Guest Post : Three Reasons Why I Preach an Armenian Theology

October 25, 2013 By Roger E. Olson Leave a Comment

“Three Reasons Why I Preach An Arminian Theology” by T. E. Hanna (Guest Post)

I think it is fair to say that our contemporary Christian subculture is saturated in a Reformed theology.

This isn’t necessarily bad. Many of these voices hail from brilliant scholars whose knowledge and wisdom adds powerful depth and vibrancy to our understanding of God and scripture. D. A. Carson’s commentary on the New Testament use of the Hebrew Scriptures, for example, is always within reach when I dig through one of Paul’s epistles. The cultural reflections of The Gospel Coalition provide ready handles for grabbing hold of contemporary issues and thinking through them from a Christian perspective. Tim Challies has a powerful gift for breaking down complex theological ideas into easily accessible concepts. These voices add something of value to our modern Christian landscape.

At the same time, the sweeping move within Western Christianity to adopt a theological lens rooted in Calvinism means that other pieces of the puzzle — important pieces —are either left behind or left wanting.

As a pastor, I have found that proclaiming an Arminian theology to my congregation has become increasingly important amidst the growing influence of Reformed theology. Not only does Arminianism staunchly defend the character of a good and loving God, but it also retains the power of the Christian hope. In a world where hope is challenged by the repeated barrage of the suffering we see in the media, the beauty of the Christian message is sorely needed.

An Arminian understanding retains this hope, and it does so on three levels.

1. Hope For Our World

Rather than a marked selection of individuals chosen by God to one day leave earth behind and step into a heavenly kingdom, Arminianism presents a God whose kingdom is invading our world even as we speak. This is part of the glory of Christianity — that when Jesus arose from the waters of His baptism proclaiming that “the kingdom of God is at hand”, He meant what He said. Our world is a broken place, afflicted with the realities of suffering and pain, but the Spirit that hovered over the waters in Genesis 1 still broods over His creation. What we find is a hope for the present, a restoration that begins now, and a God who invites us into the midst of His work.

2. Hope For Our Communities

The Reformed doctrine of Unconditional Election paints a stark picture when faced with those who do not yet know Christ. If God chooses some for salvation and not others, the parallel implication is that He thus rejects some and not others. Hope languishes in the face of an unchanging God that has chosen to reject from salvation some of the very people we have come to love. An Arminian perspective addresses this, however, removing that rejection from God and placing it where it belongs: in the human heart. The beauty of this is that such a rejection is not yet final. While God is unchanging, we are not. God is still working, still extending His grace, still inviting our friends and family to respond to His love. This imparts to us a responsibility to make that love known, but it also fills us with hope in knowing that just as He wooed us, so is He wooing them. They, too, have the opportunity to respond to the grace that He so lovingly extends to all.

3. Hope For Ourselves

Perhaps the most beautiful aspect of Arminian theology is found in the broader concept of salvation. To us, salvation is so much more than those slated for heaven and those abandoned to hell. Instead, salvation is about life — abundant life — that begins here and extends forth into eternity. What we are being rescued from is not just eternal condemnation, but sin itself. Sin, left unchecked, will ultimately consume and destroy us. The beauty of grace, however, is that these chains are slowly being stripped from our soul. This is the image of sanctification to which we cling: that we are progressively being freed from those very things which rob us of our own humanity. Freedom does not wait until the kingdom of God is manifested in the eschaton. It begins now, transforming and shaping us, and leading us on into the eternity where our glorious hope shall finally be viewed in full.

This is why I preach an Arminian theology. It is not only because I hold it to be true, but because I believe it to be necessary. In an era where the objects of our hope are challenged on a daily basis, we need to be reminded that God is still here. He is still working. He is still restoring. He is still loving and extending His grace.

It is in his grace where our hope finds wings.

T E Hanna is the author of Raising Ephesus: Christian Hope for a Post-Christian Age, and he writes regularly on issues of faith and culture on his blog atOfDustAndKings.com.

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NO Harm, NO Follow?

Reader: Got a Question for you. Read Luke 10:19 Jesus said he would not allow anything to harm them and yet everyone of them but John died a martyrs death? Can you explain that on to me? WOW!! That really hit me! Pastor Wayne Claybaugh. Founder In The Garden Ministries. See ITGM link below.

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JG:  This was about the time that Jesus sent His followers out to evangelize in a sometimes hostile environment.  My first thought is that this is not a universal promise but a temporal promise. 

We know that we can't mess with snakes and drink poison etc. without paying the price and He isn't saying "Throw aside all caution and common sense friends." He is saying, however, in this particular time I empower (ordain) you with powers  you may never receive again, nor will most others have them.  This ordination may have carried a special dispensation from all harm, but when that task was complete, they needed to watch their asps. 

The other possibility is that someone in the many layers of translation placed this idea in the text to elevate the disciples to an exalted place, above mere mortals. Thus when they or their appointed successors speak, it carries the authority of Christ Himself.  The same thing happened in the last chapter of Mark where some uncharacteristic commands about snakes and poison were not part of the oldest texts/codices.  

I know that scares fundamentalists, but when we can't reconcile the big truths of the Word with the small ones, we need to consider other possibilities. Yes, some monks had agendas, as did most of the early Church Fathers.  

It's also possible that this was, hyperbole, a statement made to encourage his fearful followers. Hyperbole need not be untrue,  but a colorful way to speak the truth, with a sometimes exaggerated tone. "Oh stop whining! Go out there and do your job. And don't worry about the boogey man or even snakes".  Jesus used hyperbole in His parables too, but that's another subject. 

Is it your personal experience that nothing harmful ever came your way while faithfully following Christ? Probably not. Therefore, if you choose to be rigid, you may say one of two things: 1) God's word is not true, or 2) You are such a terrible hypocrite that His promises don't apply to you. Neither is true. So, you must go to a third, or fourth, or fifth option and consider things like: 1) the context of the promise, is it temporary/localized, or  eternal?  and/or 2) is the text itself suspect because it does not resonate with the great body of Christian witness?  and 3) What can you glean from the text as the greatest truth, and cling to it?    

Clearly it doesn't mean anyone who is an evangelist is always immune to decay, demise or destruction. We only remember those who lived a long time but many died too young as well, and are unknown or forgotten by humankind. 

Obviously, there are many more explanations ranging from the far right to the far left of the theological scale. For me, the further I get from the extremes the easier it is to understand such things. As I age, I loosen the grip of dogma and superstition that characterized me for so long, and snuggle up to things that sound like, look like and feel like Jesus.  Remember, we don't worship the scripture, we worship the God and the Truth behind it. 

When one teaching supersedes another, choose the strongest, most sensible and closest to the nature of Christ and go with it. 

Maybe this helps? 

Blessings. 

Gestalt Prayers

It wouldn’t be right to ignore the fact that there are also some less admirable reasons why people pray. One is a desire to entreat God to make life fair, level, and tidy. David often prayed what I call leveling prayers, where he asked God to dump some painful justice on his enemies, much like kids do to their dads when a bully bothers them. When pressured by people who sought to destroy or slander him, he called upon God to vindicate him (see Psalm 3).

That kind of praying involves what psychologists call gestalt, which is a theory that people have an image of how things ought to be, and they can’t rest until that image becomes reality. So if something is awry, make it right. We saw gestalt in action once when my parents were visiting us for the holidays. One day Barbara asked if anyone knew where the yardstick was, and my Dad said, “Yeah, it’s hanging in the basement where it belongs.” In his mind, yardsticks didn’t belong in kitchens, but in basements, so he found a good place to put it somewhere near the washer and dryer, and there it hung.

I suspect many praying people run to Poppa to see if He’ll level their playing field or solve their latest problem. Such praying isn’t necessarily bad, but sometimes the problem’s fix isn’t God’s responsibility. Or it represents a lesson that requires your perseverance and trust.

Gestalt also works its way into what I call global prayers. This is when people piously entreat God to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, or enforce world peace. While such prayers make the supplicant feel good about their investment in the world’s problems, I fear their efforts are mostly futile because they pass all the responsibility for justice to God. It’s easy to say you’ll pray for someone, or to humbly boast about your keen insight into the plight of the world. But if you’re burdened by the world’s starving masses, don’t dump that on God; send money to those who feed hungry people. If you worry about the homeless, volunteer in a shelter. If turmoil in other lands bothers you, live peacefully in your own world. As long as you can put hands and feet on your prayers, do it before you ask God to get involved. Only then can you be certain that your concern and faith are real (see James 2:14–19).

Invariably, prayer becomes more urgent as personal power over a circumstance diminishes. When you get the bad news that cancer has invaded your body, you intuitively know how to rush the gates of heaven with passionate petitions for health. Conversely, when you have control over your life and things go well, does prayer become more perfunctory than passionate? Such a reaction is automatic, instinctual, even understandable, but it’s also regrettable. Why? Because that kind of praying limits the potential of prayer to immediate needs and overlooks the long-term values that build character, integrity, and faith.

When General William Booth, co-founder of The Salvation Army, heard that there were hoards of home “homeless people sleeping under bridges in the cold, his orders to the troops were simple and direct: “Well, do something!” While simplistic on the surface, he understood that spiritual concern begins with compassion and extends into practical assistance. His expectations were high, but his was vision simple. He might have just as easily said: “Don’t wring your hands about the world’s hungry people; feed someone. Don’t worry about people dying in the cold; give them shelter. Don’t pray about world peace; be a peacemaker.”

Let’s be clear. It’s wonderful that God’s people care about the suffering of others, and it’s just as wonderful to pray about it, but all of that is useless gestalt if you don’t do something about it as well. So if prayer isn’t about obtaining things, what’s it about? One thing we know for sure: prayer isn’t a game of spiritual persuasion where the biggest lobby groups carry more weight than individual saints. If you doubt that, note that James 5:17 teaches how one single person is enough to move God to action: “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (NKJV)

Jesus’ answer to those who worried too much about all the things of life was also simple yet direct: “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). In other words, pray to gain a relationship with Him, and then allow Him to share His nature with you before worrying about things like fairness, leveling, or personal justice. Completely entrusting your circumstance and providence to Him takes more will power and spiritual work than anything in life. But when you learn to do that each day, you’ll never again need to worry about getting all those other things.

Excerpt From: Jack Corbin Getz. “Praying When Prayer Doesn't Work.” iUniverse, 2010-06-30. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.

Check out this book on the iBooks Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/praying-when-prayer-doesnt/id489829837?mt=11

Try reading this important secret about prayer...

“Through the ages, millions of sincere practitioners have attempted to corral the “secrets” of prayer, and countless more have attempted to teach others “how to” pray. Because praying is personal communion with God, contrived prayers using other’s words can leave you feeling frustrated and empty, not alive and brimming with faith. Martin Luther understood this when he prayed, “Grant that I may not pray alone with the mouth; help me that I may pray from the depths of my heart.”

Pay close attention to the words Jesus’ disciple used when asking Him for help with prayer: “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of His disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray’” (Luke 11:1). It’s not a great leap to suggest that the disciple’s desire was to learn to pray, not how to pray. He didn’t want a primer on techniques; he wanted to understand the desire that drove Jesus to pray as He did. Contrary to common belief, prayer isn’t an art form to learn, it’s an association to pursue. We need to activate personal motivations that cause us to want to pray more than learn “how to” pray[…] we need less information and more inspiration about heightening spiritual desire to do whatever it takes to spend time with God.”

Excerpt From: Jack Corbin Getz. “Praying When Prayer Doesn't Work.” iUniverse, 2010-06-30. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.

Check out this book on the iBooks Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/praying-when-prayer-doesnt/id489829837?mt=11

Some interesting words about Matthew

/ Church / Church History / Timeline / AD 1-300 / Matthew, Christ's Biographer

Matthew, Christ's Biographer

Dan Graves, MSL

Church History Timeline

6000-1 BCAD 1-300301-600601-900901-12001201-15001501-16001601-17001701-18001801-19001901-20002001-Now

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Little enough is known of any of the apostles. Of Paul, Peter, and John we have the most detail. Regarding those apostles who bring up at the tail of the apostolic lists, we have the least. Matthew is somewhere between.

His name was originally Levi. We know that Matthew and Levi are one and the same person because the gospels of Matthew and Luke record a feast at which Jesus was criticized for association with publicans: Luke attributes this banquet to Levi; The Gospel of Matthew attributes it to Matthew.

In his gospel (if it is his), Matthew tells that Christ approached him as he collected taxes and said, "Follow me." Immediately he arose and followed. Perhaps he had had one too many arguments that day. Perhaps he had been cursed by an irate taxpayer one name too many. Since he worked a booth near Capurnaum, he had, no doubt, heard of Christ. For all we know, Matthew may have been one of the tax collectors converted by John. Although tax collectors were generally hated by the Jews as rapacious instruments of the oppressive Romans, nothing says Matthew was dishonest. Tax collectors came to John the Baptist and asked what they should do. "Collect no more than is owed you," replied John.

At any rate Matthew rose immediately and followed Jesus, leaving his past behind. His humility is everywhere shown by his allusion to himself. "Matthew, the publican," he calls himself, branding himself with the profession the Jews most hated.

His original name, Levi, suggests that he was a man of the priestly tribe. When he wrote his gospel, after years of exposure to the teachings of Christ and days of fierce persecution, he was the only one of the four who directly addressed the Jews. Matthew showed deep interest in the priestly and scribal functions of his class. His gospel more than any other focuses on law and the fulfillment of scriptures and on genealogy and detail which reflects his Jewish background. Christ's fierce denunciations of the Pharisees and his prophecies of the end of the temple are most fully recorded in the writing of this apostle.

Matthew's interest in money finds expression, too. The parable of the talents is found only in his account along with many other beautiful passages of great richness. Herbert Lockyer notes that Matthew uses more words for money than any other gospel writer.

Matthew was well-to-do. As soon as he came to Christ he threw a party and invited others of his unsavory profession. He wanted to share Christ with them. No doubt similar concerns motivated him when he wrote his gospel in an attempt to share Christ with the whole Jewish race. We have nothing but legend about Matthew's death. His feast in the Roman Catholic Church is on this day, September 21.

Bibliography

1. Bell, Mrs. Arthur. Saints in Christian Art. London: George Bell, 1901 - 1904.
2. Butler, Alban. Lives of the Saints. Westminster, Maryland: Christian Classics, 1981, 1956.
3. Jacquier, E. "St. Matthew." Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Appleton, 1914.
4. Lockyer, Herbert. All the Apostles of the Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1972.
5. McBirnie, William Steuart. The Search for the Twelve Apostles. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1973.
6. Vigeveno, H. S. Thirteen Men Who Changed the World. Glendale, California: Regal, 1966.

Last updated April, 2007.

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St. Matthias

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Praying Backwards

Praying Backwards

“The actions of the godly always begin with trust and progress through willful choices toward God’s best for them, not settling for what’s merely good. 

Take a minute to think about the critical moments in your life. Did you respond or react? What were the consequences of your decisions? Did you make a good choice, or did you veer off into darkness? Remember, using prayer triggers and trusting in God always gets you safely home.

Ineffective praying, with its resultant spiritual restlessness, thrives on reactions and bad choices made in the outer ring of circumstances, not in discerning responses that lead you Godward. Staying in the problem means you disregard God’s invitation to draw near toward the vortex of home. 

Every circumstance has associated feelings that try to get you to remain in them, or worse, retreat backward toward the problem for a solution. Had the Prodigal Son chosen to “make the best” of his pigpen, he would have missed the incredible joy awaiting him at home. Leaving that dirty sty didn’t mean he was running away from his problems, but that he was heading home to ultimate solutions. Clearly, he made the best decision.

The old hymn still says it best: “Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear; all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.”

Excerpt From: Jack Corbin Getz. “Praying When Prayer Doesn't Work.” iUniverse, 2010-06-30. iBooks.  This material is protected by copyright. 

Facebook friends- "Like" Praying When Prayer Doesn't Work.

Carl Sandberg's great insight about us!

"There is an eagle in me who wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud." Carl Sandberg

Laughing at our friends and allies!

John Cleese has it about right: 

"The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent events in Syria and have therefore raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies nearly ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to "A Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was in 1588, when threatened by the Spanish Armada.

The Scots have raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's get the Bastards." They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300 years.
The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide." The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France 's white flag factory, effectively paralysing the country's military capability.

Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout Loudly and Excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans have increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose."

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual; the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.

Australia, meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to "She'll be alright, Mate." Two more escalation levels remain: "Crikey! I think we'll need to cancel the barbie this weekend!" and "The barbie is cancelled." So far no situation has ever warranted use of the last final escalation level.

-- John Cleese - British writer, actor and tall person.

A famous Contrarian still speaks!

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the 

majority, it is time to pause and reflect.

Mark Twain 

Wise words from John Sullivan about recovering in times of loss

John Sullivan
From: Former Salvation Army Officers' Fellowship

This message is about what we do when things do not go well. What we do reveals the kind of person we are. Do we panic? Do we fold up in a state of paralysis? Do we withdraw from the situation in fear or hurt? Do we protest and ask, "Why did this happen?

The first thing to do is to sit down for a half-hour and do nothing. We need to breathe deeply, until one's body quiets down, then we need to say to our inner self these four things:

1.There is nothing that has happened to me that hasn't happened to others.
2. I knew ahead of time that as a human being I ran the risk of something like this.
3. There are people who do their greatest work under these conditions.
4. I don't know how I'm going to handle this, but I know that I can.

Then it is time to pray. Instead of praying for something, pray about it. In one sense we've already been doing it. We have been thinking about our situation in God's presence before we ask for anything. We have been draining off some of the bitterness in our self.

If we can be quiet long enough, we will begin to see the situation in which we find our self not only from our point of view, but we'll see it from another point of view, and it will look different. Then it is time to ask God for what we want. If we want help, ask for it. If we want to win some battle, fought behind the closed doors of our life, ask for a victory. If we want to get out of a difficult situation, ask God to help us get out of it.

And after we ask, then we need to go to work on our self. If we want to be well, we need to work with the forces of nature that will help to make us well. If we want a friend we need to be a friend to someone. If we want to find the meaning of life, we need to begin by making some corner of our life to mean something. We will not get what we want just for the asking. We may get something greater than what we asked for. We may get what we wish all of us could get, and that is a deeper root-age in things.

One of the reasons why we're so likely to snap in heavy storms, the way trees do, is that our roots don't go deep enough. The deeper our root-age is, the greater the lifting power will be; that is the deeper we go into the very nature of existence, the more realistic we are about life and suffering, the greater lifting power we will have when time comes for us to raise some great burden that we would never choose, but which has been laid upon us.

I wonder if this is what Isaiah meant by waiting upon the Lord: "They shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint." When things do not go well, we will wait upon the Lord: we will sit down, we will stop fussing, we will let the engine idle, and say the four things to our self, and then pray about it. When we have waited. we are more likely to find that we will not only have the strength to walk, step by step, day by day, and not faint.

Jerrod Cooper stirs my soul every day...that's saying smething.

JERROD  COOPER is a British radio evangelist who is fun to listen to yet he's deep with fresh insights that stir my soul every time I hear him. It's not the sameo sameo repetitive blather we hear so often.

His website doesn't have radio links that I can see. I hear him in the morning at 8 on UCB Gospel radio via internet on Tunein Radio. 

He's worth searching for. He stirs my often-dry-soul with wit, humor and great Biblical insight. I worshipped with him this morning and it felt good. 

Blessings.

www.daysofwonder.org.uk

Matthew Henry was a smart man!

The following is taken from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Bible. This man lived long ago when not everyone had easy access to scripture, and even less of the education required to gain the deepest insights from the written word. I find his insights and imagery into the familiar story of Moses and the burning bush helpful, even refreshing. I hope you find a few minutes to chew on this man's manna for today.

I especially like his vision of the burning bush being a symbol of the ongoing bondage of Israel (he considers Israel the early expression of the church). Ongoing heat without consumption or  resolution. What a tortuous life! Some still live that way today, unaware of the freedom that comes with truth. That's another blog!

I also love his statements about the nature of fire. I write often about the limitless subject of truth and I use fire as the best metaphor to understand it's many expressions and functions :light, heat, destruction, cleansing, healing, protecting and teaching.

My next book struggles to lasso the issues surrounding truth and apply them to our choices of how we can live with integrity, character and honesty. Hopefully coming soon to a bookshelf near you!

Enjoy this today and see what the Spirit shares with you through both Logos and Rhema revelation.

Blessings!

The first appearance of God to Moses, found him tending sheep. This seems a poor employment for a man of his parts and education, yet he rests satisfied with it; and thus learns meekness and contentment, for which he is more noted in sacred writ, than for all his learning. Satan loves to find us idle; God is pleased when he finds us employed. Being alone, is a good friend to our communion with God. To his great surprise, Moses saw a bush burning without fire to kindle it. The bush burned, and yet did not burn away; an emblem of the church in bondage in Egypt. And it fitly reminds us of the church in every age, under its severest persecutions kept by the presence of God from being destroyed. Fire is an emblem, in Scripture, of the Divine holiness and justice, also of the afflictions and trials with which God proves and purifies his people, and even of that baptism of the Holy Ghost, by which sinful affections are consumed, and the soul changed into the Divine nature and image. Matthew Henry

Blog Perspectives...

Are you tired of all the things about Christianity that only seem to work for super saints or hyper saints? I am too. This blog makes statements and adds outside thoughts in any format because they  make sense to me.

If we could be perfectly honest (we can't) the TRUTH will make enough sense to people who hurt but find little comfort in the cliches usually associated with loss or defeat. Truth also speaks to those who question reality, only to get slapped down by those annoying types who have bags full of easy, scripted  answers, ready, and eager to distribute indiscriminately on anyone unfortunate enough to listen.

We may eventually find the light, our light, but we also understand we may never know the answers or the reasons behind our most challenging issues.  This is anything but a one-size-fits-all blog. It's supposed to make people think HONESTLY about the things that bug and baffle us about the  journey, and also to motivate us to share what's deep down inside, not just join the hoards who spew what they have been told to spew.

Ken Gire says that God is not indiscriminately intimate, and C.S. Lewis says the best things God does for us He does in us. That's what I'm talkin' about!

Join in. Enlighten me.

Blessings of Grace and Peace.

Read this poem if you have kids...:=}

I Learned to Swear by Pam Vap I learned to swear twenty minutes before my first child was born. Since then, it's been a handy habit to have around, and I expect God to turn his head. After all, he owes me one. It's a trick to make babies look so good. The truth is they leak. And of all horrors, they grow. They only speak whine; they cry and complain and wipe snot on their sleeves. They spill dinner. They stir pasta into their milk cups and squish spinach between their teeth. They eat crayons and toothpaste. They call constantly. They call constantly. Mom. Mom. Mom. Mo-om. They inhale money, bang down stairs, and store dirty socks and sandwich crusts like hidden treasures in their closets. They lipstick walls; they swallow marbles. They break things. Yet, God (no doubt in his wisdom) has ordained that these crude creatures should sleep incognito: gentle quiet warm. I am fooled easily. Each night as I tuck covers around them and bend to kiss their sweet, sleepy faces, I don't care that they used all the silverware in the garden. Let's fill the house with angels, I whisper to my husband as I slip between the sheets

Choosing Spiritual Health - by Dr. Colin Harris

Let’s imagine a fictitious scenario in which a person is asked, “Do you want to be healthy, or not?”  Kind of a no-brainer of a question, isn’t it?  But let’s think for a minute about what it involves.

I think most would quickly answer, “Why, healthy, of course!” – and the decision is made; we have made the choice.  But now we come to what this response involves.  First, we have to identify things in our personal behavior pattern that are detrimental to good health.  The range of possibilities is pretty broad – features of our diet that are less than healthy, ingestion of substances that may be harmful, patterns of work and other activities that are out of balance with what the body needs to function at an optimal level, relational dynamics that are toxic and stress producing, emotional stress that “weighs us down” and interferes with the balance of good maintenance. – the list could go on.  Often our choice for health requires adjustments on a number of levels that remove or reduce the ill effects of other choices that respond to  powerful needs and influences.  “Choosing health” is not as easy as it might have seemed.

Then our fictitious “chooser” is faced with another challenge.  Not only do we have to deal with those things that might be detrimental to our health, we find that we have to embrace a rather rigorous pattern of positive disciplines.  We no longer can just eat what tastes good, but we have to learn and embrace a diet of nutritious nourishment that will optimize our physical functioning.  This requires both knowledge and the discipline to follow what we know.

Along with diet, we learn that an appropriate level of physical exercise is necessary to maintain the best functioning of the complex systems that make up our physical being.  Like diet, this is a somewhat personal pattern – not everyone will be an athlete, but everyone will have a level of physical activity that is conducive to good health. 

Beyond that, we find that we have to balance the life patterns of work, rest, and recreation, so that the extremes of workaholism, sloth, and “party-animal-ism” are avoided.

Next, we find that finding and nourishing a community of healthy relationships has an impact on our health.  On the close personal level, and in the larger context of community life, all indications point to the benefits of supportive engagement with others – both giving and receiving -- as a factor in overall health.  The balance of privacy and community will differ for everyone, but finding that balance is an important part of the process of health.

Then we enter the more nebulous realm of other factors that have an impact.  We soon find that things like “meaning” and “purpose” are factors that influence health on a deeper level, and we engage the dimension of life we call “spiritual” or “religious.”  This dimension has many frameworks and expressions, some more traditional than others; but the function of this part of life seems pretty consistent.  It provides a frame of reference for life in its most comprehensive context.  Sometimes it is noted that this dimension is the realm of the ultimate “reason for living.”

It is here that our fictitious scenario connects with the affirmations of the lesson text.  The writer of Colossians is observing that the Christian path is an easy one to choose; but, like the choice of health, it is more complex than it might seem at the beginning.  There are things that must be abandoned and avoided (fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed  - v.5 – anger, wrath, malice, slander, abusive language, lying – v.8).  And there are things to be embraced with discipline (compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, love, and harmony – vv. 12-13).

We have noted many times how easy it is to think of our Christian faith as “getting one’s ticket to heaven punched” and being “saved and secure.”  The early Christians struggled with, and provided us help with, the idea that following Christ has more to do with “following” than with “believing” – embracing a life that is focused on “things that are above, not on things that are on earth” v.2.

Let’s think about the “health profile” of our Christian journey – about the things that are detrimental to it, and the things that characterize the discipline (note the two words “discipline” and “disciple”) that is conducive to good “spiritual health.”

A poetic view on living for this day by Mary Oliver

Poem - The Summer Day

I don't know exactly what a prayer is 

I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down 

into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass, 

how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,

which is what I have been doing all day. 

Tell me, what else should I have done? 

Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon? 

Tell me, what is it you plan to do 

with your one wild and precious life? 

Mary Oliver

Dealing with Loss

A dear friend who experienced a crippling loss of a child asked me if I ever view my loss as a blessing in disguise. My short answer is below. The long answer is what led me to write two books. One listed on this site, the other still in process.

My favorite quote about the potential value of personal loss comes in the form of a quote from Brennan Manning (I paraphrase): "Grace teaches us that the worst thing that ever happens to us is the best thing that ever happened to us".

To me that means it takes time for grace to complete its work in us. Immediate grace gets us through a crisis with relative sanity. Ongoing grace, however, does the hard work of patiently transforming us to accept, even embrace, a new reality that is not preferred at first. Grace leads to an eternal perspective with greater tolerance toward the thing (s) that once killed us with doubt and pain.

C.S. Lewis is the master of the discussion about the stages of loss. He felt his pain intensely, so much that he doubted his faith openly, in writing.  “We were promised sufferings. They were part of the program. We were even told, 'Blessed are they that mourn,' and I accept it. I've got nothing that I hadn't bargained for. Of course it is different when the thing happens to oneself, not to others, and in reality, not imagination.” ― C.S. Lewis,  A Grief Observed.

He goes on to say: “God has not been trying an experiment on my faith or love in order to find out their quality. He knew it already. It was I who didn't. In this trial He makes us occupy the dock, the witness box, and the bench all at once. He always knew that my temple was a house of cards. His only way of making me realize the fact was to knock it down.”  

Grace is the ultimate healer. It is not a quick fix, but an ongoing process that alters everything about us before it rests naturally in us. Gentle grace? Sometimes, but not always. It is a function of TRUTH that never rests until we embrace it, finding ourselves whole in a completely new way, His way. Until that happens, however, we think Manning's words are complete nonsense.

JG

Humility

Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less. CS Lewis.


“Some suggest humility forces people to ingest nasty things like humble pie or crow. From those images, you might think it’s something to avoid, like castor oil, not embrace. The humility that comes from the Spirit, however, is an assertive response of mature faith from people who hold to the demands of God’s truth and continue to trust in Him, despite circumstances. John Dryden captures the nature of humble faith when he says, “Trust on and think tomorrow will repay.”
Whether we ingest humility like candy or choke it down like crow, we can only enter into an effective prayer life through that act. Upon the completion of the magnificent first Temple in Jerusalem, God came to Solomon in a dream and spoke about the importance of humility. Knowing the Temple’s magnificence could easily create national arrogance, God reinforced the value of humility with this reminder: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). This if/then proposal was His solemn promise, but also a warning: be humble or perish in your pride.”

Excerpt From: Jack Corbin Getz. “Praying When Prayer Doesn't Work.” iUniverse, 2010-06-30. iBooks. See Blog for link to purchase.

This material may be protected by copyright.

Check out this book on the iBookstore: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/praying-when-prayer-doesnt/id489829837?mt=11: Jack Corbin Getz. “Praying When Prayer Doesn't Work.” iUniverse, 2010-06-30. iBooks.

Faith. Substance or Scam?

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your  ways my  ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts".

As I read the words of Isaiah 55:8-9 this morning,  a snippet of courage welled up in me to share a few lingering contrarian thoughts about the nature of faith. Briefly, I expect no self-respecting Christian to agree, but maybe some simple followers of Christ will.

First look at the orthodox position on faith. The Bible unceasingly stresses that faith is the fuel that makes the motor run. Without it, there is nothing but empty blather about theology, and in extreme cases, cynicism about God Himself.  Faith is said to be the one thing that moves God to forgive us, and it alone generates the power necessary to move God to indwell us with His Spirit.  All the great heroes were faith people and all of their victories are attributed to faith that God would be good to His word.

No faith?  No experience. No experience? No faith?

So far I agree, except those last two clever lines, which I just coined. It's the experience piece that seems to baffle me. I hear people speak about their experience with God all the time, and I see it plastered all over Facebook, as if making public statements about one's faith will influence others to: 1) Convert or  2) Congratulate them on their amazing faith.  It seems that wearing faith badges for everyone to see is a good way to passively "witness",  but if not judiciously done , it's also a subtle way to elicit much needed admiration.

Since my first book, Praying When Prayer Doesn't Work (See link on this blog), I have operated on the premise that much of what we hear others say about Christianity is more about dogma than experience. I have said for years that I seemed to have missed the boat when it comes to receiving all the spiritual kickbacks that others so readily claim they have in abundance. "The Lord said to me" is a classic, as is all that about Jesus being our best friend and constant companion. I grew up wondering why He didn't walk and talk with me and tell me I was His own.  It seemed like people heard voices all the time, that I missed hearing. I know one sane man who said He heard God's audible voice call him to ministry. I have another very sane friend who sees angels and auras around people. I can't doubt them because I am not them, but I can wonder why on the Faith-Experience continuum, I seem to be stuck at one end.  Funny enough, it's the faith end.

Now, I already know most , if not all the easy knee-jerk fundamentalist answers to my statements. They include, "You need to get saved, boy!"; "You need to spend more time seeking God"; "You need a good baptism of the Holly Gost!" (Phonetic writing).

All sound answers I'm sure, but it's odd the time I was the lowest spiritually and weakest carnally, I spent hours daily in prayer and Scripture reading, weeping and seeking something from above.   I was excepting a kick back, but got more silence.

The great ones say silence is not a sign that God is absent. Take Mother Teresa who says she spent six years hearing nothing from God. How about St. John the Divine, Brother Lawrence, Corrie Ten Boom and Jesus, all who witnessed to feeling forsaken at times? I guess C. S. Lewis also fits that category as well. His conversion was a logical choice, not a Damascus Road experience.

In my book I quote Ken Gire,  holding tightly to his words that "God is not indiscriminately intimate". Okay, I can understand that.  It's at least reasonable, and it doesn't  accuse me of spiritual sloth or ignorance because Jesus doesn't blow in my ear every twenty minutes, or "Mysteriously" show up when I  yield to the manipulations of public worship.  It makes sense that God's ways are not my ways, and when He's ready to speak or show me some angels, He will.

Until then? "Faith, boy, you need more faith".

The notion of faith being a scam relates to the underlying assumption of how so many speak of their faith.  Follow this trail of circular logic: The Bible says in order to find God, I must have faith.  How do I get faith? Believe the Bible is true when it speaks about getting faith. How do I know I can believe the Bible? Because it says it's true.

This reminds me of a Far Side cartoon that shows a Viking ship.  On one side there are four muscle bound brutes, on the other, three skinny wimps. While all are rowing hard, one of the brilliant leaders observes: “I’ve got it too Omar...a strange feeling like we’ve just been going in circles”.  

Obviously, faith is not something one can prove with words or equations. Faith is only proved in experience and told through personal witness. The faith of others may inspire us, but only our own faith experience carries the weight of credibility when it comes to what we say to others. That's why I have trouble with the "He walks with me and talks with me" saints. He doesn't do that with me, at least not that I'm aware of.  I think God is mostly silent, not warm and fuzzy. After all, if He lives in my pocket, I have no need for faith. Faith is only necessary when we can not see, not when we a BF's with the Almighty.

Remember, Paul teaches that faith and hope do not abide, only love. Why? What need is there for faith and hope in heaven where we will see completely all that is dark to us now.

The ubiquitous (and glib) promises of prayer coupled with all the amazing nuggets of pedantic or easy wisdom that I see flowing around Facebook from the super saints,  calls me to question my faith. Those people so easily create a dogma that explains God's silence and absence by saying that's the best part of being a believer – nothing happens. You know, that's when faith grows.

Again, why do we need faith? Top believe God is there, even when He doesn't appear to be active today with little hope for anything new tomorrow.

Isn't that circular logic?  Don't most of us believe the foundational tenet of my old teacher's college training that positive behavior needs to be rewarded with positive feedback?  So why doesn't God reward our positive demeanor with more holy vibes from above? Some say He does, every single time they pray, and even when they don't.  But I have both read the Bible and prayed and got the ever-inspiring silence that I'm suppose to regard as God's best reward. That's okay for awhile, but six years, Mother T?

I guess God's ways are not my ways, and His thoughts are much higher than mine. I admit, by Facebook standards,  I have no faith at all.  Maybe we all need to limit our super-saint faith talk to only that which comes from experience, not what we ought to be saying. Keep it real, and the millions who have wandered from the "faith of their fathers" will take notice.  

I may have more to say about this later. What do you say?