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totally other

rob — Wed, 05 May 2010 11:59:29 +0000

i thought i knew everything there was to know about God. i had my sunday school answers down. i knew the stories. i knew how God would respond in a given situation.

a bit of maturity, maybe, leads me to believe that i understand less now than ever. that my notions, no matter how well-conceived, can’t compare to the childlike wonder of the mystery that is He — totally other. infinite, yet intimate. ever-satisfying, but leaves me yearning for more. and that’s ok. because none other could be so.

hell on earth

rob — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:30:50 +0000

ok, sometimes random thoughts occur to me and i must get them out of my head onto “paper” quickly before i forget. no time to process or validate, so don’t jump down my throat yet. but here goes…

so i was reading a little from tozer today, and came across something that made me think. he often does. here’s an excerpt:

Sometimes preachers get carried away and start sermonizing on the great calamaties posed by communism and secularism and materialism. But our greatest calamity is the closed heaven, the silent heaven. God meant for us to be in fellowship with Him. When the heaves are closed, men are left to themselves. They are without God.

tozer’s paragraph was inspired by his reading the opening paragraph in the book of ezekiel. and i was struck, not by the sunday school picture of hell that i’ve had in my mind from youth — a dungeon of fire, people screaming, and for some reason an oversized worm, but by the sunday school definition of hell: a place without God.

it makes sense that hell would be a place without God. but let’s face it; we focus more on the temporal, the tangible, than we do the spiritual, don’t we? our prayers focus on the gifts of God, the blessings of God, moreso than God Himself. could this play in our concept of spiritual negatives as well as it does the positives? could hell be more about the absence of God than it is the presence of things that harm?

if that’s so, then we could literally experience hell on earth, simply by closing ourselves to God. think about it. if we attempt to buffer ourselves from God, and He is apt to let us choose our own direction, then our “hell” could be seeing the fruition of the natural consequences of our own self-centered (as opposed to God-centered) actions, and the self-centered actions of others. the earth being replete with self-centered people (among whom am i, i might add), the culmination of all our actions brings about real calamity. wars. violence. broken hearts. hurt feelings. starvation. homelessness. broken homes. and there’s a piece of every one of us that is affected by some of these.

if that’s plausible, then i suppose it’s also plausible to conversely experience heaven on earth by the inclusion of God. by partaking of the things of his nature.

again, this is writing off the cuff, i haven’t taken time to vet the concept theologically, and i’m not trying to portray an actions-based faith, because we’d all be sunk. i’m just simply provoking the thought that maybe we can experience the spiritual eternal, here in the temporary. and that may impact the manner in which i behave today.

Help for Haiti

rob — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 02:01:28 +0000

There are many solid organizations making efforts to aid Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake, but if you’re looking for a way to get involved:

1) donate physical goods: http://www.shoebox4haiti.com/

2) donate money: just text “HAITI” to 90999 and a $10 donation goes to Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti. It is billed to your phone and your cell carrier keeps nothing.

prepositions

rob — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:22:09 +0000

i’m posting today based on a talk from Derek Sweatman, from CCB.

God would rather perform His work IN me than perform his work THROUGH me. in fact, unless He’s doing something pretty special IN me, i won’t likely be an active participant in His work AROUND me. granted, His will is supreme, it will be accomplished regardless of my involvement. but i’d hate to look back on a life lived on the fringe of where the action is.

more to come on this…

rapid succession — #2

rob — Sat, 28 Jan 2006 17:16:05 +0000

here it is, rapid succession #2. this piece, also from crowder, speaks of evangelism in our specific culture, the key term: missional. good stuff. must be the hair…
To Be Missional

What does it mean to be missional?

It means that we understand ourselves to be missionaries in today’s culture. Missionaries are those whose lives are constituted by a mission: to know Him and make Him known – this is our purpose, our goal, and our end in life. An ongoing relationship with God should result in a lifestyle that is God-centered and seeks to incarnate Christ.

What things do missionaries consider?

Missionaries always seek to understand 1.) the culture in which they live, and 2.) how to embody Christ amidst a kingdom that is not God’s kingdom. E.g. If you were going to Russia to be a missionary there for several months, you’d spend much time in preparation learning Russian culture and the Russian language. You’d learn what aspects of Russian culture provide an open window into conveying the gospel, and what aspects of Russian culture run contrary to the gospel and need to be differentiated. You’d learn the Russian language and try to find certain words that seem to convey the gospel really well.

How does this relate to the early church in the first century?

The early church was a body of people who understood themselves to be members of a different kingdom than the Roman kingdom. Their allegiance existed first and foremost to the kingdom of God which often ran contrary to Roman rule. The kingdom of God exists wherever the lordship of God reigns…where men and women are obedient to God. Though they messed up often and were in constant battle against heresies forming within the church, they knew their entire lives had to be ordered around their mission or they would cease being Christians.

How is this mindset conveyed in Scripture?

Jesus came preaching “the kingdom of God” – Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, Matthew 6; and saying that “My kingdom is not of this world…” John 18. He was promoting a different kingdom than the one in which He lived – and a kingdom that got Himself killed because He challenged the existing powers – powers that ruled a different kingdom than the kingdom of God. He was on a mission that had to do with the kingdom of God, and after His resurrection, He commissioned the disciples to further this mission saying, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit…” His mission was embraced by the disciples and the early church in Acts.Paul gave evidence to the goal, purpose, and end in his life in Philippians 3 saying, “More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Paul was so well acquainted with the culture in which he lived that often times in his letters to the Romans or Ephesians or Philippians, etc., he’d use certain words and phrases that were predominantly used by pagan mystery religions or contemporary poets/philosophers of his day in order to grab their attention yet redefine their understanding of life with God.

So, what’s the problem?

For several hundred years now, America has always been considered a Christian nation in which Christianity has been the predominant religious influence. Since Christianity has been the predominant religious influence in America, many American Christians understood “missionaries” to be those people who take “our” gospel to non-christian people overseas…therefore, since American Christians ceased understanding themselves as missionaries, we no longer saw the need to discern the culture in which we’ve lived.
When we became Christians growing up, we were basically just handed a bible and told “start reading.” We were never sat down and explained what our culture is all about, and what it will take to be a missionary in our culture today.

OK, you’ve said “culture” about 80 times now…can you give me a simple definition of culture?

{Def. – Culture is simply the place in which you live that shapes how you think and how you live.} Culture is like the water that all of us fish swim in day in and day out. It’s what we breathe all day long yet never realize whether the way it is making us think is biblical or not. Culture gives us the lens by which we view life, God, scripture, each other, and ourselves. So, if American culture is highly individualistic and consumeristic, then I can only read Scripture as an individualistic, consumeristic Christian…even if Scripture is opposed to individualism and consumerism. So, often times the most difficult thing for an American Christian to do is to realize that the prescription on these glasses we are wearing is actually not good at all for Christians.

How does a Christian missionary in American culture differ from the prevailing American mindset and even from most American Christians?

Many American Christians have bought into several American (cultural – not biblical) mindsets. Here are a couple:

1. Capitalism – that our purpose, goal, and end in life is to be profitable in business or other avenues in the professional world; therefore, we understand that all of life is ordered to that end…that our involvement in school or work is primarily about capitalism, not primarily about mission. Does this mean we neglect excellence and diligence in school or work? Absolutely not. This mindset actually motivates us to “do all things as unto the Lord” with excellence and diligence, yet with a different mindset – that our ultimate goal here is not about financial profit but bringing others along in our faith journey.

2. Consumerism – that the reason things exist in this world is for me, the consumer, to consume; even though the local church is called to be a body of people sent on a mission into the world striving to establish the kingdom of God (definitely not a consumer mentality). Unfortunately, although the local church has been ordained by God to carry on the mission of Christ, most American Christians simply view the church as another venue that simply exists to meet our individual needs.

How can I be missional?

Accept the call of Christ to live out your life as a missionary amidst a culture that constantly tries to sell us a different purpose and a different vision in life. We are missional in that we desire to be the incarnate Christ immersed in the world without becoming a product of it. If we are going to be the incarnate Christ in today’s world, then our purpose, goal, and end in life will revolve around knowing God and making Him known.
If we are going to be the incarnate Christ, then we will not try and sell people on a belief system made up of propositional truths…instead, we will convey Christianity as a way of life. Perhaps, we might just begin living life with people and see if they might also live life with us in hopes that they might find out in the living that this way of life is exactly what they need. Maybe this is why Jesus’ evangelism strategy with the disciples did not consist of a slick brochure but just 2 words, “Follow Me.” And, they did not follow Him initially because they knew Him to be the Messiah and Savior of the world. No, they found out in the living that this way of life, though incredibly difficult, was exactly what they needed.If we are going to be the incarnate Christ, then we will understand that the method and message of our mission are intertwined…in other words, the method in which we convey our message actually says a lot about our message.

love the one you’re with

rob — Mon, 11 Jul 2005 17:23:37 +0000

john 13:34 says, “a new commandment i give unto you that you love one another, even as i have loved you, that you love one another” (KJV). in the world today, the word love is used in so many different arenas: i love my wife, i love my son, i love football, i love pizza. love in the english language has such a broad meaning, which makes it very difficult to define. it is much easier to describe what love does than what love is. we often hear that love sees no wrong, and love conquers all. the scriptures have a more direct description: love is patient, love is kind, it does not seek its own prosperity, is not provoked, does not take into account wrongs suffered. love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. love never fails. a true, biblical love will produce these characteristics in our lives. but it doesn’t end there.

the verse goes on. when Jesus uses the phrase “even as i have loved you,” He refers to how God has loved us. the next logical question is, how has God loved us? john 3:16 addresses that issue: “for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” His love for us is a sacrificial love, and that is the love we need to have for one another. a love that is not self-seeking. a love that is not afraid to reach out and touch someone. a love that gives. a love that makes a difference in someone’s life. because if our love has changed one life, it has changed the world.

the ever-elusive will of God

rob — Fri, 24 Jun 2005 17:24:44 +0000

i read a study of dangerous driving habits a few months back. now some of the statements i was guilty of, made sense to me: “if you make a habit of talking on the phone while driving, you probably exhibit some tendencies of a dangerous driver…” (a HUGE part of my multi-tasking personality!). then there was something like “if you find yourself at a familiar place on a highway, but cannot remember actually driving the last several miles…”, and “if you’ve ever eaten an entire meal while driving…”, etc. you get the idea. those make sense to me. fortunately they didn’t even broach the subject of checking email while driving :) one statement that caught my attention was the phrase “if driving behind a tractor trailer, or other large vehicle, causes you some anxiety because it obstructs your view of the road ahead, you probably exhibit some tendencies of a dangerous driver.” that seemed odd to me, because i’ve always tried to pay attention to what was going on many car lengths ahead of me–seemingly i should be awarded a safe-driver prize for that one.

subject change for a moment (but we’ll get back to driving!)–awkward transition… anyway, i’m FINALLY getting around to spring cleaning (i guess you’d call it summer cleaning now)–moving the sweaters and jackets into storage, scrubbing the kitchen floor extra hard, and going through endless papers lying around the apartment in piles that made more sense in the formative stages. i came across a half-sheet of yellow paper from a conference in atlanta that i had attended roughly two and a half years ago, that was atop my dresser (if that gives you any clue as to my organization style!). the notes i had jotted down on the back of the paper drew me out of my cleaning frenzy and into a photo album of God-memories.

i remembered the state of life i was in when i had taken these notes. working a job, knowing my life purpose must be more grandiose than punching a keyboard in a office, but not being able to see the horizon past the tractor trailer in front of me. i had an interview with a church in atlanta that weekend. coincidentally, or divinely appointed, whichever, a presbyterian missionary convention also met in atlanta that weekend (drawing my sister and bro-in-law), so i visited. i was intrigued by one particular seminar led by paul kooistra (Mission to the Word, PCA) was titled something like, “finding the will of God”–how timely! at a time when my mind was singing “should i stay or should i go now???” 24/7, this guy was going to give me all the answers! though i had really just dropped by to see aimee, i was enamored with the idea of finding this elusive accomplishment: being in the center of God’s will. God spoke to me in His timely way that weekend with the following outline:

God calls us first to Himself.
look at how God has made us (spiritual life, personality, etc.)
-remember: God has a plan
pray for your heart
know the Word of God
a. what does scripture teach me about the mind and heart of God?
b. pray that God could give us a clear understanding of decisions, of who i am, etc.
c. know how His Word applies to my circumstances.

then His Spirit brought this scripture to my heart, from 1 thessalonians 5:

16 Always be joyful. 17 Keep on praying. 18 No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (NLT)

i strongly believe that God has ordained this specific situation for me at this specific church. however, it was at this point that i heard Him address me as His child, and tell me that it doesn’t matter as much where i lay my head, where i get my paycheck, where i sip my coffee or who i sip it with. what matters infinitely more is 1) my joy in Him being complete, 2) my pursuing intimacy with Him, and 3) being thankful no matter what the circumstance (connotes looking to Him for all my needs, too). i sometimes think that all else is kinda peripheral. just accessories to what really matters. and that releases me to really be who i am called to be. cool…

intention

rob — Thu, 23 Jun 2005 17:25:16 +0000

the picture above is a shot from the comforts of the folding lawn chair on my balcony. during the pleasant time of year, i can see the wonder of nature, hear birds singing day and night, and observe an occasional dog taking a supervised potty break. during the winter months, mother nature’s privacy fence wanes barren and i get a clear view of balconies belonging to my neighbors on the opposite side of the apartment complex. the balcony is home to a folding chair, a footstool, an end table and a deceased rubber plant. and i don’t mean a plastic plant, made in a factory by a laborer in between mid-morning snack and lunch. this is (or was) an original God-piece, made in His factory to be a part of the radial tire-producing plant family. i inherited this plant several years ago along with a desk, a chair and a job description from someone with more insight than me. the rubber plant was not quite the picture of health when we were first introduced, but a little water and some natural sunlight made us agreeable officemates. since then, the rubber plant has made itself at home in several settings, but most recently on the balcony of my little third-floor apartment.

then winter came. the days grew shorter and the nights grew colder. i visit the balcony less frequently. and whether lack of intention or lack of sun and warmth are more to blame, i can’t be sure, but the rubber plant, my one constant companion over the last several topsy-turvy years, died. it was somewhere between the winter solstice and the ice storm late janurary that my failure to take precaution caused the premature demise of my leafed friend. it’s important to me that we all realize that this was not a premeditated act of malice. it had occurred to me one day that i should bring it in for the night, but i didn’t want to get dirt on the carpet before having some friends over that weekend. it had occurred to me as i fed ollie and gingrich that i hadn’t watered the plant in a while. it just happened. it wasn’t intentional that i let the plant die. in fact, it was lack of intention that killed it. call it careless, call it lack-a-daisy (no pun intended), call it typical single guy behavior… it just happened.

i’ve seen in myself the same tendencies in my spiritual walk. everything is fine one day–God speaks and i listen. i speak and He listens. it’s an intimate relationship between my inner self and the Creator of me and of everything else. then one day the demands of my schedule don’t allow time for study and reflection. the next day, i have my prayer time in the car on the way to the office. days go by and i’ve scarcely given Him a second thought. years and relationships later, something is missing, and i realize that i haven’t heard from my Lover in a while. i’m convinced that God never walks away. that the perceived distance is that only, just perceived. but i dull my awareness of His presence by lack of intention. it just happens, call it what you will. i’m learning that i cannot coast spiritually. i’m learning of my need for Him, and just how deep-seated my need is. i keep this dead rubber plant on my balcony as a reminder that gradual lack of intent is deadly.

am i alone here? maybe i’m just seeking solace. but maybe it afflicts Christ followers everywhere. st. john might call it a dark night of the soul. david crowder sings of spiritual lack of ambition, our belligerent condition. justin mcroberts beautifully penned these words below, echoing my habitual lack of intent:

I’d forgotten just how sweet your mercies are Lord
I’d forgotten just how sweet your mercies are Lord
Could you remind me?
You’ve been faithful in my weakness, Father, your love
Overwhelms my soul, I’m learning to need you.

I cry out your name
I am in need of your mercy, Jesus,
Despite my pride and my shame,
I’m learning to need you.

God, keep me satisfied only in your presence. may i not become so accustomed to Your ways that i forget the Author of them.

the mystery of Him

rob — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 17:25:45 +0000

i hate to reveal my shallow threads of habit, but once again, here’s a quote i happened upon today from manning, one of the coolest old guys i know :) eventually i’ll probably have posted his entire list of publications, one thought at a time. this is from the foreword to Abba’s Child, before he even gets going…

certain truths can be spoken only from the well of exaggeration. in trying to describe the transcendent mystery of Abba’s love, i employed a plethora of adjectives such as infinite, outlandish, mind-bending, ineffable, and incomprehensible. put them all together and they are still inadequate for one simple reason: mystery is spoiled by a word.

i love this quote. in all our expositions, our summaries of God’s love, our recountings of His grace, countless creative retellings of His story of His pursuit of His creation and His children, the mystery of His extravagance is indeed spoiled by our words. there is beauty in the silence of awe and wonder.

live love::love life

rob — Thu, 16 Jun 2005 17:26:16 +0000

being a marketing major, i’ve studied ad campaigns by some of the big guys. how products undergo name changes when going international (chevy renamed the nova when exporting to mexico because its name when translated literally means “it doesn’t go”; coca-cola when selling in japan had to change their name from “bite the wax tadpole”. i think there was even one company who mistakenly labeled their company “I am a jelly donut!”). i also learned the cultural studies that play into the big slogans. one of my earliest marketing memories is from maxwell house–”Good to the last drop.”

i have a friend whose life slogan would probably be live love::love life, and she seems to actually live it out. the phrase is constantly on her lips. ’tis a lovely phrase at the sound of it, but i think somewhere in the details of life we often lose touch with the ideals we would like to live by. whether i’m too busy, or i’m afraid of making myself vulnerable, or trying to preclude the transforming of my soul into a welcome mat, i find myself falling short. i came across this passage (another plug for brennan manning!) today and, i guess where i am in my walk, it struck me as applicable. either to myself, or to those i care for, or the church in general…

the unaffected heart is one of the dark mysteries of human existence. it beats dispassionately in human beings with lazy minds, listless attitudes, unused talents, and buried hopes. like ian bedloe’s mother, they never seem to get beneath the surface of their lives. they die before they ever learn to live. years wasted in vain regrets, energies dissipated in haphazard relationships and projects, emotions blunted, passive before whatever experiences the day brings, they are like snoring sleepers who resent having their peace disturbed. their existential mistrust of God, the world, and even themselves underlies their inability to make a passionate commitment to anyone or anything.

paradoxically, we attain self-awareness, not by self-analysis, but by the leap of commitment. according to viktor frankl, a person finds identity only to the extent that “he commits himself to something beyond himself, to a cause greater than himself.” the meaning of our lives emerges in the surrender of ourselves to an adventure of becoming who we are not yet.

the unaffected heart leaves a legacy of disney world paraphernalia and a thousand lost golf balls. the sheer vacuity of the unlived life guarantees the person will never be missed. “these people, living on borrowed emotions, stumbling through the corridors of time like shipboard drunks. . . never taste life deeply enough to be either saints or sinners.”

am i living life? or am i living vicarioiusly through the lives of others? Christ promises life to the full. abundant life. abundant highs. abundant lows. may i laugh loudly. may i weep with those who weep. may i love deeply. may i die broke, spent and tired. i don’t want to die with any life yet to be lived. may i live life to the last drop.