Thanks!

Posted on April 12, 2012     Leave a Comment

 “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” ~ 1Thessalonians 5:18

I hate this verse!  I have heard it quoted so many times.  And it is usually quoted in a time of great distress…to someone else.  I cannot remember a time I have heard someone quote it to themselves.  Instead, it is a pious, “holier than thou” quip that leaves the other person feeling inadequate in their faith.

The idea of giving thanks in all circumstances implies we must be thankful even in the times of great adversity.  More so, it implies we should actually be grateful FOR the adversity.  And it begs the question, “does this make God the author of evil”?  Is it really God’s will that you endure such hardship?  Is it His will to SEND you the adversity?

The question of evil has been pondered for thousands of years.  It is not my intention to solve it in this post.  For most of us we will wrestle with the idea for years.  And, hopefully, we will come to a place of trusting God in the midst of adversity.

Yet, St. Paul is reminding us to give thanks in the midst of the circumstance, not necessarily FOR the circumstance.  It is in the midst of our trials and adversities, we can know that God has a plan.  And His plan includes us.  He cares about us and He brings beauty from the ashes.

However, now that I have been walking with the Lord for many years, I am learning to also give thanks FOR the circumstances.  So often, the things that are tragic become beautiful gifts from God.  Two years ago I did not want to “give thanks” for my husband losing his job.  But God did amazing things in our lives through the journey of that particular adversity.  We learned compassion for others and dependence upon God.  We are able to truly understand others who are facing unemployment, foreclosure, and shut-off notices.  We know what it takes to apply for unemployment benefits and food stamps and Medicade for our children.  We know what it feels like to shop at the thrift stores because we have to, not simply because we are frugal.  And we know how it feels to be the recipients of other person’s charity.

God took those things and made us more compassionate.  We are able to minister to people we never would have without that experience.  He also blessed us with the ability to start our own small business.  And now we have opportunities to minister to more people who are looking for employment.  God has given us multiple opportunities to minister to people out of the ashes of that experience.

So I am still left asking and pondering the question, “Does this make God the author of bad things”?  I don’t know…and no, I don’t think so?  Here is what I do know:  I know and understand God less today than I did yesterday.  I mean that I am less certain and less arrogant that I have God all figured out in my head.  But, in my heart, I know God more today than I did yesterday.  Today, I know in the depths of my soul that God loves me and cares about me and desires for me to take His love and share it with others.

And that, my friends, is something to give thanks FOR!

Keep fighting the good fight of faith!

 

Branches

Posted on March 31, 2012     1 Comment

So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, 

   “Hosanna!   Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord– the King of Israel!”

     The word “Hosanna” has become synonymous with the word “praise”.  Praise means more literally to “admire the face”.  John begins his Gospel by proclaiming that Jesus is the Word and the Word was God and the Word became flesh.  And the people in the crowd looked into the face of God and admired the Creator, Who came as His own creation to His own creation.  No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only has made Him known (John 1).  They walked with Him, talked with Him, and looked into His eyes.  They heard His voice, they smelled His scent, they touched His hands and He touched them.
     Yet, the word “Hosanna” is a Hebrew word of the Old Testament.  It truly means “Help [us]” or “Save [us]”.  The people were chanting “Help us; Save us. Help us; Save us”.
    Usually these are words you shout when you are in distress.  But the people were also waving palm branches.  These were symbols of celebration.  They used palm branches in other festivals, such as the Feast of Tabernacles.  The palm branches were used to build temporary shelters as they celebrated and remembered their 40 years in the wilderness [Feast of Tabernacles].
    In some ways it must have felt as if they were still wandering in the wilderness.  Even though they were no longer in exile; even though they were living in their own land again, it was not their home.  The Romans were in charge and sat on the throne.  The Jews had no official army or way of reclaiming their land from their enemies.  The best they could do was cooperate and live peaceful lives to the best of their ability.
    The palm branches were also a Roman symbol of celebration and victory.  The Romans used them in celebrating military successes.  The crowd waved the branches as a premature sign of victory.  Jesus was coming as their King.  He would bring them success.   He would save them from their enemies.  And they began to chant, “Help us; Save us. Help us; Save us”!
    It is a paradoxical proclamation.  They were shouting words of desperation while waving branches of celebration.  In a few short chapters (and less than five days) they will chant words of condemnation.  They will shout, “Crucify Him.  Crucify Him”.
    So often we are living in the same state of paradox.  We want Jesus to save us.  We want God to arrive on the scene and help us.  We are jumping and shouting and waving branches of celebration.  Yet, when God reveals Himself, we are ready to crucify Him.  We only want God involved in our time, at our convenience, in the manor of our choosing.  But we have to decide.  We cannot have it both ways.
    God desires to save us.  God truly wants to help us.  And, truthfully, we really need His help.  We really need Him to save us.  But God is willing to allow us our own free will.  He will let us cry out, “crucify Him” as He willingly lays down His life.  He will even let us go our own way.
    On Palm Sunday, will you be one of the crowd who shouts, “Hosanna.  Save us.”?  Or will we hear your voice on Good Friday shouting, “crucify Him”?  This Palm Sunday, instead of laying your palm branches at His feet, it may be time to lay your heart at the foot of the cross.
Happy and Blessed Palm Sunday!

Help Us Remember

Posted on March 16, 2012     1 Comment

Joshua [also] set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day. ~ Joshua 4:9

The Word of God was originally intended to be read aloud.  It is born out of an traditionally oral culture.  The people of both the Old and New Testaments would gather together and read the scriptures aloud.  And they used symbols and signs to help tell the story.

As I was listening to this passage the other day, I heard something profound.  Joshua set up a memorial to remind people to tell the story.  God had him set up 12 stones in their camp the night they crossed over into the promised land.  And He commanded Joshua and the people to use the stones as a reminder to tell the story.  They were to tell the next generation of God’s faithfulness.

We need to lay down memorial stones in our own lives; markers that remind us to tell the next generation of God’s faithfulness.  It was more than a reminder.  It was a testament that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever!

But God also told Joshua to set up 12 stones in the MIDDLE of the Jordan River.  He placed 12 stones in the very place where the priests had stood with the Ark of the Covenant.  12 stones placed where no one would ever see them.  Once the priests touched the shore, the waters returned and rushed over the stones covering their testimony.

Sometimes we set up memorial stones, markers of God’s faithfulness, that will never be seen by the next generation.  The world will go one as if that miracle or answered prayer or movement of God never happened.  Those stones have a difference purpose.  They are not a testament to the world.  They are a testament between God and His people.  They are a reminder that God is faithful even when we cannot see it.  They are a reminder that God always remembers.

Are we more concerned that others remember?  Or are we more concerned that God remembers?  It seems from this story in Joshua that both are important to God.  Let’s set up memorial stones that will remind us to tell the story.  But let’s also set up memorial stones that tell us the story!

Keep fighting the good fight of faith!

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