Work and Rest

 March 2, 2023

I don’t know how I did it. When I was working, Thursdays were my day to be in the office, hopefully finishing up my sermon for Sunday. It was an all-day affair, week after week, year after year. Today after our early men’s prayer group, I came home, sat down and began to work. It’s now nearly 3:00 pm, and my mind is pretty much mush. I don’t know when I passed my prime, but it’s surely somewhere behind me. 

There is still plenty to be done, but pushing through like I used to just doesn’t work anymore. This morning’s reading was in the book of Hebrews where the author warns of missing the rest God has for his people because of our hardness and unbelief of heart. 

“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness,” —Hebrews 3:7-8

I’ve always thought of that hardness and unbelief in terms of committing sins that render our hearts and minds impervious to the Gospel, but I’m beginning to think a bit differently.

Work is good. At the very beginning, God told us to follow his example and work six days. We’ve reduced that to five, and more recently, four, but only if you really want to. Thousands of able-bodied people are refusing to work, citing low pay, lack of benefits, and just plain disinterest. Unless one is truly disabled, unable to work, such behavior is sinful. Plain and simple. It’s direct and deliberate disobedience to one of the Ten Commandments. 

On the other end of the scale are those who can’t seem to relax; those who cannot get their hands off the wheel for even a moment. I’ve at times fallen into that category. I didn’t take vacations, skimped on days off, working without a break often for weeks at a time. And now in retirement, I find myself still thinking the day is a loss if I didn’t accomplish something—if I didn’t work. And I’m finding that keeping the nose to the grindstone doesn’t make me accomplish more; it only wears out my nose.

“There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.”

—Hebrews 4:9-111

So the promise of rest in Hebrews 3 and 4 is one of God’s ways of reminding us that he is God and we are not. If I refuse to rest, it indicates my unbelief in the care and provision of God, that I don’t trust him to do his work, as in “God, you can’t handle this without me.” Talk about arrogance! So, I’m working on letting go. Did you catch that—“working on” letting go? I guess there’s more work to be done than I realize. But it’s God’s work, not mine. Right now, I’m going to take a break. My mind is tired, and as it turns out, so is my butt. Time to get moving!

Happiness and Joy

 March 1, 2023

Dr. Paul Hessert, my Systematic Theology professor in seminary, did his doctoral work in Edinburgh, Scotland. He used to tell us that he was convinced that John Knox’s dour Presbyterian theology was a product of the brooding Scottish climate. He may have been on to something there.

Today was one of the rare sunny spring days in Western New York. As I drove through the countryside to visit with a couple of friends, the fields alongside the narrow unpaved road leading to their house were dotted with cattle grazing and soaking up the sun (As an aside, my spell-check kept changing unpaved to unsaved. I wonder what that means?). The skies were deep blue above me, and the scene was serene. I don’t think it would have been possible for me to be downcast on a day like this.

It does make me wonder though, how much of my joy in Christ is actually joy in Christ, and how much of it is the result of my surroundings. I remember when I was just starting out as a pastor, speaking quite freely about the joy of being a Christian. Two years in Chicago, first in a group home for teenagers, and then as student pastor in a volatile neighborhood that was the crossroads of the Black, Eastern European, and Hispanic communities, made me question my previous theological certainty. Let’s face it: it’s easier being happy when our surroundings are happy. 

I learned back then, and occasionally have to re-learn all over again, that real Christian joy comes from within, and is unaffected by outer circumstances. In other words, we can be joyful even when we aren’t particularly happy at the moment. Joy comes from knowing I’m forgiven and chosen by God. When my outer surroundings are pleasant, it’s an added bonus of happiness to be enjoyed, but not confused with the Holy Spirit gift of joy. Today, I was privileged to experience both.

Not to Lose

 February 28, 2023

Last Saturday, Linda and I watched our granddaughter Eliza’s boy’s indoor soccer team play the game that would determine the championship for the league (Yes, she’s good enough to play on the boy’s team). They had a disastrous first half, as their opponents took an early lead that ballooned to 5-1 by the end of the half. It was painful to watch.

I don’t know what their coach said to them at the halftime break, but they came out a different team, evening the score at 6-6 at the end. Now it was sudden death, and they lobbed one past the opposing goalie about two minutes in to win the championship.

Talking with Denny, her other grandfather as we left the Y, he commented, “the other team started playing not to lose instead of playing to win.” His words have stuck with me ever since, and came to mind at our pastor’s prayer time this morning. I was a few minutes late, and came in as they were talking about the Satan’s clubs that are starting to spring up throughout the state in local highschools. We were cautioned against going global over the rumors of one starting in Jamestown, as it’s surmised that the tactic is to get Christians to oppose such a club so that such opposition could be used against Christians clubs as well.

Denny’s words kept ringing in my ears. Too often we Christians play and pray “not to lose.” We engage ideas and ideology from a reactionary position instead of being proactive. We fear losing the privileges we’ve enjoyed in this republic of ours, and go to all sorts of lengths to maintain our standing in society. We are playing “not to lose.” The early church by contrast, had no such privilege to lose. They were a minority, mostly poverty-stricken and lower class, often of the slave population. But they saw life differently than we often do.

In the book of Hebrews, we read about Jesus, 

“You [God] have put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.” —Hebrews 2:8-9 

If all we do is look around us, like the author of these words, “we do not yet see all things put under him.” It looks as if the devil and the world are winning. By almost any metric we can cite, evil comes out on top. But that is only true if we only look where the world wants us to look. It’s the next sentence that is important here: “But we see Jesus…” Where we look determines how we play the game, and even how we pray the game. So often, our prayers take on a defensive mode: “Lord, protect us from the evil… Deliver us from trouble…” We pray as we think, and we think as we see, and we aren’t seeing Jesus, “crowned with glory and honor.”

Denny’s observation wasn’t just about our granddaughter’s soccer game; it’s a warning for life: “Don’t play to not lose.” Play and pray the victory promised through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, now crowned with glory and honor.” We are playing, not to lose, but to win, because in Christ, we already have.

Testing the Teacher

 February 27, 2023

Christians can be pretty gullible. The gap between faith and gullibility isn’t always very big, and history is littered with the wreckage of lives gone off the rails courtesy of a convincing and charismatic preacher. It’s nothing new; from the very beginning, Paul faced off against teachers who distorted or watered down his gospel of grace and faith in Christ alone. So from the beginning, he warned Christians of the danger of such teachers when he was no longer around to guide them. 

In Acts 20, Paul gives some of the warning signs of false teaching.

“For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ””

—Acts 20:29-35 

Paul doesn’t mince words; these false teachers are like savage wolves out to devour and destroy. False teaching isn’t benign; it is an evil to be avoided at all cost. But to avoid it, we must be able to identify it. In his farewell speech to the Ephesian elders, he lays down some of the warning signs.

First is perversity. Though he doesn’t elaborate, he surely includes sexual perversity. It is tempting to believe that people who have listened to any sort of Biblical teaching would know that anything other than a monogamous relationship between a husband and a wife is off limits, but religious fervor is often accompanied by all sorts of forbidden sexual activity. Any teaching that condones sexual activity outside of marriage, or minimizes purity is a red flag for false teaching.

Second is a personality cult. Anyone who builds a following around himself is likely to be a false teacher. Such leaders refuse accountability to anyone outside themselves and get defensive and upset if questioned.

Third is an obsession with money. Anyone who has ever watched late night religious programming is familiar with the “send money for a blessing” scam. While every ministry needs money to survive, the way some of these preachers flash their diamond rings and expensive clothes is a warning to us to be wary.

In contrast to these warning signs, Paul shows us what we should be looking for. Genuine affection and concern for people is right up there at the top: “I didn’t cease warning everyone night and day with tears.” He speaks of building them up with the message of grace (instead of guilt). He worked hard to provide for himself and his team, not burdening his followers or demanding favors from them. Lastly, he taught and modeled the life of a faithful follower of Christ (v.35–“I have shown you…”).

This is a short, but important, list. It’s not exhaustive; he doesn’t say anything about what we believe about the death and resurrection of Jesus, or of his full divinity and humanity. This list is a bit more subtle, and somewhat of a litmus test of a spiritual teacher designed to protect God’s people from those who would take advantage of them to their detriment.

Everyday Hero

 February 26, 2023

I’m not proud of it, but I know I can be judgmental. When someone doesn’t measure up to whatever standard I’ve set in my mind, I may not say anything, but inside my head and heart, I can be pretty critical. A couple days ago, God brought me up short about my attitude. To understand, you need to hear the backstory.

Dick was a wonderful man, a hard worker, generous, giving of himself in the church, in the community, and with his family. He was almost bigger than life, loved to laugh and tease. He was town supervisor, active in the volunteer fire department, and served on a long list of community committees and boards over the years.

The one thing he couldn’t do was read. I don’t mean that he was illiterate; just that reading was difficult for him. In spite of this, he regularly read the Scripture on Sunday mornings, and when he did, often I would cringe inwardly. It was almost painful to listen, and though I didn’t intend it, I found at times I would be inwardly judgmental over his difficulty.

As the family was making arrangements for his funeral last week, we were trying to decide what Scripture to use. We laughed over the often difficult Biblical names that Dick regularly butchered when he read, and suddenly I knew which Scripture I would use. It was my favorite Bible verse from Luke 3:1-2 where all the movers and shakers of the day were listed before Luke said, “but the word of the Lord came to John in the wilderness.” The main lesson is that God often bypasses the high and mighty to reveal his plans to ordinary people in out of the way places. Dick wasn’t one of the high and mighty, and I’m sure God overlooked others and used him instead.

God had another lesson for me in this text, and it had to do with Dick. Instead of judging his difficulty, I saw things from a new perspective. Where most people would have avoided the public reading of difficult texts, Dick stepped up and did it. He didn’t back away from a task just because it was difficult. Easy or not, Dick stepped up and tackled the task. God said to me, “Take a lesson from this man. You don’t quit just because it is hard.” 

So Dick Purol, among all your other life’s accomplishments, you taught this preacher to ease up on the judgments and to face difficult tasks, never giving up, even if it never gets easier. I am in your debt, and thank you for your faithfulness. You are one of my everyday heroes.

Highway Construction

 February 25, 2023

Yesterday, I wrote about how God isn’t impressed with status or titles, but chooses to give the Word of God to ordinary people in out of the way places. The content of that Word however, I didn’t explain. That’s tonight’s task. Here’s the message God gave to John in the wilderness:

“Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” —Luke 3:4-6 

The fact that this is a quote from Isaiah 40:3-5 tells me something important: When anyone claims to have a word from the Lord, and it’s completely new, be wary. John was ushering in the Gospel age, paving the way for the Messiah and Savior of the world, but he didn’t do it with some brand new revelation. He simply restated what had been given centuries before, helping people to see the new thing God was doing in the context of what he had already done and what he had already promised. Whenever anyone comes up with a new and different revelation, there’s a pretty good chance it isn’t from God.

The message itself is clear. There’s lots of stuff standing between God and ourselves. Deliberate rebellion, guilt, shame, the pain of rejection or abuse, anger and bitterness, pride…the list goes on and on. Mountainous problems and difficulties, valleys of despair and hopelessness; it’s all there in these few words. It’s like the nurse who when doing intake for my annual checkup asked if I had any issues. “I’ve got plenty of them,” I responded, “but most aren’t anything the doctor can fix.” I don’t know too many people who aren’t in one way or another dealing with emotional, spiritual, relational mountains and valleys.

John’s word is simple: Level those mountains and fill the valleys. But how? In a word, repent. Turn away from what is standing between you and God. Learn to think differently about your issues. That’s what repentance means—to change your mind. Thinking differently about our problems usually means among other things, stop blaming everyone else for your problems. We are where we are because of choices we have made. Bad things happen to everyone; the difference in outcomes depends on whether we react or respond to life. Blaming is reactionary. Taking responsibility is, as the word implies, responsive. 

Taking responsibility is one way we level mountains and fill valleys. When we do so, we are giving God a superhighway into our lives, and he is an over-the-road trucker from heaven to our hearts.

There is a second part to John’s message. It isn’t just for me individually. He wants me to have an active part in leveling mountains and filling valleys for others so God can have a wide open road into their lives. It’s what Jesus was getting at when he said “the second Commandment is like the first.” Loving God is the first. Loving our neighbors is the second. The best way I can love my neighbor is by becoming God’s highway for them, instead of being a mountain or valley God must somehow overcome in order to have access to their hearts.

I am a bit more wordy than John, so I’ll just end by saying it the way he said it: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

Where You Are

 February 24, 2023

Fellow Christians look at me a bit skeptically when in response to their question, I tell them my favorite Bible verse. Actually, I think they think I’m a bit weird, but that may or may not have any connection to my favorite verse. It’s from Luke 3, verses 1 and 2:

“Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.”

No, I haven’t memorized it. I get easily confused by all the names, but the reason I love these two verses is because of how they help me put things in perspective. Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, Herod, Philip, Lysanias, Annas, and Caiaphas were the movers and shakers of their day. If we were to update the story for today, we would hear (if you lived in in my neck of the woods of New York State),

“In the 3rd year of Joe Biden, when Kathy Hochul was governor of New York, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand senators, Paul Wendell county executive, George Borello state senator of the 57th district, Andy Goodell Assemblyman, and Willie Rosas mayor of Dunkirk…”

 And then, instead of the Word of the Lord coming to John in the wilderness, it would be, “the Word of the Lord came to (put your name here in whatever backwater place you live).” We tend to think it’s the movers and shakers, the politicians and elites who are making the world spin on its axis. They pontificate and we genuflect, but it’s all just a sham. God isn’t impressed. 

Instead of speaking through the high and mighty, he comes to John in the wilderness, an ordinary man unmoved by the pomp and ceremony, someone who has allowed the wilderness to strip him of pretension and illusion. John isn’t distracted; he’s listening, and he hears God.

Once upon a time when things were really cooking at Park church, I happened to be driving through Lockport, NY. I drove by a small UM church, a white-framed chapel on the corner of an intersection. It was surrounded by houses, and to my shame, I made a judgment about why church in the midst of so many houses remained small. I asked the Lord, “What could I have accomplished if I lived in the middle of so many people?”

God’s response was immediate, and humbling: “Jim, I couldn’t have done anything more with you there than I’m doing where you are. I’m doing the best I can with what I have to work with.” Point taken, Lord. Correction received. 

Don’t despise where you are. You may be off the beaten path; you may feel you’ve been overlooked, that the real action is happening somewhere else. Right now, it appears the action is happening in Wilmore, KY, at Asbury. But if God didn’t place you in Wilmore, don’t seek to go there. He put you where you are because it’s where he can best speak to you and get your attention. Pay no mind to the high and mighty. God isn’t speaking to them. He’s speaking to you in your wilderness. And what he says, the world needs to hear.