Our God is frustrating. I don't mean that in a disrespectful way, but I mean to catch your attention. God is sovereign and all knowing, and He orchestrates all things according to His own plan. We make plans every day, even if they are spontaneous, they're still our plans. We decide that we are going to have a burger for lunch, we decide today is the day to propose, we plan to get a paper done today, and we decide that in two weeks we are going to go on vacation. None of these things are bad, though many people plan to do wrong according to Proverbs 15:26. But our God is a God of frustration. Proverbs 16:9 says "The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." Not all of our plans pan out.
I have been learning that this year. I had plans to come to Patrick Henry College and graduate here, then to find a job I love and to get married. These plans are all pretty vague, except that I planned a specific place I wanted to be when I graduated. Now it looks like God has other plans. It seems I ignored James' advice. "Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." I had counted on my own plans, and now, due to circumstances out of my control (God's hand, as far as I can tell) my plans have been frustrated. I was upset, in more than one sense of the term. Like many saints before me I was displaced from where I thought God wanted me. My own plans were not His. God makes this clear in Jeremiah 55:8-9. What makes my situation worse is my original reaction. I was angry. Why would God bring me here just long enough that I should get comfortable, then force me to leave? Why would He let me come at all? These questions put me in an analogous position to Jonah. Not the sitting in the belly of a big fish, where Jonah learned to repent and obey God, but sitting under a withered weed where Jonah questioned God's mercy and justice. I was sitting under the withered weed of my self-centered hopes and blaming God for killing a plant I didn't even raise. I didn't do anything extraordinary to get to Patrick Henry, I was trusting God for every cent to pay for the education. I had even made this clear to myself beforehand. So when I found out I wouldn't be able to come back next semester, I should have accepted the change as God's new plan for my life, but instead, I questioned His wisdom.
Recently I have been getting over my resentment. Almost every conversation I have had in the last week has centered around the goodness of God and His plans for my future. Romans 8:28 has been coming to mind frequently. Though out of context, I have been connecting the idea of God's good plans for me from here and Jeremiah 29:11 with a passage in James 1, where James tells us that all good things come from God. God's plans for me are good. In this I have faith. He is good, sovereign and will not fail to reward those who love Him, be it on earth or in the Kingdom.
George Müller is one of my heroes. His faith that God would provide everything he needed and that God's will for him was where he needed to be was seemingly unwavering. (Though as a man, I suspect he had many doubts.) I came to Patrick Henry wanting to be like George Müller, never wanting for anything because of God's provision, but I didn't have the faith to let God choose my path. I tried to direct my own way and then let God provide what I needed to follow it. Who is to say God won't still do this, but I suspect God wants me to follow a different path now, and that He will provide, but in a much different way than I had planned. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
-From my desk at Patrick Henry College
In faith, Justus
Proverbs 15:26, Proverbs 16:9, James 4:13-14, Jeremiah 55:8-9, Jonah 4, Romans 8:28, Jeremiah 29:11, James 1:17, Proverbs 3:5-6
About Me
- Justus
- Hi, my name is Justus, I'm a Christian.I attended Patrick Henry College for three semesters, and I'll transfer to College of the Ozarks this fall. I love the Lord Jesus Christ the savior of my soul. He has made me new. He leads me in the Old Path; He is the Way. I am not perfect; my Lord is sanctifying me though.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Hats Off
Here's another old path post. I'm going to preface this by telling you that I'm a complementarian. (Not a chauvinist.) I believe that God created man and women with specific roles in mind. Those roles are no greater than each other, and man is no greater than woman, but they have their own vocations. Now to the actual post.
I hear tell about a time when a man would doff his cap when a woman walked pas,t when men held doors for women and nothing was thought of it, and when ma'am was a commonly heard word. I'm not saying women shouldn't wear pants or that men should drop their coats in puddles for women, but I wish we could go back to some of those old traditions. I see today's man devaluing women and women fighting them tooth and nail for a place among the men, but the things I hear about the days of chivalry and gentlemen makes me wonder why the women don't fight for those. Women want equal jobs, that's fine with me, but what they really should be after is the tip of the cap and an open door.
In 1 Peter 3:7, Peter tells men to treat their wives as someone weaker in an understanding way, this is not a command to demean the women , but to hold them up. Men should be leaders, but they should also be gentle with women. And they should respect women as well. In 1 Timothy 5:2, Paul tells us to treat older women as mothers and younger women as sisters. (That comes with the assumption that one should treat your mothers and sisters with love and respect.) There are many ways to respect women which we have lost in the past sixty years. The idea of a gentleman or a chivalrous man have been abandoned to history and fiction. No one doffs their cap for a lady anymore. There's no ladies first, or standing when the hostess enters the room. (We haven't even retained the idea of a hostess, but that is a matter for the next post.)
I don't intend for this post to entirely revolve around the way men treat women though. It's actually more about the way we treat hats. That issue is simply the most pressing one at hand and needed to be addressed first. What I have to say about hats applies on a more broad scale. It applies to every situation and all people. Hats are symbols of authority and respect. Western culture doesn't treat them this way anymore, but that is how I see it in almost every other culture on earth. And that is how I see it in the Bible. In 1 Corinthians 11:1-16 we see Paul instruct the church at Corinth on the covering of heads. Paul taught the Corinthians traditions regarding head coverings, and this is why most people think that this segment is obsolete in regards to being a literal command. We tend to read our own culture into the Bible, instead of trying to apply the Bible in the midst of changing cultures. We read tradition and look at the context of the Bible's cultures and say that since we don't have the same culture we don't have to obey the Bible. This is plain malarkey. If that were the case we wouldn't baptize in the church. There is a culture of baptism that has been lost to all but the church. No one is baptized to show that they follow a presidential candidate or a philosopher, they just tell you on their Facebook page. Cultural change shouldn't affect the practices of the Church. Paul says:
"Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God. Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering. But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God."
The arguments he gives here aren't even cultural to start with. He says the symbol of authority is because of the angels, not because of the neighbors. He argues that "nature itself" teaches the idea of hair honoring and dishonoring. This is not a culture, but a fact.
Because of these things I have a policy. I do not wear hats indoors. If I go inside I'll doff my cap in respect of those in authority in that place. Outside, under the sky, I am a free man and a Christian, so a carry an authority that comes from the Imago Dei (Image of God) within me, and from the Holy Spirit that indwells me. (I'm not legalistic about this. If the authority of a place tells me it is OK to wear a hat or tells me to wear a hat, I'll do it. So if I'm at a costume party or working, I'l wear a hat. But the concept still holds.) Every time I walk inside I take my hat off. This is a constant reminder to be humble and to obey the authorities. If our culture had that I think we would have much richer lives. And the Church should know better. I cringe when I see a man in a hat inside a church. Doesn't he know that he's disrespecting God and all the saints gathered under this roof? Obviously not. And, yes, I do think women should wear hats in church to show their subjection to the authority of God. (I'm not sure why God commands that women wear hats, and not men, but knowing why isn't my department in this case.) Men and women are different, "nature itself" teaches us this. So why wouldn't God make different ways for us to show subjection.
Whatever the case, I intend to follow my own advice. I want to remember to tip my hat to ladies, to take off my hat for the flag or whenever I go indoors, and I want to remember that I bear the Imago Dei. That is why I take my hat off to pray.
(From my desk at school.)
I hear tell about a time when a man would doff his cap when a woman walked pas,t when men held doors for women and nothing was thought of it, and when ma'am was a commonly heard word. I'm not saying women shouldn't wear pants or that men should drop their coats in puddles for women, but I wish we could go back to some of those old traditions. I see today's man devaluing women and women fighting them tooth and nail for a place among the men, but the things I hear about the days of chivalry and gentlemen makes me wonder why the women don't fight for those. Women want equal jobs, that's fine with me, but what they really should be after is the tip of the cap and an open door.
In 1 Peter 3:7, Peter tells men to treat their wives as someone weaker in an understanding way, this is not a command to demean the women , but to hold them up. Men should be leaders, but they should also be gentle with women. And they should respect women as well. In 1 Timothy 5:2, Paul tells us to treat older women as mothers and younger women as sisters. (That comes with the assumption that one should treat your mothers and sisters with love and respect.) There are many ways to respect women which we have lost in the past sixty years. The idea of a gentleman or a chivalrous man have been abandoned to history and fiction. No one doffs their cap for a lady anymore. There's no ladies first, or standing when the hostess enters the room. (We haven't even retained the idea of a hostess, but that is a matter for the next post.)
I don't intend for this post to entirely revolve around the way men treat women though. It's actually more about the way we treat hats. That issue is simply the most pressing one at hand and needed to be addressed first. What I have to say about hats applies on a more broad scale. It applies to every situation and all people. Hats are symbols of authority and respect. Western culture doesn't treat them this way anymore, but that is how I see it in almost every other culture on earth. And that is how I see it in the Bible. In 1 Corinthians 11:1-16 we see Paul instruct the church at Corinth on the covering of heads. Paul taught the Corinthians traditions regarding head coverings, and this is why most people think that this segment is obsolete in regards to being a literal command. We tend to read our own culture into the Bible, instead of trying to apply the Bible in the midst of changing cultures. We read tradition and look at the context of the Bible's cultures and say that since we don't have the same culture we don't have to obey the Bible. This is plain malarkey. If that were the case we wouldn't baptize in the church. There is a culture of baptism that has been lost to all but the church. No one is baptized to show that they follow a presidential candidate or a philosopher, they just tell you on their Facebook page. Cultural change shouldn't affect the practices of the Church. Paul says:
"Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God. Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering. But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God."
The arguments he gives here aren't even cultural to start with. He says the symbol of authority is because of the angels, not because of the neighbors. He argues that "nature itself" teaches the idea of hair honoring and dishonoring. This is not a culture, but a fact.
Because of these things I have a policy. I do not wear hats indoors. If I go inside I'll doff my cap in respect of those in authority in that place. Outside, under the sky, I am a free man and a Christian, so a carry an authority that comes from the Imago Dei (Image of God) within me, and from the Holy Spirit that indwells me. (I'm not legalistic about this. If the authority of a place tells me it is OK to wear a hat or tells me to wear a hat, I'll do it. So if I'm at a costume party or working, I'l wear a hat. But the concept still holds.) Every time I walk inside I take my hat off. This is a constant reminder to be humble and to obey the authorities. If our culture had that I think we would have much richer lives. And the Church should know better. I cringe when I see a man in a hat inside a church. Doesn't he know that he's disrespecting God and all the saints gathered under this roof? Obviously not. And, yes, I do think women should wear hats in church to show their subjection to the authority of God. (I'm not sure why God commands that women wear hats, and not men, but knowing why isn't my department in this case.) Men and women are different, "nature itself" teaches us this. So why wouldn't God make different ways for us to show subjection.
Whatever the case, I intend to follow my own advice. I want to remember to tip my hat to ladies, to take off my hat for the flag or whenever I go indoors, and I want to remember that I bear the Imago Dei. That is why I take my hat off to pray.
(From my desk at school.)
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Gentle Orthodoxy and Cultural Creation
In chapel at my school we have had several stellar speakers. Two in particular have done a great deal to the student body's mindset. One by Meredith Schultz, an alumnus, talked about what she calls gentle orthodoxy. Here is the message she gave: http://www.arthouseamerica.com/blog/righteousness-and-bliss.html
The second message was given yesterday at our biannual Faith and Reason Lecture. The speaker this semester was Ken Myers, writer and editor of Mars Hill Audio. (Which see.) His lecture was entitled “Christian Faithfulness in a Disordered Culture,” and dealt with the ways Christians ought to walk in the culture. He spoke about how we should have our own culture to combat the disordered culture we live in. (Some suggestions he gave included eating meals with Christian families in our Churches, teaching our children to love language by reading and learning poetry more often, spending time in cross-generational activities, and learning to live in one place where we could have a long term impact. If Christians were always the longest residing members of a neighborhood, imagine what a change they could have.) Here is a link to a video of his lecture (http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/29478610), but be warned it is long and engaging, so you'll want to set a lot of time aside for it.
God bless,
Justus
Written from my desk at school. (Another thing Ken Myers mentioned was making e-mails more personal by identifying the place from which they were written and thereby making them more tangible to those reading.)
The second message was given yesterday at our biannual Faith and Reason Lecture. The speaker this semester was Ken Myers, writer and editor of Mars Hill Audio. (Which see.) His lecture was entitled “Christian Faithfulness in a Disordered Culture,” and dealt with the ways Christians ought to walk in the culture. He spoke about how we should have our own culture to combat the disordered culture we live in. (Some suggestions he gave included eating meals with Christian families in our Churches, teaching our children to love language by reading and learning poetry more often, spending time in cross-generational activities, and learning to live in one place where we could have a long term impact. If Christians were always the longest residing members of a neighborhood, imagine what a change they could have.) Here is a link to a video of his lecture (http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/29478610), but be warned it is long and engaging, so you'll want to set a lot of time aside for it.
God bless,
Justus
Written from my desk at school. (Another thing Ken Myers mentioned was making e-mails more personal by identifying the place from which they were written and thereby making them more tangible to those reading.)
Saturday, January 12, 2013
You'll Find Your Way
Andrew Peterson is one of my favorite songwriters. He is so creative with his lyrics, but they are so open and clear that they touch a soft spot in my soul. His newest CD "Light for the Lost Boys" is wonderful. It has all of the AP nuances I've come to love with a few twists along the way. The album, much like others he has released has several themes that run throughout it. In this particular work Peterson focuses on childhood and growing up. I consider this work a sort of musical bildungsroman. In particular the album looks at the idea of a runaway child, much like the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32. In the songs "You'll Find Your Way", "The Ballad of Jody Baxter", "Come Back Soon", "The Voice of Jesus", "Day by Day" and "The Cornerstone", the story plays out of the young boys (and girls) who run from home looking for adventure and escape and return home to the place where they belong. This idea comes together nicely with the theme of light and darkness on the album art (which can be seen here at this link, where you may also purchase the CD: https://store.rabbitroom.com/product/light-for-the-lost-boy). Light and darkness are explored (from the side of the Light naturally) in songs like "Carry the Fire", "Come Back Soon", and "Shine Your Light On Me". The album also looks at the issue of innocent children being born stained into a world ruined by the fall in which they must grow up. Songs like "Come Back Soon", "Day by Day", a "Light for the Lost Boys" is an album for grown ups who feel like children lost in the woods, for children who feel like they're growing up too fast, and for parents who see their children running away and getting lost. The Gospel preached in Peterson's lyrics is just what the title calls it, a Light for the Lost Boys.
Now that I've finished my review and summation of this album I'll get on with my blog. The reason I decided to review this album was because of his new music video (seen here) which takes part of its lyrics from one of the verses which gave this blog its name. (Jeremiah 6:16) The music video hit me hard at the moment when the little boy is crying by the tree. I remember getting lost on the main campus of the Bible camp which I grew up going to. I was scheduled to go biking, an activity which I had been looking forward to all week. (Keep in mind that I was around 8 when this happened.) I returned to my dorm room to fetch my helmet, which my mom advised I pack and I gladly agreed, being one who has little taste for pain. However, the rest of the children going to the bike barn simply went there and got the helmets that had been provided. Since I went alone to get my helmet, I had to find my way to the bike barn alone as well. I didn't. I spent the time scheduled for bike riding crying behind a tree because I was lost. (I was right by the main building, I just couldn't find the path that went out into the woods where the bike barn was.)
Recently I was thinking, or as I like to call it "introverting", and I thought about the feeling I had while hiding behind a tree. I felt afraid because I couldn't find my way, I felt alone because I couldn't find anyone to help me, and I felt cheated because I missed out on a great activity. If I had only followed the path they showed to us I could have been enjoying myself on those rusty old bikes which now serve as parts of a contraption called the "chariot ride" (a long train of seats connected to a tractor). This feeling is the one I get when I don't know what to do next, in life, when I have a problem with a friend of mine, or when I'm just lost. I get a pit in my stomach and I begin to wonder what the point of doing anything is. I feel like sitting behind a tree and crying. But "You'll Find Your Way" provides a hope to which I cling. I have been shown the Old Paths. I know where to go and I can follow the Light to the Way Home. Though I may sit and bemoan my misfortunes I always have the option of returning to the Old Paths and running Home.
Now that I've finished my review and summation of this album I'll get on with my blog. The reason I decided to review this album was because of his new music video (seen here) which takes part of its lyrics from one of the verses which gave this blog its name. (Jeremiah 6:16) The music video hit me hard at the moment when the little boy is crying by the tree. I remember getting lost on the main campus of the Bible camp which I grew up going to. I was scheduled to go biking, an activity which I had been looking forward to all week. (Keep in mind that I was around 8 when this happened.) I returned to my dorm room to fetch my helmet, which my mom advised I pack and I gladly agreed, being one who has little taste for pain. However, the rest of the children going to the bike barn simply went there and got the helmets that had been provided. Since I went alone to get my helmet, I had to find my way to the bike barn alone as well. I didn't. I spent the time scheduled for bike riding crying behind a tree because I was lost. (I was right by the main building, I just couldn't find the path that went out into the woods where the bike barn was.)
Recently I was thinking, or as I like to call it "introverting", and I thought about the feeling I had while hiding behind a tree. I felt afraid because I couldn't find my way, I felt alone because I couldn't find anyone to help me, and I felt cheated because I missed out on a great activity. If I had only followed the path they showed to us I could have been enjoying myself on those rusty old bikes which now serve as parts of a contraption called the "chariot ride" (a long train of seats connected to a tractor). This feeling is the one I get when I don't know what to do next, in life, when I have a problem with a friend of mine, or when I'm just lost. I get a pit in my stomach and I begin to wonder what the point of doing anything is. I feel like sitting behind a tree and crying. But "You'll Find Your Way" provides a hope to which I cling. I have been shown the Old Paths. I know where to go and I can follow the Light to the Way Home. Though I may sit and bemoan my misfortunes I always have the option of returning to the Old Paths and running Home.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Christmastime Creedo
It's just after Christmas. I haven't been posting for months. I likely won't post again for months. I might as well post a creed. Creed: n. any system or codification of belief or of opinion. Here's my codification: Christ IS God. Whether you believe this or not won't change it; Jesus of Nazareth is God. The baffling concept of the Trinity is true, and this truth makes belief in God much easier for one like me. I couldn't believe in a God who I could understand. To me that would be foolish. If I could understand God then I probably wouldn't need Him. So I choose to believe in an unbelievable God. One Who sent His Son, Himself, and came to die cursed on a tree for the curse that he put on a disobedient race. The curse of His righteous judgement and the forgiveness of his merciful grace show a paradox which makes God all the more real to one such as me. I am a skeptic at heart, but what I believe in is the one thing I find hardest to believe. That God would die for me.
John 1:1-5 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."
Philippians 2:5-8 "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."
Colossians 2:8-14 "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."
1 Peter 3:18 "For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit..."
Merry Christmas! God bless us every one!
~Justus
John 1:1-5 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."
Philippians 2:5-8 "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."
Colossians 2:8-14 "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."
1 Peter 3:18 "For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit..."
Merry Christmas! God bless us every one!
~Justus
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Where from Here Part II
Where can we go from here? As a culture the West seems to be hitting a dead end. But what is a dead end but another boundary? God has set boundaries even for the ocean in His wisdom. (Proverbs 8:29) Every cultural shift has a driving ideal system. We've gone from an Enlightenment worldview, to a Romantic one, to a modern, then post-modern. All of these systems of thought initially seemed to have perks and to make sense, but have come short of what we know to be true. Right now some scholars are looking to find an alternative to the post-modern mindset, but it is unclear as to what direction we will or should go. I say: "Go back to the Old Path; go back to the Way."
There are several points which I aim to cover in this post which came across my mind during a midnight musing of mine. These are things which I see lacking in the American culture, and for those of you who want things to change, consider this a "to-do list".
- Develop strong Christian leaders in the church
- Develop a Christian community that creates without simply imitating the world with a "Christian" slant, especially in the fine arts
- Develop Christian scholarship
- Redefine beauty, truth, and hope back to their original meanings and spread these concepts
- Communicate better within the Christian culture; between church members, churches of like denomination and churches of differing denomination
- Communicate better with the world's culture (differentiate Christianity from the rest)
Our churches all have their problems. Paul recognized that, therefore he wrote more than half of the New Testament. (In order to address the problems he saw and heard about.) The apostle John also saw this and wrote three books addressing such issues. Christ even addressed seven churches and their problems in Revelation 2-3. Leaders like Paul and John already exist in our culture. They even write to get their warnings and advice out, similar to the way Paul and John did. However, many churches simply read the advice and the warnings and change nothing. First century churches would almost always address the problems pointed out to them and change. This was because of local leadership and a strong desire to grow in the local congregations. Paul mentions this in many of his letters. (Ephesians 1:15-18, 2 Corinthians 7:13-16) For that desire we need local leaders as well, not just pastors, but members of the church.
Pop culture is not evil, unless it is an evil which is popular in the culture. Yet Christians still should be different. It isn't bad that Christians have rock bands and write popular fiction novels. (I listen to and read that sort of product quite often.) What is bad is that there are hardly any Christians writing great novels like Pilgrims Progress or In His Steps, or painting "The Last Supper" or sculpting "David". Christians had always been leaders in American (and Western) culture until the late 1800s when they began to step away from culture. If we had more of a community to develop our creative members into such artists we could once again lead our culture back to Christ.
With the previous two points comes one which is sadly neglected in most churches: learning. We do learn about how (badly) Samson dealt with his Nazarite vow and also how Noah built a floating zoo, and we can still learn from these things. However, not many people know the stories of Ezra or Nehemiah. And those who do may not know about the different rebellions in the desert committed by the Israelite people before coming into the Promised Land. And these are just content focused tidbits. Even fewer know much of the symbolism God worked into the Old Testament's actual events. (Now there are many churches which teach these things, however, there are many more which do not and simply repeat the story of Moses and the burning bush without much expounding, even after you've become an adult.) Our Sunday School classes and sermons should not only motivate and convict, they should teach. And our congregations should be studying the Bible for themselves and asking questions. All of these things should help the previous tasks and the following as well.
Since the Christians pulled away from mainstream culture it has had a chance to form its own construction of what beauty, truth, hope and other concepts are. We need to reconstruct them. Beauty has a standard, both inward, and outward. Truth is definite. And Hope is tangible.
The standard of beauty is God Himself, however, we cannot reach that standard so we do the best we can. Inwardly God give instructions for beauty all throughout the Word. To act in the manner that Christ acted while He was on earth should be our goal. Outwardly (with people, art, and other miscellaneous things) beauty still finds its origin in God. When God made the world He said it was good. (Genesis 1:31) God, being Himself the standard for beauty, created beautiful things. We can see what he has made and in our own ways do our best to capture the beauty He has created.
Truth, likewise, is sustained in God and emanates from Him. Jesus even says, "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life..." (John 14:6, italics mine). We know Jesus never changes, therefore we know that the Truth of truths never changes. (I'm not talking about realative truths like the age of a person, which change with time, but about truths which are more substantial.) Though a person's age may change over time, the truth is that they are one age at one time and at another time they will be another age. This truth does not change. God has clearly laid out many truths in His Word and in nature, our job is to seek them out and to pinpoint where truth lies, not simply to accept every idea we hear as "God's truth", but to verify, if possible. (Ephesians 4:14-16)
Hope is tangible. I don't mean by that that we can touch hope. I mean that we can (and as Christians always do) have hope. It is not elusive. We always have hope, we simply do not always believe it or claim it as our own. (Ephesians 1:18-19, Hebrews 6:19-20) It's hard to have faith when it comes to hope, because we do not yet have what we hope for, but that's only natural."For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what he already sees?" (Romans 8:24)
(The spreading of these concepts can be achieved through points number two, five, and six.)
The fifth and sixth points share the underlying reasoning: unity. (Ephesians 4:3, 11-13) Without intercommunication and intra-communication the church can be carried away by false doctrine. (Ephesians 4:14) And unified communication also presents a much less confusing Gospel. With all of the disagreement on secondary issues and on matters of indifference (like the color of the carpet) our Gospel can be bogged down, but it is a simple message.
"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also." (1 Corinthians 15:3-8) And "...Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved..." (Acts 16:31). "For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God." (2 Corinthians 2:17)
Let me say that this is a lot to do. (So let's get a lot of people working on it.) "Many hands make light work."
Blessings, Justus
P.S. Thanks for reading any or all of this. (I know it's a lot, I'm making up for the summer.) The next post will be shorter.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Where from Here Part I
Part I
In the most recent season of my life I've spent a lot of time asking myself and God: "Where can I go from where I am right now?" This is a question we all ask at least once. Many people answer it quickly, others stand in one spot excruciating over the question. (I tend to linger, or rather camp out.)
Where can I go from here? I have spent my entire life as a student. I love to study, it is who God made me thus. I study to expand my experience and my knowledge. I find the whole thing enjoyable. (Most people don't.) I like to write. (One reason a blog is nice to have.) Knowing all sorts of things helps me to write better. Maybe that's why God made me so curious and studious.
Right now I'm working and living at home. At first that seemed like a waste of my time. I should be studying! However, I have discovered in working that sometimes being where you never thought you would go can be an invaluable learning experience. One passage that speaks to me as I wait for answers is Psalm 37:3-7.
"Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him."
(God does answer those questions, by the way.) I haven't quite figured it out, but I know I will in due time.
-Blessings, Justus
(Psalm 37:3-7, Isaiah 30:18)
In the most recent season of my life I've spent a lot of time asking myself and God: "Where can I go from where I am right now?" This is a question we all ask at least once. Many people answer it quickly, others stand in one spot excruciating over the question. (I tend to linger, or rather camp out.)
Where can I go from here? I have spent my entire life as a student. I love to study, it is who God made me thus. I study to expand my experience and my knowledge. I find the whole thing enjoyable. (Most people don't.) I like to write. (One reason a blog is nice to have.) Knowing all sorts of things helps me to write better. Maybe that's why God made me so curious and studious.
Right now I'm working and living at home. At first that seemed like a waste of my time. I should be studying! However, I have discovered in working that sometimes being where you never thought you would go can be an invaluable learning experience. One passage that speaks to me as I wait for answers is Psalm 37:3-7.
"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes."
This passage tells me to wait, not for an answer to my questions, but for God. My question doesn't really need to be answered; I just need to obey and to trust.
In waiting God blesses us. Many things can bring us away from God, but if we repent and wait for Him He will have compassion, and he will be gracious. Isaiah 30:18 speaks of God's perspective in this toward His rebellious children:
(God does answer those questions, by the way.) I haven't quite figured it out, but I know I will in due time.
-Blessings, Justus
(Psalm 37:3-7, Isaiah 30:18)
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