemnation, but one of mercy, love and compassion. Through your actions, the world can touch and feel the love of Christ. You exemplify the great commands of Christ, his old and new. But also, I encourage you to be mindful. Take care that your remember to show yourself the mercy and love you show others. And as you show mercy, do it cheerfully, not with sombre face or bitterness in your heart. Show your mercy with the same giving spirit of the woman and the jar of expensive perfume. Then the world will taste and see that the Lord is good.
And together, my dear brother and sister, we are the body of Christ on earth. Only together can we be complete, not lacking in any gift. Lord, bind us together in love. Give us strength to not only tolerate one another but to deeply love and value one another.
Amen.
To my friends with the gift of prophesy, I encourage you to spend time in prayer to seek out the heart and mind of God. And then speak. Share with those to whom you are directed, and speak. Your words do not need to be long and flowing, you do not need to be in a pulpit. You have a gift of speaking forth the words of God and should touch the lives of others with them. But also, I encourage you to be mindful. Words can build up and they can tear down. Out of the same mouth can come blessing and curse. At times you will have words for others but will add your own, perhaps unintentionally. You should also ask God for a discerning heart to know how to give a message, when to give a message, what message to give (sometimes less is more) and if to give it at all. There are times when God reveals things to you so that you can pray for others.
To my friends with the gift of serving, I encourage you to give all your strength as if serving our Lord Jesus himself. When you work , do not seek the praise of man, but look for the pleasure of God upon you. Your service might go unnoticed by some, but it will be appreciated by God. Your gift frees up others to use theirs and you must never devalue what God has given you. But also, I encourage you to be mindful. Take care that your wonderful gift of serving does not subtly shift into a salvation by works. Hard work is a good thing, but it should not be a goal or a measure of faith. Take care not to judge others who do not see things the same way as you. Yours is a gift to be appreciated in others but never demanded.
To my friends with the gift of teaching, I give thanks for your faithfulness to God's Word. I encourage you to persevere in your own learning so that you have more bounty to share with others. Thank you for helping us understand more about the complexities of the Bible and for your dedication towards truth. But also, I encourage you to be mindful. Take care that you do not place truth above love, or try to rationalise harsh words that express your own anger and claim that these are only true words spoken in love. We all hurt at the misrepresentation of God, but we must love one another into a better place. Your gift is one to treasure and nurture, but take care that you do not lose sight of the wood for the trees.
To my friends with the gift of encouragement, how we need to hear your voice this day. Your words, spoken, written and unspoken are a lifeblood to us in our walk with God. The strength you give is more than just praise, it is courage in our hearts and strength to our bones. Other gifts can be worshipped or devalued. Yours is often invisible. But know today that you are appreciated and loved more than you will ever know in this life. But also, I encourage you to be mindful. Just as you see the needs of others and find a way to give them courage and strength, so you must nurture your own need of encouragement. It is not possible to love others if we do not also love ourselves. And when the pain and stress come, take special care that you do not turn your words to cause pain, as a cry of help to let others know you are wounded. Instead, turn to the ear that is always willing to listen and to the arms that are always there to comfort.
To my friends with the gift of giving, I pray that you will continue to contribute generously to the needs of others. Your giving is a light in a dark place and through your gift, the work of God can move with power in the Church. Many will not appreciate the spiritual nature of your gift, but know that yours is a gift of life to many. You do not give for reward, but you will see the fruits of your giving in the transformed lives of many. But also, I encourage you to be mindful. Take care of the temptation to give with ulterior motive. Your wealth or contribution is a gift from Christ to his bride and you are a channel for this love. Do not let others give you power that corrupts or praise that deflects from other areas that merit those words if encouragement. Know that in your giving you are giving from and into the love of Christ.
To my friends with a gift of leadership, I pray a blessing on you as you help steer the ship on its journey. Your gifts of planning, motivation, vision casting and organisation help us in ways that many take for granted and some even oppose. We all need to remind ourselves that your gift of looking ahead and guiding is as spiritual as any other and is equally spirit led. The work you do behind the scenes is a blessing to us all and know that God sees what goes on behind closed doors, in your studies and places if inspiration. But also, I encourage you to be mindful. Yours is a gift that can lead to an abuse of power. Remember that a gift is not the same as a role or position. Some will put you on a pedestal and will start to follow you, not the Lord you follow. Do not forget to develop and encourage the gifts of others and take care to avoid shining the spotlight on yourself. Just as you lead others, allow yourself to be led. Then God can use you in powerful ways to grow the Kingdom.
To my friends with the gift of showing mercy, I rejoice that you are the hands and feet of Christ. You are the reminder to the world that ours is not a faith of rules, judgement and condemnation, but one of mercy, love and compassion. Through your actions, the world can touch and feel the love of Christ. You exemplify the great commands of Christ, his old and new. But also, I encourage you to be mindful. Take care that your remember to show yourself the mercy and love you show others. And as you show mercy, do it cheerfully, not with sombre face or bitterness in your heart. Show your mercy with the same giving spirit of the woman and the jar of expensive perfume. Then the world will taste and see that the Lord is good.
And together, my dear brother and sister, we are the body of Christ on earth. Only together can we be complete, not lacking in any gift. Lord, bind us together in love. Give us strength to not only tolerate one another but to deeply love and value one another.
Amen.
Wednesday, 16 October 2013
Is the Bible simple and straightforward to understand?
I was reading a debate recently where some people were describing the Bible as being clear.
Over the months, many have also used the expressions "the plain reading of Scripture" or "the Bible is unambiguously clear". These are usually in the context of sin and homosexuality.
We do need to acknowledge the incredible hard work that Bible translators over the centuries have put into translating the original texts. Anyone with a knowledge of translation will know that this is no easy task. There is no such thing as a literal translation, as words and language have meaning that is bound up with their context and culture. To give a simple example, take the French expression "je t'aime". What does this mean?
In one context, it means "I love you". In another context it means "I like you". These different understandings could have profound implications in certain situations! Some words do not translate at all into other languages. Some have many words for snow or types of cloud or weather.
And then, there is historical context. A word can change its meaning over time. Take for example the word "gay". Decades ago, this meant happy or bright. Now it means homosexual. In some contexts it is a fashion statement.
Bible translators have a very tricky job of not only finding the original meaning of a word in its original context, but they must then choose a word that conveys a similar meaning in the new context. This is why we have countless Bible translations on our shelves and why there is no single "best translation". You might be interested to know that the word "homosexual" does not feature in the Bible for example, but translators used that word to convey different meanings into a context where they felt it was the best word (do a word search online in the old King James Bible if you don't believe me!).
But another thing we must remember about the Bible is that it is not a single book, but a collection of 66 books, which include poetry, song, stories, historical documentation, biography, prophetic vision, pastoral letters and more.
When someone says "the Bible says..." they usually mean "my understanding of what God teaches us through the Bible is..." At least, I hope they do. Sometimes it feels like the Bible is a glove puppet that pops up and starts speaking to people from behind a pulpit.
We must also remember that the early Church did not have the Bible we know today. They created much of the New Testament themselves, yet God clearly spoke to them in different ways.
In light of all these facts, we should be cautious when we hear the words "the Bible clearly says..." Really, we are trying to discern the will of God through the Bible. I personally believe that God inspired the writers and that God speaks to us today through the Bible and that the Bible translators take great care in their work. However, it is clear that throughout the centuries, different understandings of what God says through the Bible have resulted in countless denominations, religious orders, divisions and even war.
This is not to say we should discard the Bible. I have had profoundly moving spiritual experiences through devotional Bible studies. The Bible is the first place I turn to after prayer when looking for guidance in life. We can learn so much about God, Jesus, the Church and how to live lives as Christians through the amazing words of these sacred texts.
However, we worship a living God, not a book about a living God. God speaks to us through the Bible, yes. He also speaks to us in different ways and through different people. The key is that each time we think we know what God would say, to return to God in prayer and ask him directly! We need to check our initial interpretations for the consistency with the message, example and life of Jesus. We need to discern through the Holy Spirit residing in us if we are on the right track. We need to check things out with the community of believers. These are all important safeguards in our walk as Christians.
The Bible is the most amazing book in the world. Through it, God transformed my life and I love it dearly and I would fight for it to be freely available to all. It is most certainly not simple and straightforward (and at times can be very unclear), but then neither is God and neither are we. If the Bible were a simple textbook with all the answers, then we wouldn't need the gifts of teaching or preaching. We would just need to hand everyone a copy and say "just do what it says".
Over the months, many have also used the expressions "the plain reading of Scripture" or "the Bible is unambiguously clear". These are usually in the context of sin and homosexuality.
We do need to acknowledge the incredible hard work that Bible translators over the centuries have put into translating the original texts. Anyone with a knowledge of translation will know that this is no easy task. There is no such thing as a literal translation, as words and language have meaning that is bound up with their context and culture. To give a simple example, take the French expression "je t'aime". What does this mean?
In one context, it means "I love you". In another context it means "I like you". These different understandings could have profound implications in certain situations! Some words do not translate at all into other languages. Some have many words for snow or types of cloud or weather.
And then, there is historical context. A word can change its meaning over time. Take for example the word "gay". Decades ago, this meant happy or bright. Now it means homosexual. In some contexts it is a fashion statement.
Bible translators have a very tricky job of not only finding the original meaning of a word in its original context, but they must then choose a word that conveys a similar meaning in the new context. This is why we have countless Bible translations on our shelves and why there is no single "best translation". You might be interested to know that the word "homosexual" does not feature in the Bible for example, but translators used that word to convey different meanings into a context where they felt it was the best word (do a word search online in the old King James Bible if you don't believe me!).
But another thing we must remember about the Bible is that it is not a single book, but a collection of 66 books, which include poetry, song, stories, historical documentation, biography, prophetic vision, pastoral letters and more.
When someone says "the Bible says..." they usually mean "my understanding of what God teaches us through the Bible is..." At least, I hope they do. Sometimes it feels like the Bible is a glove puppet that pops up and starts speaking to people from behind a pulpit.
We must also remember that the early Church did not have the Bible we know today. They created much of the New Testament themselves, yet God clearly spoke to them in different ways.
In light of all these facts, we should be cautious when we hear the words "the Bible clearly says..." Really, we are trying to discern the will of God through the Bible. I personally believe that God inspired the writers and that God speaks to us today through the Bible and that the Bible translators take great care in their work. However, it is clear that throughout the centuries, different understandings of what God says through the Bible have resulted in countless denominations, religious orders, divisions and even war.
This is not to say we should discard the Bible. I have had profoundly moving spiritual experiences through devotional Bible studies. The Bible is the first place I turn to after prayer when looking for guidance in life. We can learn so much about God, Jesus, the Church and how to live lives as Christians through the amazing words of these sacred texts.
However, we worship a living God, not a book about a living God. God speaks to us through the Bible, yes. He also speaks to us in different ways and through different people. The key is that each time we think we know what God would say, to return to God in prayer and ask him directly! We need to check our initial interpretations for the consistency with the message, example and life of Jesus. We need to discern through the Holy Spirit residing in us if we are on the right track. We need to check things out with the community of believers. These are all important safeguards in our walk as Christians.
The Bible is the most amazing book in the world. Through it, God transformed my life and I love it dearly and I would fight for it to be freely available to all. It is most certainly not simple and straightforward (and at times can be very unclear), but then neither is God and neither are we. If the Bible were a simple textbook with all the answers, then we wouldn't need the gifts of teaching or preaching. We would just need to hand everyone a copy and say "just do what it says".
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