The Battle Field

One of the things we often need in our spiritual journey is encouragement in our personal prayer life.  It is a part of our journey which is seen by no one except the Father.  And, it is also true that we sometimes get sidetracked, we sometimes lose our way, and we sometimes run into a season of spiritual dryness.  In such moments it is a good thing to have someone with whom we can be painfully honest about our struggles.  When walking through such seasons, it is good to have someone praying in our behalf until we can once again put our feet on the right course. 

 

In the absence of such a friend, some of the things we read can serve us as instruments of encouragement.  As I was reading some of the writings of Charles Spurgeon, I came across such a word.  "When you cannot use your sword, you may take the weapon of prayer.  Your powder may be damp, your bowstring may be relaxed, your sword may be rusty, and your spear may be bent--but the weapon of prayer is never out of order. (Ephesians 6:17-18) Men have to sharpen the sword and the spear, but prayer never rusts.  This is the blessed thing about prayer:  It is a door that none can shut." (The Essential Works of Charles Spurgeon)

 

When we find ourselves struggling in faithfulness to prayer, it is a good thing to be reminded that there is spiritual battle taking place within us.  The struggle is not a struggle with someone with similar strength, or with someone who can be outsmarted, but it is a spiritual struggle with the power of evil which seeks to rob us of our spiritual strength and undermine the work God is seeking to do in us.  We are never alone in this journey.  Christ is with us.  He has already put the one who seeks to undo us among the ranks of the defeated.  The Holy Spirit is with us interceding when none is coming forth from us.  And, the creating Father is with us to bring new life.  Always.   Thanks be to God, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

The Miry Bog

Out in the cow pasture, it can get a little boggy.  Let some rain fall and the place where the cows gather around the hay  bales gets to be difficult place to walk.  It is a small herd of cows out there, but they still leave a goodly portion of natural fertilizer where they are standing to eat.  The rain turns it into a virtual bog.  It is always a good idea to be wearing a pair of well laced boots when working in that area.  I learned that one day as I walked out of a pair of loosely tied tennis shoes.  The bog simply sucked them off my feet. 

 

A recent journey into that messy bog caused me to remember one of the academic deans at Asbury College who often offered his testimony by quoting Psalms 40:2 which says in the King James Version, "He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay..."  By the time he finished everyone knew the miry clay was not a place to get caught!  The same might be said of the miry bog around the hay bales out in the cow pasture. 

Of course, sometimes we get caught in the miry bog and fail to recognize what has happened.  It happens as we get caught up in something which we know is displeasing to God, but we choose to ignore all the warning signs and just continue to hang out there.  After a while the sin we choose to walk around in gets a firm grip on our life and has such power that it sucks us under so that we no longer are able to experience the fullness of life in Christ.  The world, and unfortunately, the church as well, has lost sight of the power that sin has over those who succumb to it.  A watered down concept of sin is a miry bog all its own and it would do us all well to stay far away from it.   

Encouragers

I am grateful for the encouragers in my life.  They came at so many different times.  There was an uncle who came to live with us after my Father's death.  He taught me my first lessons about dealing with the things that make us fearful.  There was a neighbor across the street who took me into the world of ham radio and, thus, gave me a special gift that helped me navigate critical adolescent years.  I remember, too, a college roommate who taught me how to tie a neck tie as well quietly showing me how to walk in Christ. 

These were just a few of the many who have stood alongside me at different times in my life.  When I entered into the ministry, I found encouragement coming from people I hardly knew.  They inspired me as I moved toward the middle and later years to reach out to some others who were starting the journey behind me.  And, even now there are folks who choose to stand alongside even though distances separate us.  God has graciously blessed me with encouragers throughout the years.  And, to this very day, I am blessed with the encouragement of others in my life.

I pray that it is a gift that I have been able to pass to others as their paths cross the one I walk.  I know of no other way to really express gratitude for this blessing in my own life other than letting such a blessing touch me and move into the lives of others.  It seems easy enough to do, but it is also easy to become so pre-occupied with the stuff of the struggles common to all of us that reaching out to encourage others becomes impossible because of those moments when navel gazing seems like all there is to do.  In those moments may God jerk me and, maybe you, too, up by the nape of the neck and with a kick set us back on the path of gratitude, blessings, and encouraging. 

Three Preachers

My recent reading foray into the life of that great preacher, Charles Spurgeon, finally sent me down memory lane to remembering three preachers who greatly influenced my preaching.  The first to be remembered is John Brokhoff, a preacher and seminary preaching professor.  To remember him is to remember how he always called those of us who were his students to preach the text.  One of his side remarks carried with me through a life time of preaching was, "Your people do not come to hear what you think, they come to hear the Word of God."

A second remembered preacher was just a preacher.  Clark Pafford was a local Methodist pastor who gave me an opportunity to work with him as a summer youth worker.  Knowing that I aspired to preach, he also gave me opportunities to preach.  But, before he allowed me to fill his pulpit on Sunday, he insisted I preach my sermon to empty pews on Saturday night.  Actually, they were not completely empty as he sat there to listen and offer gentle and kind encouragement.  Clark Pafford taught me preaching is verbal communication  and that I needed to hear the sermon before those who sat in the pews heard it on Sunday morning.  Few sermons were preached on Sunday over forty years which were not first preached to empty pews.

 

And, the third preacher who helped shaped this preacher was E. M. Bounds.  He lived long before I was born, but I met him through his writings on prayer.  A collection of his writings on prayer always stayed close when I was preaching Sunday after Sunday.  Bounds wrote in more ways than I can count that a sermon not prayed over is not really prepared.  According to him no preacher is truly prepared until he has held his sermon in his hands and prayed over until it became a part of his heart.  And while, there are others who have given this preacher's preaching direction, these three seem to stand head and shoulders above all the rest in this moment of remembering and being grateful.

Music for the Ears

While I have never been a fan of buying books of sermons, I broke my own rule a few years ago and purchased a book of sermons by Charles Spurgeon.  Since it was almost 1400 pages long, it will do for another lifetime.  I have always been of the opinion that sermons are not to be read, but heard.  A sermon is not meant for the eyes, but for the ears.  Spurgeon's written sermons are of such depth that not many of us would be around for the conclusion.  When I read them, I am amazed that the people of his day would crowd in the sanctuary to hear him preach.

 

The truth is that some of them are so powerful and so well crafted that you can almost hear them singing in the air, demanding to be heard.  And, even though none of them would be done in fifteen or twenty minutes, I can read and understand why some folks would stay with him to the very end.  Even his written sermons point to him being worthy of the title, "Prince of Preachers."  I always loved to preach.  It was the highlight of my work week, but I must confess, I was no Spurgeon.  I was mostly ordinary and mostly amazed that folks would stay with me for the twenty or thirty minutes I claimed the pulpit for preaching.

To be a preacher is to be in a place of great blessing and rare privilege.  The task is to take the Scripture and speak the Word of the Lord to the people of God.  God invested a heavenly amount of faith in me to call me to the holy work and the people who listened to me invested a huge chunk of their time to listen.  For both blessings I am grateful.  Of course, I am on the retired side of the pulpit these days and when I sit out there listening, I long to hear what I have always wanted to hear from the preachers who preached.  I cared not an iota for their opinion, but I surely wanted to hear what would resonate with my heart as the Word of the Lord.  There were times when I have failed even as have others.  "Lord, be merciful."  

The Priority of Preaching

It would seem in our day that pulpit work is not held in as high regard as it might have been at another time.  Sometimes the quality of the preaching speaks more to this truth than anything which might be said by those who listen.  Charles Spurgeon, one of the great preachers of another era, wrote this after his life was changed through the power of preaching.  "But my gratitude most of all is due to God, not for books, but for the preached Word, and that, too, addressed to me by a  poor, uneducated man, a man, who had never received any training for the ministry, and probably will never be heard of in this life, a man engaged in business, no doubt of a humble kind, during the week, but who had just enough of grace to say on the Sabbath, 'Look to me, and be saved....' (Isaiah 45:22) 

And then he goes on to finish with these words, "The books were good, but the man was better.  The revealed Word awakened me, but it was the preached Word that saved me, and I must ever attach peculiar value to the bearing of the truth, for by it I received the joy and peace in which my soul delights."   (The Essential Works of Charles Spurgeon) Long ago people spoke of being called to preach, but then came the time when the language changed to speak of people being called to ministry.  And, while the difference is understood and respected, it also seemed to delegate preaching to a lesser place in the life of those called. 

 

It was a life time ago that I experienced God's call to preach.  Why called, I have never understood.  Others could do it better.  But, I was called and so I have preached.  To preach requires a commitment not just to speaking, but to praying and to studying, and to working and believing that in the end it will be blessed by God to make a difference for the Kingdom.  To preach faithfully is never an easy task, but it is the task of the preacher.  When the preacher fails, the church's power can only be diminished. 

Spurgeon's Testimony

A few days ago while reading a devotional from Oswald Chambers, I saw the name Spurgeon written in the margin.  The devotional came from Isaiah 45:22 which reads from the King James Version, "Look unto me, and be ye saved."  As a fifteen year old boy, Charles Spurgeon was walking to worship one Sunday morning when a snowstorm caused him to choose a nearby Primitive Methodist Church.  The preacher did not show up so a "very thin looking man, a shoemaker or tailor ofrsomething of that sort, went up into the pulpit to preach.  Now it is well that preachers should be instructed, but this man was really stupid.  The text was Isaiah 45:22..."  (The Essential Works of Charles Spurgeon)  It was a sermon that changed a young man's life.

History has written volumes about the ministry of this 19th century English preacher who is always mentioned in anyone's short list of powerful preachers.  The number of people who came to Christ through Spurgeon's preaching is unknowable, but surely, there are still some people walking in faith today because their ancestors carried within them the influence of the stream of spirituality set forth by the Holy Spirit through Spurgeon's ministry.  Actually, what is also true is that the same should be said about this unknown and uneducated layman who dared to stand and preach one day because there was no one else to do it.

Many of us are blessed to stand within a stream of spirituality which soaked our parents, grandparents, or maybe even family members of so long ago that names are no longer known.  We sometimes track our family genealogy, but imagine what it might reveal to us if we could track back through the years the way faith was kindled and then passed on through the generations to us.  And, equally as exciting to consider is the reality that our own faith might have the same kind of rippling affect on those who are walking the road behind us. 

Coffee and Cold Water

When the word, "therefore" shows up on the pages of the Scripture, there are several appropriate things which might be considered.   Take a second sip of coffee.  Splash some cold water on your face.  Lightly slap your jaw to get alert.  Sit up straighter.  All or some of these are recommended as a way of responding to a word which surely means "Pay Attention."   The word "therefore" may seem like a simple word of transition, but it is really a word that means something important is coming.

 

The "therefore" found in the first verse of the third chapter of Hebrews is not the first occasion for its usage in this writing, but its importance lies in the fact that it calls us to remember who we are in the eyes of God.  As we read this verse we hear the Word of God saying, "Therefore, brothers and sisters, holy partners in a heavenly calling..."   The first chapter presents a right understanding of Jesus and the angels and the second chapter moves on toward developing the relationship between Jesus, the spiritual pioneer, and those of us created with the stamp of the holy upon us.  These beginning words of the third chapter put us and those like us in a blessed position.

 

The Scripture says we are "holy partners in a heavenly calling."   We are not simply partners with God, but holy, set apart, partners.  We are not about menial work, but about work that is initiated and continued by the Holy One of Heaven.  To be a holy partner speaks to us of a high level of trust on the part of the One who calls us.  We are not only called to share in the work of heaven on earth, but we are viewed by our Creator and Savior as trustworthy to accomplish it.  When we are tempted to think that we do not matter, or that what we do for God does not count for much, we only need to go back to this Word which unfolds before us after this all important "therefore" to see how we are valued by God. 

An Uncomfortable Word

The writer of Hebrews begins with three amazing affirmations about Jesus.  The first one:  "He is the reflection of God's glory."  The second one:  ""He is the exact imprint of God's very being."   And, the third one:  "He sustains all things by His powerful word."  (Hebrews 1:3)   The third and final one causes us to remember something John wrote in that part of  his gospel known as "The Prologue."   "All things came into being through Him (The Word....Jesus), and without Him not one thing came into being."  (John 1:3)

 

Once again we find ourselves standing in the presence of a holy Word so far reaching that mere minds such as ours cannot comprehend.  We can catch glimpses of the truth being proclaimed in these words, but we cannot fathom the extent of the reality that everything around us has been released from chaos by the all powerful creative Word of Christ.  But, of course, the Word from Hebrews takes us beyond just the creative act to the ongoing, unending, always unfolding, sustaining acts which insure continued life for all the creation.

One of the practical things all this means is that we are never a moment, or a step away from the blessings provided for us within the creation.   Everyone we see present in our midst and everything we see in the created order around us has life and breath because of the providential power of the Creator.  While we are quick to say that the created order with all its astounding sunrises and sunsets, massive mountains and oceans, life giving plants and flowers do indeed bless us, are we also ready to say that everyone who crosses our path is also a part of this created order which lives and breathes and blesses because of the One who spoke a powerful word?  "...all things.." can be an uncomfortable word, can it not?

Statio

There is a spiritual discipline practiced in monastic communities called "statio."  It is a word which speaks of pausing between events.  It is an invitation to slow down and wait before jumping into the thing which is awaiting us.  For the hurried control freaks who are intent on rushing through life it looks like wasting time, but to the one who waits, it provides an opportunity to experience fully the in between moments of life.  The practice of "statio" reminds us that all moments of life are of value, not just the ones which seemed filled with overt sign of productivity.

 

Embracing such a way would be a radical change for most of us.  When we arrive wherever it is we are going, imagine what it might be like to simply sit for a moment before launching ourselves out of the car on our way to the important thing which is ahead.  Or, imagine how our quiet time with the Father in heaven might be different if those moments were sandwiched between moments of intentional pausing.  What we miss with our hurried approach to living cannot be grasped because we never slow down enough to see what it is that is unfolding in the circumstances of our present moment.

 

As we let our minds take us into the things of our day, we can quickly see how the practice of "statio"  could slow us down and give us time to appreciate the moment God is giving us, the people with whom we are blessed to share those moments, and, perhaps, even an unexpected and surprising experience of knowing that an ordinary moment has suddenly been filled with holy presence.  Never think that God does not travel with us on the journey of our life.  Always He is present in the present moment; we are the ones who make ourselves absent in the present by our obsession with what has not yet come. 

The Spitting Image

When my father died, it was just a week before my seventh Christmas.  Some of the things which belonged to him became like treasures to a young boy who missed out on so much.  There was a spinning reel, a Air Force flight jacket, a .22 pump action rifle, and an assortment of other things which I could hold in my hands.  But, the one thing I came to treasure the most were those moments when some aunt or uncle would look me and say, "Boy, you are the spitting image of your Daddy!"  Nothing made me want to stand taller and nothing made me prouder than hearing those words from those who knew him.

 

In my reading from Hebrews I found a word which seemed to be saying that Jesus was the spitting image of His Father.  It is found in the early verses of the first chapter and says, "He (Jesus) is....the exact imprint of God's very being..."  (Hebrews 1:3)  While nothing about these words suggests that Jesus' physical appearance was a duplication of the appearance of God, it does say a word to us that Jesus bore the divine DNA.  This phrase, "God's very being" points toward the indescribable, undefinable, yet, very real essence of God.  Whatever it is about the Holy Creator that speaks of the essence of His being was poured out in great abundance in the One known as Son of God.

 

It is, of course, impossible to give God a face.  There is no one to whom He can be compared.  He is full of such glory that the sun seems like a distant star; yet, He is also Spirit.  He is the One who can be described by a thousand adjectives, yet, He is impossible to see and know as we see and know others around us.  As we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us in such a way as to create within us the heart of Christ, we begin to catch glimpses of "God's very being." 

A Different Approach

One of the things I have come to appreciate about the Celtic spiritual tradition is the way it does not insist on a linear approach to understanding.  In other words, what we believe about God and our faith does not have to go from Point A to Point B and on to Point C.   The Celtic tradition does not require a straight line structured approach to theology, or to matters of the Christian life.  Instead, it invites the followers of Jesus to let understanding unfold in whatever manner it might come. 

 

When I was a student in seminary long years ago, we were trained in a discipline which sought to explain the Mystery.  Pulling the Biblical text apart word by word, verse by verse, in order to determine what was authentic was the in thing to do.  Looking back it seemed that the underlying premise was that the reader could use tools of scholarship and intellect for unlocking the mysteries of the Word.  On the other hand, the Celtic spiritual tradition does not extend a call to explain the Word, but to explore it.  It offers an invitation to live within the presence of Holy Mystery without having to define or explain it. 

 

Some things simply defy explanation.  As the book of Hebrews speaks of Jesus being "the reflection of God's glory" (Hebrews 1:3), I find myself wondering how to understand the mystery of God's glory.  Who can find words to describe it?  Who can paint a picture to portray it?  Certainly, there are studies of the meaning of the words, but even after all the studies have been read, there is still something unknowable about this thing spoken of as "God's glory."  It is mystery.  It is holy mystery that invites us to ponder, not know.  It is holy mystery which invites us to look around the edges as one sees the sun, not by looking directly into its fire, but by looking toward the light it creates as it moves through the heavens. 

A Seamless Reflection

This morning while reading from the book of Hebrews, I came across a Word in which the writer described Jesus as "the reflection of God's glory..."  (Hebrews 1:3)  All day long I have carried this image with me.  It has caused much thinking, and meditating, and reflection.  Or, to use the language of the farm, as I was ruminating about the image of the writer, I thought about a picture of a colorful fall mountain scene being perfectly reflected in a lake beside it.  So perfect was the reflection, it was difficult to tell where the tree line ended and the water began.

 

I confess to not being able to understand completely this powerful image which speaks of Jesus being the reflection of God's glory, but as I thought about the seamless quality of the picture of landscape being reflected in the water of a lake, the more it seemed that it would be impossible to separate the object of the reflection from the object.  It is impossible to separate the Father from the Son.  Theirs is a seamless existence which enabled the Son on the earth to accurately enable those who followed Him to see the Father.  It is as the Son Himself said, "...Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father." (John 14:9)

This old preacher is little more than a theological novice.  Understanding how God appeared on earth in the form of the Son even as God dwelled in the heavenly eternal place to be spoken to as Father by the Son is more than mindboggling.  Maybe it is all clear to some, but there is too much mystery for this one who has preached the gospel for only forty years.  The longer I ponder the Word, the more I find myself saying, "I do not know...I cannot understand."   But, then living in such a place is where my faith journey has finally brought me. 

Greater Attention

When I came to the season of retirement almost ten years ago, the words, "Pay Attention" got lodged in my mind in such a way that it has been carried like a new spiritual logo.  Retirement brought with it the jarring realization that there are more days behind than there are ahead which means that wasting one should not be entertained as an option.  Some smell the roses, or the coffee.  I make an effort to pay attention to what is going on around me and within me. 

 

So, in a recent reading of the book of Hebrews, I stopped abruptly when I came to the first words of the second chapter.  "Therefore we must pay greater attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it."  Somehow I had missed this word through the years of reading the Word.  It is not enough to simply pay attention for here is a call to pay greater attention.  Of course, the greater attention has a particular focus.  What has already been heard, or what is already known about the way of faith is what needs greater attention. 

 

I remember a sermon somewhere along the way in which the preacher said that God could not be expected to say a new word to us until we had taken seriously the word He had already spoken.  It makes sense.  Why should we be entrusted with more when we have not been faithful with what we have heard?  To pay greater attention is a word to take more seriously the things we know.  It is a call not to take our life with Christ for granted.  It is a call to take seriously the fact that Christ has died for us and that there is no life without Him.  Paying greater attention to the Christ and His way keeps our heads up, our minds sharp, and our hearts open to what He has done and whatever it is that He is doing in our lives in days still to come. 

An Old Holy Book

A short piece from here there is a strip of asphalt which connects the small town near the farm to another even smaller town just across the river.  A one lane dirt road connects us to this rural asphalt expressway.  As the dirt road runs its course, it crosses four cement culverts which take the water in the branch from the north side of the road to the south side.  The recent rains have turned the most of the time dry branch into a noisy fast moving stream of water. 

 

As I passed through the tree filled wetland this afternoon and heard the water racing under the road through the culverts, I thought for a moment about its destination.  Eventually the water passing under the road will join the nearby river which flows downstream some sixty or so miles to the ocean.  Once there the branch water will disappear in waters as wide as the horizon.  And, what is possible is that some of the water from here going there may one day evaporate upward, become a rain cloud, and once again water the earth here.  And, if it does not come back here in the air, somewhere else.

 

This creation is such a amazing thing to behold.  Saints of other centuries called it a holy book in which God reveals Himself to those who take the time to pay attention.  Crossing the culverts today it seemed that there was a Word in the air declaring nothing is wasted which caused more thought about how we live in a society established firmly upon growing piles of waste.  The more we throw away, the more we show disrespect for the order of the creation established by our common Creator.  And, while we may not be able to do much to change our culture's need for growing landfills, we can mourn an addiction to a lifestyle that causes us to require the convenience of packaging and an extra fork to rake the unwanted food off our dinner plates into the open mouth of the trash can. 

The Coming Light

According to John the  resurrection morning story started in pitch darkness.  Black.  "...while it was still dark...." is how the gospel writer set the stage (John 20:1).  Matthew described the time by writing, "..the first day of the week was dawning."  (Matthew 28:1)  Mark wrote, "..the sun had risen..." (Mark 16:2) and Luke wrote that the story started "at early dawn." (Luke 24:1)  When John speaks of the resurrection story beginning in absolute darkness, it is as the drama begins with the curtain drawn shut and as we read, it ever so slowly is pulled open for all the world to see what is unfolding in the new light of what is surely a new day.

 

There are things to see on the this resurrection morning.  By the time Peter and John raced to the tomb in the rising of the early morning sun, there was enough light behind them to look into the darkness of the tomb and see that it was empty.  And the grieving weeping Mary Magdalene managed to get her eyes opened enough to see angels in white and then finally, the resurrected Jesus.  By the time the story is finished, the light of the new dawn is surely shining in overwhelming power over each of them.

The light which dawned upon the darkness so long ago has not grown dim, but shines ever so bright in our lives.  Of course, there are times when it seems that the darkness has once again taken hold of the light and overcome it, but there is no power within any darkness which can prevail against the light that broke upon the world that resurrection morning.  The Light of the World which slipped quietly on the earthly stage in Bethlehem burst forth in dominating brilliance that morning when the Word went out that death's hold had been broken for evermore.  We live now, but not in the darkness; instead, we live as one in whom the Light of the World has chosen to dwell.   

Bright Glory

Somewhere from the past there is a memory of someone saying that it was a good thing Jesus said, "Lazarus, come out!"  (John 11:43)  Had he simply said, "Come out!" there would have been a mass uprising from the dead that would have made Ezekiel's vision of the dry bones pale in comparison.  The graveyard scene set forth near Bethany was surely an unforgettable moment for all those who had gathered as mourners and curiosity seekers.  With hands and feet and face still bound with the coverings of death, Lazarus stepped forth to walk the dirt paths of the earth again.

 

From earth to glory and back to earth again was the path journeyed by this friend of Jesus.  While it would seem certain to us that his eyes must have blinked a thousand times at the brightness of the day as the bands of death were pulled away, it was surely nothing compared to the brilliant brightness of glory he experienced when breath slipped out of his body the last time.  It is an experience claimed by a few who have walked a path similar to Lazarus, but for the rest of us earth dwellers, it is impossible to even wrap our imagination around the brightness of a life so filled with presence of a God who is full of glory and majesty. 

There have been those moments when the veil between here and there became so thin and transparent that glimpses of glory came as blessings.  Isaiah wrote about such a moment when he described the moment of his calling in the Temple.  (Isaiah 6)  The gospel writers spoke of Peter, James, and John sharing such a moment in what is called the Mount of Transfiguration.  In both cases the brightness of the revealed glory was too much for human eyes to fully see and too full of God to grasp with the mind given to us at birth.  What we see of the glory of God is always overpowering and sends us to our knees, but there is a greater and brighter glory which awaits us on the other side of the thin veil which separates here from there and earth from heaven. 

Worn Out Shoes

There was a time when it seemed like the road forward with Jesus was more direct than it seems in these last days.  Point B used to seem just beyond Point A and it was clear how to reach it.  Reaching it usually involved a plan and some effort, but it was something which could be managed.   The journey involved a lot of external stuff like worship, spiritual disciplines, and the insight of some popular trendy author who had figured it out and was letting everyone else know how to do it. 

 

Somewhere along the way, the road of faith got a little more muddled and confused.  And, the straight way slowly became one with more twists and turns than ever I thought were possible back in the beginning days.  This awareness of a different sort of journey tends to create a need to live with a greater sense of trust in Christ to lead on this road which stretches beyond the ability to see where it is going.  It has become a journey without a clear and guaranteed destination.  It has become a journey to wherever. 

What was not so clear when the first steps of faith were being taken was the truth that my plans did not count.  I  have come to the uncomfortable awareness that what I map out for the journey might not be in sync with what Christ had in mind when He put forth the call to follow.  One of the sure things I have learned in these days of walking with Christ is the reality that I do not know where I am going.  But, I do know Who has gone with me in days past, Who is walking with me now, and Who will be walking with me when my shoes are too worn out to walk anymore!

The Road to Eternity

As the shadow of the impending darkness was gathering around Jesus, He said to those who were walking with Him, "The light is with you for a little longer.  Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you.  If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going.  While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light."  (John 12:35-36)  The words He spoke that day came from the crowd of confusion and darkness evident in the people who were still asking Him about His identity.  "Who is this Son of Man?"  they asked. (John 12:34)

The key to this walk in the light that cannot be overcome by the Light is "belief," or "faith," or "trust."  Of course, these are not three words meaning three separate things, but three words expressing the same thing.  The key to walking in the light instead of being overcome by the darkness is depending on Jesus.  Depending on Jesus is not the casual thing often set forth by samplers of religion, or even preachers who seem bent on tickling the ears of those who appear to be followers of Jesus.  Depending on the Jesus is a radical approach to life which carries with it a willingness to forsake all to go wherever Jesus might lead.

And, sometimes Jesus leads into places and circumstances the rational and logical part of us does not want to go.  What makes no sense to us may make perfect sense to Christ who has a purpose for us which is sometimes greater than we can know in the beginning.   It is not always into the safe and comfortable places where Jesus leads us, but instead, He often takes us to the place of risk and uncertainty.  Wherever we go with Him, one thing is certain.  Depending on Him will be the key.  Wherever and whatever is ahead, He will get us through and on to eternity. 

The Power of Belief

What is obvious is that the man born blind lived in darkness.  (John 9)  He not only lived in darkness; he had lived in darkness every day of his life.  His eyes never saw light when he came from the darkness of his mother's womb.  And, by the time he ran into Jesus on the road, he had accepted the fact that he would remain in darkness until his unseeing eyes closed in the darkness of death.  While some surely pitied him, some declared he deserved his fate because of his or his parent's sin.  The darkness of these who could see with their eyes was a darkness even deeper than the man whose eyes were blind.

 

Of course, when Jesus came along, it was Jesus who saw him.  The man born blind might have heard the loud commotion of a crowd coming down the road, but he could not have known that his whole life was about to change.  Just before Jesus spoke to the blind man, the Word records Him saying, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  (John 9:5)  As we read the story, we see that the healing of blind eyes was not spoken into existence by a commanding word of Jesus, but something which required the blind man to endure what he could have regarded as further humiliation and an act of trust in walking to the place he was told to go. 

It was at the pool of Siloam where the darkness disappeared and the light came brightly upon him.  But, it was even later when eyes that were meant to see things that were invisible truly experienced the brilliant power of the Light of the World.  In that final moment with Jesus, his words were, ""Lord, I believe" (John 9:38), and the darkness within was broken by the penetrating and prevailing light of the love of Christ.  It is that way with each of us who have trusted in Christ.  The moment of trusting and believing is a moment when the darkness is broken and we really see the One who brings the light to us enabling us to see what seeing eyes could never see. 

In the Presence

Anyone who stands in the presence of the Light of the World is risking exposure.  Some, like Nicodemus, have tried to hide in the darkness, but it was no hiding place.  Jesus saw him, recognized him, and then spoke directly to the hidden part of his heart.  The same is true of the Samaritan woman.  Of course, she came into the presence of Jesus, in the brightest part of the day.  Even then, she tried to hide behind protocols of culture and religious differences.  And, who can overlook Zacchaeus, the small man who tried hiding in a tree.  Jesus did not overlook him.  He looked up and invited Himself to dinner.

 

It is understandable that we would want to lurk in the shadows when we find ourselves in the light of truth which has come into the world through Jesus Christ.  There is something about His presence which penetrates the darkest sins and brings to the surface the most hidden secrets. At the end of the second chapter of John there is a verse which reveals a disturbing word about Jesus.  In those final words it is written, "..for He (Jesus) Himself knew what was in everyone."  (John 2:25)  The wedding ritual used over years affirms this truth as it says, "before whom the secrets of all hearts are disclosed."

It is disturbing, uncomfortable, and painful to have the inner motives, attitudes, and spirits lurking in our heart exposed.  But, when in His presence there is no hiding place.  So, why would anyone choose to stand in the presence of this One who creates such discomfort?  We make the choice because the darkness within is suffocating, it destroys life, it takes away hope.  To stand in presence of the Light of the World is the only place where we can confront our own sins and find divine grace that brings the assurance of forgiveness and living that no longer requires looking over the shoulder at the past. 

The Overcoming Light

A full moon graces the sky.  It casts a light that dispels the darkness.  It is not so bright as to cast shadows in the darkness, but still it is bright enough to walk safely in the night without the aid of a hand carried light.  Of course, there are some nights when there is no heavenly light to push away the darkness, but then again, the light is always there in the night time sky.  The light that pushes away the darkness may be hidden by a blanket of thick clouds, or blowing storm clouds, but it is ever present. 

 

All of us have gone thought those moments when it seemed that there was no holy light to penetrate the darkness within our spirit or heart.  In those moments we are tempted to think, maybe even believe, that the One who spoke of Himself as "the light of the world" (John 8:12) has been overcome by the darkness in our lives.  It is a frightening moment when we come to a hard place where it seems to us that Christ is no longer present with us, or that He is powerless to work in the dark chaos which has overcome us. 

 

What our head tells us is that Christ is ever present with us.  Our head tells us that His word about never leaving us is true.  A bruised and broken heart does not always listen to truth, but is often swayed by a spirit of hopelessness and despair.  The horrible moment on Golgotha was such a dark moment that even the creation turned black and the sun disappeared; yet, to look at this event which is now behind us and which was a prelude to the empty tomb is to know that the Light is never extinguished.  The Light never disappears.  Our ability to see and to know and experience holy comforting presence may be obscured by what seems to be overwhelming darkness, but the Light which has come remains and will shine once again ever so brightly upon our lives. 

The Brighter Light

As the evening sun was seeking its place down below the horizon, the nearly full moon was rising in its place somewhere near where the morning sun started its journey. If it is a game of chase, the moon has a long way to go and the sun has a head start that is a wide span of sky long.  To watch the two spheres of light sharing time together in the heavens is a reminder that both have been touched by the hands of the Creator of Creation.  The greater light dispels all the darkness while the lesser moves within the darkness.

 

The gospel writer John often used the imagery of light.  In the eighth chapter of John we are enabled to hear Jesus saying about Himself, "I am the light of the world."  (John 8:12)  And in the beginning verses of this particular writing, we hear John speaking of Jesus as he writes, "What has come into being in Him was life, and the life was the light of all people.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it."  (John 8:4-5)  Both the sun and the moon point us to think about the source of light.  The Word tells us, "All things came into being through Him, and without Him not one thing came into being."  (John 1:3)

There have times in the history of humankind when the people of the earth made gods out of the lights of the heaven, but instead of being gods, they are actually heavenly spheres which point us to the One who created them.  Those who have eyes to see are enabled to see them as manifestations of the Creator who has brought light into the physical world and light into our sin darkened heart.  The darkness of human sin is a deep darkness which can only be overcome by the One who spoke of Himself as the Light of the World.  Seeing the lights in the sky calls to us to live with gratitude for this One who has come to bring saving light to us. 
 

Not Headed For Extinction

The cleansing of the Temple by Jesus is an event described by all the gospel writers.  Matthew, Mark, and Luke place the event at the very end of His ministry on His last trip to Jerusalem.  However, in John's gospel it is found recorded in the early part of the Jesus narrative.   And while there are some differences in the account itself, each one depicts Jesus doing a number on the people who were using the Temple as a place of profit instead of a place of prayer and worship.  What is obvious is that a place set aside to glorify God had become a place driven by the purposes of the men who sought personal benefit within its corridors.

 

The church has always suffered at the hands of men and women who were driven by personal agendas instead of the agenda of God.   A look at the history of the church reveals that the church has always been under attack by folks bent on their own quest for control and power.  But, what is also very clear is that the church has survived.  It has not only survived, but there have been those times when it seems that adversity has strengthened it instead of destroying it.  Like a stream that disappears underground, it always seems to surface with even more power than it possessed when it appeared to lose its place. 

 

Many of us can see evidence of this truth in the denominations we love.  As one of John Wesley's preachers I can look back and see how the Methodist Church has butted heads with culture, changed, and continued with faithfulness.  What God has put here on this earth through the blood of His Son cannot be eradicated by men and women who think their power and control is all that matters.  Its institutional form may change to the point of being unrecognizable, but the essence of the church is a spiritual Kingdom which has been, is, will be, and will never be crushed into extinction by anything or anyone.  The spiritual Kingdom is God created and centered and it will prevail!

The Long Road

When Jesus showed up at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, he  went because of an invitation. "Jesus and His disciples had also been invited to the wedding."  (John 2:2)  He was no party crasher.  Perhaps, the invitation went out to Him because His mother had been invited.  Or, perhaps, it was one of those extended family affairs and so He was included.  Whatever the case, Jesus went.  He went not to preach, or do anything spiritual, but simply to enjoy the days of celebration.  He converted water into wine as a favor to His mother.  No one would could blame Him for doing as she asked.

 

Obviously, Mary realized Jesus could help.  She did not tell Him what to do.  She simply stated the obvious, "They have no wine." (John 2:3)  Whatever Jesus chose to do about the lack of wine was up to Him.  As we see the moment unfolding in the Word, we see a model for us in our personal life with Jesus.  Too often we are more about telling Jesus what we think He should do about a problem we are seeing or experiencing instead of simply stating the thing that troubles us and leaving it up to Him to do whatever He might choose. 

 

What we can always do is trust Jesus to bless in extraordinary ways.  Not even Mary could have imagined that Jesus would take ordinary water and make over 100 gallons of extremely fine wine.  It is foolish and a bit brash of us to suggest to Jesus that we know the very best solution to some difficulty which is touching our life, or the life of someone we love, but it shows good sense and faith to trust Jesus with our life, or the life of someone important to us.  The truth is that what we see as the obvious best solution may not be so good at all.  Jesus does not just see what is just ahead, but instead He sees the long road which lies ahead.   And, it is the long road that He enables us to walk. 

An Earthly Ministry

When John the Apostle wrote, "And the Word became flesh and lived among us..." (John 1:14), we should understand that something other than the usual gospel fare is coming.  These words in the early verses surely serve as a prelude to John using the wedding celebration as the inaugural moment in Jesus' ministry.  Matthew used the Sermon on the Mount, Mark, healing stories, and Luke wrote about the preaching ministry.  These first three writers used material that takes us into the realm of the spiritual, but John takes us to a moment so earthy, you can almost smell the sweat of people dancing at the wedding.

 

As John presents the gospel narrative, the Wedding at Cana of Galilee is the first forum for the ministry of Jesus.  After Jesus turned good water into great wine, the Word says, "Jesus did this, the first of His signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.  (John 2:11)  As John puts this event in such a prominent place in his gospel account, he literally fleshes out an important part of the ministry of Jesus.  He reminds us of the way that Jesus was connected to the creation and the events of common folks.  The marriage celebration is certainly about something that connects us to the things of the earth such as wine and the things of life such a marriage and family. 

Jesus' ministry was not going to be so spiritual that His head would always be in the clouds.  His feet were firmly on the earth.  His hands bore the scars of the carpenter's shop.  He understood about joy and grief, laughter and tears, life and death.  Those who followed Him then were always being reminded of earthly things like weddings, livestock, the fruit of vines, fig trees, water, and light. His life would be lived out midst the things of the earth and those who followed Him would live out their lives on the same stage.  And, so it is for all of us. 

Small Groups

What may be a record of the first small group ministry is found in the first chapter of John.  When we begin reading at verse 35 and go on toward the end of the chapter, we find that five men responded to the call to follow Jesus.  They are John, Andrew, Simon Peter, Philip, and Nathaniel.  At this point none of them wear the official name of "Disciple" although each would later become a part of the Twelve.  What we do see is that they each chose to accept Jesus as their Rabbi, their leader, and spiritual mentor.  These men who came to Jesus in different ways formed a small group of five who would develop a close relationship with each other and their new leader.

 

Small groups are important to spiritual growth.  While no one has to be a part of a small group to be a disciple of Jesus, it is important enough to regard it as a spiritual discipline.  As a spiritual discipline, it becomes a means of moving toward maturity.  Of course, later the group of five would grow to a group of twelve.  Imagine the impact Jesus had on these men as he nurtured them in their growing faith for three years.  If he could have given each a library, or a course on theology, he could not have had a greater impact. 

 

When the Methodist Church was getting on its feet in 18th century England, the small group ministry was a central method of growing a church and growing people in their faith.  Being in worship each Sunday is surely an important part of our going after God as is structured study in what we have often spoken of as Sunday School.  But, a small group speaks about people intentionally setting aside time and energy to join with others for a common purpose.  It speaks about vulnerability and concern for the thoughts of others.  It speaks about growing in love for those who are different.  A good small group often creates an unbreakable bond among those who choose one another.  Finding one or starting one would be a great way for any of us to start this new year.

The Call to Walk Away

Forsaking all to follow Jesus is not always easy to figure.  Two men who were disciples of John the Baptist gave up their spiritual guide.  How long they had been a part of the small group that looked to John the Baptist for leadership we cannot know.  What can be seen is that he had become their spiritual mentor.  He was the one who was leading them in their walk toward God.  They surely depended on him and could not imagine their spiritual journey without him.  And, then suddenly everything changed.

 

What changed came about because of something their spiritual mentor said to them.  One day out of the blue, He looked at the man they had come to know as Jesus and said, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world."  (John 1:29)  No doubt this pronouncement was followed by inquiring conversation.  And then the next day they found themselves once again near where Jesus was walking and heard their spiritual guide once again saying, "Look, here is the Lamb of God." (John 1:35)  This time their hearts had been prepared to act and the Word speaks of that moment as it says, "The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus." (John 1:37) 

 

The choosing to follow Jesus was also about choosing to leave the one who had great influence on their spiritual lives.  It is not an easy thing to choose to walk away and outside of the sphere of influence of one who has been a spiritual model, an example of faith walking, and a teacher of truths that have shaped the heart.  There are times when going on with Jesus means turning loose of the hold we have of a strong spiritual role model.  The truth is sometimes another person becomes so much of a spiritual force in our life that we do not think that we can walk the journey apart from that person's influence.  Faith in Jesus is about depending on Him.  Unfortunately, a relationship with a spiritual mentor can take the place of the One we set out to follow.  When it happens, there is a call to walk away. 

A Testimony

While the Prologue of John's gospel contains the first testimony about Jesus, the first one to be spoken by one those who shared the stage with Jesus comes from the mouth of John the Baptist.  Within the John the Baptist narrative of the first chapter are the words of the Baptizer, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world."  A little later in the text comes a word from the Baptizer which tells us something about him and something about Jesus.  "And John said, 'I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him'....the One who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' " (John 1:29-33)

These final verses tell us that Jesus is the One who baptizes with the Spirit, but it also opens up a window for us to see inside the spiritual life of John the Baptist.  John is not only one who has been sent by God for a specific task, but he is also one who has the kind of relationship with God which has made room for listening, hearing, and expecting.  When he saw the Spirit coming upon Jesus, it was something he had already seen.  He was not surprised.  He was living in expectation that the day would come when the vision of his personal life would become reality. 

Most of us do not have expectations like the Baptizer.  Is it because John the Baptist was special?  Some might say such is true, and perhaps, it is true that he was one called to a special role as the proclaimer that the Lamb of God had come.  But, it is equally as true that John had grown within him an awareness of God that enabled him to hear the voice of God.  He sensed this so powerfully that he was looking for the things God had told him to expect in his life.  Too many of leave our personal moments with God with no expectations, but as John's life tells us, it does not have to be this way. 

Sit With Mystery

Over the years of reading the Scripture, I have always found myself a bit partial to the gospel of John.  In the beginning I simply realized that it was different than the first three which I later learned to lump together as the Synoptic Gospels.  The gospel of John offers imagery that invites us to allow our pondering spirit to wander.  It paints portraits of people who are not mentioned in any of the other renderings of the gospel story.  And, it opens up windows that enable us to see Jesus as He moved about being with people, teaching, healing, and praying. 

 

As the year begins to unfold again with a sense of newness, I find myself once again turning to its familiar pages for still another reading.  We may read most books only once, but the Scripture is a writing we read many times in the course of a lifetime.  One of those sections I never tire of reading and always leave with a sense of wonder and mystery is known as the Prologue of John's gospel.  It begins with words which stretch our minds back to a time before the beginning, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God."  (John 1:1-2)

For those who want to go quickly from point A to point B, these beginning words may be uncomfortable words, but for those who are willing to sit with holy mystery, they contain a Word that is unfolding revelation.  The longer we sit with these words, the greater the mystery and the more we realize we do not know about the One who came among us in the flesh, died on the cross as a delivering sin sacrifice, and rose from the grave in such a way as to open death's door to eternity for all of us who would choose to walk in faith with Him. 

Blessings

As the calendar turns its page to the first month of the new year, it is not uncommon for folks to spend some time looking back with a spirit of reflection while others are guided into what is ahead by their resolutions.  It is a moment for standing at a temporal junction between what is behind and what is ahead.  Such a moment is spoken of as a threshold in the stream of Celtic spirituality.   In this tradition thresholds moments are moments ripe for blessings to be given.   Thresholds moments are moments for prayers to be prayed for the journey into whatever is ahead.

Such is where we stand on this first day of the year.  It is also where all those around us are standing.  Even though we may never leave the place we call home, we are all venturing forth on an unknown journey in the days which are ahead.  What we often fail to realize is that the journey which is out there ahead of us will take us into unknown territory.  The destination cannot be defined or seen.  It is a journey to wherever.  And if we are seeking to live according to faith in Christ, it is a journey to wherever Christ chooses to lead us.  When we choose to walk ahead with Christ as our guide, the only thing we can carry with us is our trust. 

As we pray for one another in these days, prayers for the journey ahead are more than appropriate.  We can pray that those around us would be blessed with courage, vision, wisdom, and most of all, trust in the One who leads.  "Bless now, Holy Father, those who read these words with a warm embracing light.  Bless now, Son of God, those who read these words with hearts that are open to all who are put before them.  Bless now, Holy Spirit, those who read these words with others whose hearts are filled with holy presence.  Bless now, Father, Son, and Spirit those who read these words with all those spiritual blessings necessary for the journey."