Stop Pounding Nails

"...Jesus said, 'It is finished.' With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:30, NIV)

My Lord and my God! What have we done?

- A little white lie...Bang!
- An unkind word spoken in anger...Whack!
- Quarrels and gossip...Crack!

Sin after sin - a relentless pounding of hammer to nail. We take our turns, one after another - pounding, pounding, pounding. Even my son, my precious son - innocent in his father's eyes - pounded one of those nails. I'm overcome with grief at the thought of what we've done. We "secured" your Son to the cross. Oh, that ugly, dreadful cross.

And yet...

Lord Jesus, you have accepted this undeserved sentence. An unblemished lamb, sinless, you chose to die - for me, for all. My Lord and my God! What have you done? Blessed Son of God, you gave your life that we might live. Thank you; thank you for saving us, saving me. Oh, that beautiful, wondrous cross!

Oh, Holy Spirit, help me now, to turn from my sinful ways. Guide me on the path God has set for me. Light my way that I might reflect His light to others. Lead me that I may lead others to you. Please, I beg, do not allow me to disregard Christ's sacrifice. Let this emotion take deep root within me so that I act on it each day.

Holy Trinity, you have done so much for me. No words or deeds can ever repay you. I pray simply that I stop pounding nails.

- - - - -

Note: On this Good Friday evening, my church service included a symbolic crucifixion. One member had prepared a rough hewn cross. It was placed at the altar with hammer and nails. One by one, as each felt called, individuals stepped forward to drive a nail into that cross. As my emotions welled, I was sure I could not do it. I knew what it meant and I just couldn't go through with it. But then my son and his friend stepped forward. Each hammered a nail. Overcome with agonizing grief, I did likewise. God have mercy!

The Tongue and the Bridle

This weekend's Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) text included a verse from James that really got me pondering:

"If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless."  (James 1:26, NRSV)

Our tongues too frequently betray us, getting us in all sorts of trouble. From gossip to slander; even words intended for good sometimes cause harm to others. James speaks at length about the problem of taming out tongues in chapter 3. And many verses in Proverbs talk of the ways our tongues fail us.

"A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin." (Proverbs 26:28, NIV)

But there is hope; Proverbs also provide great wisdom on how to properly use on our tongues. Namely, we must make every effort to use it only for good - to speak well of others, to offer compassionate, healing words, and to express our love for one another.

"The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." (Proverbs 12:18, NIV)

And when we feel we cannot use it for good, we simply must use the bridle (and any other control we may have) in order to restrain it.

"Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity."  (Proverbs 21:23, NIV)

How is your tongue doing? Are you able to use it wisely? Are you able to control it? When we struggle - and we will struggle - we will do well to consider God's word on the matter. We can review James' thoughts and read (and re-read) the wisdom of Proverbs. The more we use our tongue to praise God, the less we can use it for ill.

Gracious God - Your word makes it clear that you know all too well how we struggle to control our tongues. But we thank you for those words that offer encouragement and wisdom to aid in our efforts. We pray that each one of us honors you with our words, for when we are doing so, we cannot also be using our tongues for harm. May your Spirit continue to guide us in our efforts. We ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen.

7 (or 8) Habits of Highly Effective Christians

If you browse the shelves of your local library or bookstore, you are sure to find plenty of books describing how to be a better Christian - from Bible study aids to commentaries, from books on spiritual disciplines to prayer journals, from guides to healthier living to "how to" books on serving others. There are many and various ways to grow in Christ.

Nearing the end of a transition period at my church, our interim pastor (Pastor Bob), following the pattern of Stephen Covey's "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," offered the following habits of a growing follower of Jesus Christ:

• Worship Weekly - everyone worships something or some body; Christians worship God!
• Believe Boldly - faith in God can stand the tests and trials of life.
• Study Seriously - search for God's truth in the One who is "the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6, NIV)
• Pray Persistently - God is available but not on demand. Don't give up on God's love for you.
• Care Compassionately - people are not things and need the compassion of Christ as we do.
• Give Generously - generosity if beautiful and reflects the very nature of God's love to us.
• Witness Winsomely - live faith in an attractive, genuine manner.

As I visited with Pastor Bob about his list, I pointed out that Stephen Covey had later written a follow up to his original "seven habits". In that same fashion, I offered (and share with you now) an eighth habit - one that I believe is both implied in the list above and in the way Pastor Bob lives.

• Relate Rightly - we are one body, one community in Christ; as such, it is important that we revere God, trust in the salvation earned for us by Jesus, listen to the Holy Spirit's prompting, and treat one another as cherished siblings, each a child of God.

With all due respect for Pastor Bob's well conceived list, I believe that if we are truly "relating rightly" to God and one another, we will indeed have made a habit of the seven items on his list. If we are to relate rightly with God, we must first know Him through serious study and persistent prayer. Once we have even an inkling of who God is, relating rightly to Him will entail weekly (even daily) worship. When we understand who Jesus is and what he has done for us, we will most certainly believe boldly. And having established a firm foundation with God, our right relationship to others will certainly include compassion, generosity, and witness to all those around us.

In coming weeks, I hope to share a few more of my own thoughts on each of these habits. (I may also consider Stephen Covey's habits alongside.) For now, I hope this list whets your appetite and has you pondering how you might grow in your faith. God's peace!

- - - - -

Note: The premise of this post came in early June from an interim pastor serving my congregation. As he was preparing the way for our newly called pastor, Pastor Bob wanted to answer our question, "What now?" In doing so, he offered his "Seven Habits of a Growing Follower of Jesus Christ." In light of the recent passing of Stephen Covey, it seemed a most fitting tribute to share this list now. I was "raised" in the business world on Mr. Covey's habits and I greatly appreciate Pastor Bob's own list. My thanks to Pastor Bob and God's peace to the family of Stephen Covey.

Who is to blame for the death of John the Baptist?

"...for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man..." (Mark 6:20, NRSV)

This past weekend's Revised Common Lectionary text included the story of the beheading of John the Baptist from the Gospel of Mark (chapter 6, verses 14-29). My Master Builder's Bible for Men asks (among other things) the following question regarding this text: "Of the people involved in the death of John the Baptist, who do you hold most responsible?"

If you don't know the full story, please read the passage from Mark before continuing here.

Before answering the question, a caution is necessary. The form of this question sets us up to make a value judgment - who is worst - when Paul and Jesus specifically caution against such things. In Romans 3:22-23, Paul tells us "There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...." In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us that anger is subject to the same judgment as murder. The point is, in God's eyes, no one sin is worse than another; we all fall short of God's desire for our lives. So please do not allow such questions to bait you into believing that you will be alright as long as you are better than most.

I believe, however, that the question is worth considering for another reason. It aims us at a key principle for living the Christian life. Who is our ultimate authority? If we review each character and consider who is their ultimate authority, we can see a relationship between one's authority and their responsibility. To whom does each person answer?

In order to consider who is most responsible, we must first clarify who could be assumed to be responsible. The primary players are: John, Herod, Herodias, Herodias' daughter, and the soldier of the guard.

John: In the sense of being a sinner (like us all), John could bear some responsibility for his own death. The wages of sin are death, so on one hand, except for the saving grace of Jesus Christ, John would one day die as a result of his sins. On the other hand, at this particular moment, John is merely sharing the truth revealed to him by God. It is this truth that aggravates Herodias and causes her to hold a grudge. John is completely unconcerned with what Herodias or Herod (or anyone else) cares to think; his ultimate authority is God alone and he is sharing God's truth.

Herodias' daughter: While the Bible text does not provide much detail - not even a name - for this daughter, some other ancient texts offer some potential detail. Flavius Josephus's Jewish Antiquities gives her name as Salome. As her age is not given it is difficult to decide between various depictions of her that range for cold and calculating to lighthearted and foolish. These details turn out to be insignificant to the question at hand. When given the opportunity to ask Herod for anything she desired, up to and including half his kingdom, she turned to her ultimate authority - her mother, Herodias.

Herodias: Herodias bore a grudge against John simply because John spoke God's truth about her relationship with Herod after she apparently left Herod's brother Philip. This anger and resentment led her to suggest that her daughter ask for John's head. (What kind of mother puts her daughter in such a position? Even if Salome is the cold, calculating femme fatale, John's head is of no real value to her. If Herodias had even her daughter's interest in mind, she may have chosen another option.) Herodias' ultimate authority appears to be herself. She, more than any other person in this story, desired John's death. And as such it would be simple to hold her most responsible. But let's consider the remaining players.

Soldier of the guard: Having committed the actual beheading, this soldier certainly bears some responsibility. However, as with all soldiers, they follow a chain of command. In this case, the soldier's ultimate authority was Herod. Perhaps the soldier could have refused, but in so doing would most likely have lost his own life and not saved John's. Herod would simply have found a more loyal soldier.

Herod: That brings us to Herod. Of all the people involved, many of whom bear some responsibility, Herod fell victim to his ultimate authority. Even though he knew John to be "a righteous and holy man" and was grieved at the request, he order John's killing out of "regard for his oaths and for the guests." He was more concerned with what others thought than with what he knew was right.

So, who do I hold most responsible? I would have to say Herod, though he certainly was not alone in this responsibility. Except for John, every person in this story chose an ultimate authority other than God. Consequently, every one of them sinned and fell short of God's glory.

So, who is your ultimate authority? Will you, like John, share God's truth regardless of the consequences? Or will you be more concerned with another authority?

Lord, I pray that each one of us recognizes you as our ultimate authority. Strengthen us that we might share your truth regardless of personal consequences and give us courage to stand up against those who would desire to be our authority. In Jesus name. Amen.

All Scripture Worth Studying

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV)

There are countless ways to go about studying the Bible. We can study book by book or study by topic. We can study alone or with a group. (See the note at the bottom of this entry for my preference.) There are various books on different methodologies for study. All of these can be valuable and useful. But I would like to talk about a couple of small notions that I've found helpful - repetition and the anti-pattern.

Regardless of any method we may choose, we must be willing to read carefully. Really pore over the words. Try to understand them in the context that they occurred then determine how they might be applied today. As we do this, we will see that the text of the Bible is often filled with patterns, repetitions of words or concepts. These repeated concepts are always important.

Consider the way you learn to do most anything. You see it done, you try it, and "if at first you don't succeed, you try, try again." Repetition. If God felt compelled to tell us something more than once, it stands to reason it is very important.

But the technique of particularly interest to me is looking for the anti-pattern. Just when you think you understand the repetition and have that urge to skip ahead, keep reading - do not skip ahead. (Do not pass Go or collect $200.) Just as there are frequent patterns in the Bible, there are frequent anti-patterns. And just as the repeated bits are very important, so too are the subtle differences.

I'll provide a few examples and leave it as an exercise for the reader to find more. First, consider Genesis chapter 1. Depending somewhat on your text, you'll find that near the complete of His creation work for days three, four, and five, God sees that "it was good." (I won't try to explain why day one and perhaps day two didn't have a similar message.) But at the end of day six, when all creation is essentially done, God sees that "it was very good." Why was this sixth day given more emphasis? Some would suggest that this is because the sixth day was the day mankind was made in God's image. Or perhaps, as is suggested in verse 31, God is simply surveying the whole of creation, and is commenting about the relationship of all the parts. Each was good, but together it is very good. A specific answer is not the point of this entry; what is important is that we pause to ponder why the pattern changed. There is something important about the break in pattern.

A second example is found just later in Genesis. Chapter 5 lists Adam's descendants to Noah. We know what important roles Adam and Noah each played. But this list goes on for 32 verses telling us who fathered who and how long each lived. The basic pattern is roughly this: When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enosh; after fathering Enosh, Seth lived another 807 years and had other sons and daughters. In all, Seth lived 912 years "and he died." But in verse 24, that pattern is broken. "Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him." Enoch didn't die; God simply took him. For more on Enoch, read Hebrews chapter 11 and Jude.

My final example can be found in the genealogy of Matthew 1. If you know much about ancient genealogy (and, frankly, genealogy in general), it is very paternal in nature. It was particularly important to know who one's father and grandfather were. It is tempting to breeze past Matthew's genealogy as "just a list of names" and assume that we will or have read details of the important ones elsewhere. We start with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and conclude with Jacob, Joseph, and Jesus. But among all those names, a few should stand out (as the anti-pattern): Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Uriah's wife, and Mary. Significant women in the genealogy of Jesus. As all scripture is useful for teaching, it is worth your time to learn more about these women.

The point here, so aptly described in 1 Timothy, is that all scripture is worthy of our study. God breathed each and every word for a reason. Sometimes He chose to make the importance known through repetition; other times He broke a pattern. Look for these things in your studies. (As you find others, share them in the comments.) May your studies be as fruitful as God desires.

- - - - -

Note: I highly recommend a small group setting where each member first studies independently and then shares within the group. This allows each member to work through the study themselves but the group ensures that no individual runs too far astray. I've been a member of my local Bible Study Fellowship International (BSF) class for several years. It's a solid program with over 1,000 classes world-wide. To learn more or to find a class near you check out their website.

The Joy of a Father

Following the death of my grandmother, my dad and I set out on a bittersweet journey to return some family mementos to his uncle in California. On the second day of our trip, Dad asked me if I had ever been to the Grand Canyon. When I said I had not, Dad declared that a side trip was in order. He couldn't allow me to come this near without seeing this natural wonder.

As we made our way from Interstate 40 to the south rim of the canyon, it became overcast – almost dreary. Upon arriving at Grand Canyon National Park, the overcast had turned to a light mist and…fog! My dad’s disappointment was palpable. He wanted so much for me to see the canyon in its entire splendor. But with the fog, the best I could do was to look down the near wall from an overlook. Though I could perceive its depth, I could not see the canyon floor nor could I begin to see across it.

I tried to cheer my dad with hollow-feeling words of “It’s OK, Dad. It’s the thought that counts.” I did appreciate his effort, but was equally disappointed. I vowed to return some day, but knew it wouldn’t be the same. Dad suggested that we stick around a while longer. If the fog would clear even a little, I might get some sense of the canyon’s spectacle. Little could either of us have known how that perseverance would pay off.

Sometime later – it may have only been minutes, but the disappointment made it seem like hours – a gentle breeze began to blow. As it blew down through the canyon, the fog began to shift. It lifted right out of the canyon to reveal a wonderful, sun-drenched view. This is a moment I will never forget.

Many will have seen the Grand Canyon. Some may even see fog rise like a theatre curtain to reveal the beauty of the canyon more slowly. But only my dad and I will share our pure joy in that moment – a father being able to “deliver” one of the world’s treasures to his son. He was able to witness my first viewing of the Grand Canyon. And, just as the fog lifted to reveal the canyon, I got to witness my dad’s disappointment lift to reveal his joy.

[Originally posted on FaithWriters.com - January 2008.]

Freedom Through Dependence

My latest devotion - on the topics of freedom and dependence - can be found on Knitted Together By God (formerly Devotionals for Bloggers). While you're there, read some of the other devotions and check out the author pages to find other places these fine writers share God's word.